In today’s era of climate change and global warming, preservation is a better option to maintain biodiversity of a region. In this context, a voluntary environmental group, based in Jalpaiguri, deserves mention for battling the odds for the last three decades.

The Jalpaiguri Science and Nature Club has been spurred on by a mission to inculcate a dash of scientific attitude among students and the common masses and raise environmental awareness in the Dooars and Terai region of the Eastern Himalayas.

The organisation took up a five-day nature study camp along with students of state government schools in the Dooars in December last year. Gautam Ghose, treasurer, Jalpaiguri Science and Nature Club said, “There were 80 school students and the nature study camp was held at Metelli in the Darjeeling Hills, known for its scenic landscape and relative politics-free atmosphere.

A number of sessions were held like study of avian fauna, insects and flora. We also demonstrated ways to climb mountains, cross rivers and focused on highaltitude trekking norms.

Students embarked on short trekking trails for a stretch of five kms.” Besides, the non-profit outfit was engaged in a rhino census that ended in April. Ghose said, “The rhino census was conducted along with the state forest department in Gorumara National Park and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary.

Only two rhinos have been sighted in Gorumara National Park and one in Chapramari owing to rampant poaching activities.

There was a time when poaching was rampant in Assam’s Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary.With the declaration of shoot-at sight orders and deployment of forest guards in Kaziranga, poaching is at bay but the poachers have shifted their base to the Dooars.

It is also a bitter fact that poachers have formed a nexus with the staff of state forest departments.” Poaching is a significant factor contributing to the dwindling rhino population in Gorumara and Chapramari. The environmental outfit is quite active in organising bird watching trips. Ghose further said, “Our latest bird watching event was held at Bhotpatti lying around 34 km from Jalpaiguri in Dooars in May.

Around 32 school students from three government schools were present at the bird watching site. The Bhotpatti wetlands with its rivers form a favourable ground for observing the local avian species of the Dooars. We could sight nearly 40 avian species and seven water birds in the area.”

Some of the common avian fauna spotted at Bhotpatti are blue throated barbet, sulvous breasted woodpecker, common kingfisher, parakeet and green pigeon. The water birds include cormorants, egrets, water hen, moorhen, lapwing, owls, magpie robin and brown pigeon. “We conduct bird watching every year and send our reports to the state forest department and other environmental groups”, Ghose added.

JSNC is incidentally the only one in the district of Jalpaiguri to carry out the project of National Children Science Congress, a project of the department of Science and Technology of the Central government.

Ghose further added, “We impart training to school teachers on ways to generate environmental awareness.”