In today’s era, when environmental uncertainty is sweeping across the world, we are all bogged down by the uncomfortable reality of environmental pollution. Rejuvenating the environment becomes our prime concern that needs to be imbibed among students right from the school days. A Siliguri-based environmental group named Green Environmental Preservation Society focuses on making school students aware about nature and environment by organising plantation drive, nature study and bird watching camps in different locations of Terai and Dooars every year.

According to Debabrata Chakravorty, vice president, Green Environmental Preservation Society, “We had hosted our annual Nature Study Camp at Pudum Basti in Darjeeling Hills from 25 to 31December last year. The camp had the presence of 162 students from 16 government and private schools of Kurseong, Darjeeling, Malda and Behrampore.There were two different sessions for students including adventure sports and nature study.

The adventure sports activities included rappelling, traverse travelling, rock climbing, monkey crawling, making of night shelters and preparing fire and cooking. The nature study sessions were star gazing and taking up socio-economic survey of nearby hamlets of Pudum Basti that would help the students to develop an idea about the economic plight of the rural masses.” This voluntary entity that took shape way back in 1996 initiated the latest nature study camp for students at Sukhna forest in Darjeeling Hills on 6 August this year.

Chakravorty said, “We had taken up forest survey that included bird watching in which 135 avian species have been sighted at Sukhna forest. We have initiated Mid Winter Wetland Survey at Gajoldoba wetland that has the presence of waterfowl, Indian cormorants, little egrets, mallards, white breasted kingfishers, purple herons, common sandpipers, wood sandpipers, northern lapwing to name a few.

A number of migratory winged visitors come to Gajoldoba wetland like Siberian cranes and Ruddy shelduck. The endangered avian species is the great thicknee in Gajoldoba wetland that have been sighted after five years.”

The environmental group also took up Third Annual Bird Watching Camp with school students at Jhalong from 17 to 19 March this year. Lying on the banks of river Jaldhaka, Jhalong is in the district of Kalimpong and is around 99 km away from Siliguri in the vicinity of Bindu along Indo-Bhutan border. “Nearly 65 avian species have been recorded at Jhalong like ashy bulbul, jungle owlet, black drongo, blue throated barbet, blue whistling thrush et al.

The two endangered avian species are crimson sunbird and maroon oriole at Jhalong. Afforestation, nature study and bird watching camps are the annual features of our group. We are planning to embark upon high-altitude expedition in Garhwal Himalayas sometime in June 2018. We are contemplating to scale up some of the icy peaks but no concrete plans have been formulated till now,” added Chakravorty.

Owing to political turbulence in Darjeeling Hills, the group is toying with plans to host its annual nature study camp in Dooars in December this year