Tamil Nadu - Dindigul   

Students get a feel of natural wealth, values

Staff Reporter

In a trekking expedition organised by Forest Department

SEEING IS BELIEVING: District Forest Officer Nihar Ranjan briefing trekkers in the evergreen forests of Pachalur hills in Dindigul district.

DINDIGUL: Forests are home to millions of species, they protect from soil erosion, produce oxygen and regulate climate. They must be preserved as people and animals depend on them for livelihood. Destruction, man-made or natural, would adversely affect ecosystem.

Classroom lectures alone would not enlighten anyone to understand its impacts. Having realised this, the Forest Department took a 15-member team, all postgraduate students of English Literature of Gandhigram Rural University to the evergreen forests on Pachalur hills on Saturday to make them know, feel and understand forest wealth and its values. Armed with a binocular and a pistol, District Forest Officer Nihar Ranjan, along with watch guards, led the team that set off on a 10-km climb to the hill peak from Semparankulam village, the base camp.

The trek

After three hours of trekking, they halted at a hamlet and interacted with the tribal people. Their living conditions, food habits and the bamboo-mud pack huts were a strange experience to the trekkers. While chirping of birds and screaming of insects welcomed the first-time trekkers, a forest stream rejuvenated them. Then began the challenging phase. They started scaling down the hill, a dry and rocky terrain. As dusk fell, they reached Sattaparai village near Ayakudi.

In between trekking, there were explanatory sessions on nature and conservation. Converting the dense forests into a classroom, Mr. Nihar said cutting trees would lead to destruction of forests. Growth of evergreen forests is very slow. Students must be environmentally aware to protect them.

The aim of the trekking expedition was to create awareness of conservation and make students to learn to enjoy Nature, he said. "Seeing is believing. We just showed the forest wealth and its dependents. They will understand the rest. Mental preparedness and physical stamina matter a lot. They had both."

"It was a great chance for us to see these evergreen forests," said the students. To make them energetic, forest staff offered natural juices, glucose, biscuits and toffees.

Before bidding goodbye, Mr. Nihar said: "Love true wilderness and help us to increase green cover."

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