Sanjay Gandhi National Park Volunteer Initiative

Hi all,

I got this via email from NOET (Natura Outdoor Education Trust) since I am subscribed to their newsletter. They conduct volunteer programs and have been active in helping clean up the SGNP.

Their latest program seems to be looking for volunteers to photograph the waterholes.

This is their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/Paraforest.Forces

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To the mods - Im not sure if you consider this post of mine as a profit/money making/advertising thing ... I am in no way affiliated to NOET and have just posted this as information, if anyone wishes to volunteer. Please be my guest if you wish to delete the thread!

Thanks for the lead. I've mailed them

my pleasure! I am awaiting a response from them as well

me too

That was a very useful bit of information, sidch! Thanks a ton. I happened to see your post by chance and I grabbed the opportunity to mail to the concerned NGO, NOET (Natura Outdoor Education Trust) yesterday afternoon. By late evening I had received a reply but as I had not mentioned my contact details when I had mailed them, they mailed back requesting my mobile number immediately. I did pass on that information and forgot about it today morning.

SGNP office

But to my surprise around 11.00 AM, I received a call from one of the leader of the group from the said NGO, one Mr. Rohit wanting to know if I could be there immediately if I wanted to volunteer for the project. Ofcourse, I requested for 15 minutes time and promptly landed up there at 11.15 am.

11.30 PM, some of the volunteers at SGNP office, being briefed:



I wasn't very keen on posting much but the initiative you had taken to post this information here and seeing niknik, too respond to our post, I felt it was my duty to give you the details (briefly) along with a few photographs taken by me today, of the NGO meetup. Everyone who is interested could know about the purpose of the project and how it would handled.

Time meet to the Conservator of Forest/Director - entering the office


Purpose - In the light of recent tiger poaching/killings at Tadoba Tiger reserve, a red alert has been issued at SGNP, Mumbai and the officials feel the need to keep a check on all the waterholes of SGNP.

We were informed that some of the poachers who have been caught from the Tadoba premises have informed during interrrogation that SGNP would be another place where the tigers and wildlife could be targeted. Hence this immediate initiative. As the area involved would be vast and it would be tedious to involve only the forest officials in the surveillance, the NGO has been roped in where it could be a wonderful opportunity for the people (volunteers) to get involved and contribute their bit to the conservation and upkeep of the National Park.

Why the waterhole surveillance? Understandably, being peak summer, the best place to trap the animals would be closer to 'waterholes', hence all these listed waterholes are to be monitored until the first showers of Monsoon (expected by June 15, we were informed). After which the water sources would be abundant in the forest and the wild animals would not be dependent on these waterholes.

The meeting

1st meeting - 11.00 AM, a group of about 9 volunteers met the group leaders Mr. Rohit and Mr. Gaurang from the above mentioned NGO. We were briefed about the work involved and the dedication required for this work.

We were later briefed by the Conservator of Forest/Director - Mr. Sunil Limaye about the entire work involved and the forest officials who would be involved in guiding the volunteers.


Mr Sunil Limaye giving information about the project and the purpose



2nd meeting - 4.00 PM - Meeting with various Range Forest officers to allocate the locations to different groups of Volunteers and the method in which the work would be carried forward.



Area being covered - SGNP - Krishnagiri, Tulshi lake, Yeur, Tungareshwar and a few other places where there are listed waterholes which need to be visited by the volunteers everyday and locations photographed and the photographs e-mailed to the Forest Range officers.

About 5 different Range officers would be heading different group of volunteers and would who in turn would be allocated specific locations with the listed waterholes.

Work involved - The volunteers are required to visit the allocated location 'everyday' and photograph the premises and take a casual check of the surroundings and promptly mail the photographs to the Range officers they report to. The best part of the work is the volunteers could visit their designated locations anytime between 8.00 AM to 4.00 PM. They would be issued Identity cards for the said purpose.

A few volunteers who attended today's meet have been allocated their locations and would be taken by the forest officials tomorrow morning to the particular places to get familiar.

I am told that the NGO still need volunteers who could cover SGNP locations towards Yeur/Thane!! If anbody is interested, kindly let me know. I have the contact details of the group leader, I could immediately pass it on. Even if anybody wants to know about the details from them, just post here or PM me .

Sidch, thanks a ton, once again. Now, the perks of attending the meeting - got an opportunity take some photographs at SGNP!

The lake, only a little bit of water remains in this hot summer!



A pond heron sits meditatively!



So does this Oriental Magpie Robin - I must mention the other birds are nowhere to be seen.



Distant view from Gandhi Mandir



A few more photographs from here and there at SGNP



Red-vented Bulbul Pair





I think this is called 'the birds of Paradise'!



The butterfly



A common Myna



As we wound up the meeting and bid goodbye - the silence reigned at SGNP.

nice ..and quick !!

Great pics as always.

I mailed them on the 28th but haven't heard back yet.
I am pretty much free till the 10th of June (except 1-3rd when I am out of town) Yeoor is quite close to my house so I am still interested, that is if they are OK with me being away from 1-3rd.

lol... Naveena you are one lucky lady! I havent had a response yet sadly but hey, thats how the cookie crumbles

I will pm you my contact num/// if you think they would be interested , please let me know when i can attend.

Great pics as always btw!! you are one hell of a shutterbug!!!

btw I also volunteered for "Junior Achievement India" and attended one meeting ... this has nothing to do with nature, its about trying to mentor young kids on career choices

... but the meeting I attended last year left me disgruntled with the path they were following, I might give it another try this year ... as it is, I teach design in some colleges as a hobby, part-time. But seriously the educational system is going nowhere fast.

If anyone else feels like volunteering to try and help kids (not sure if you will get paid!) ... do let me know!

cheers!

@JuliaF, abhisheksj and niknik - Thank you!

sidch, Well, I would like to believe so. This time I am lucky, thanks to you .

It is surprising to know that you and niknik have not received any reply from the NGO.

I have replied to our PM .

Shutterbug - hahaha, somebody on another thread sometime back called me 'SUPER BUG'. But I like 'shutterbug' more . With lots of time on hand, this hobby helps to keep myself occupied without troubling others - atleast when I am busy clicking, after that I do bore people by posting those photographs.

Seems like an interesting concept! Where do you manage to get all these details? May be when I am free (sometime soon), I can think about such work. I think I will be interested and now I know who to catch hold of . For now all I want to do is travel!!

Hi Naveena, they got in touch with me on Friday. As it turns out, I was leaving for Tadoba the same day and have just returned. I am going to meet the Forest Officer at Yeoor tomorrow and see if I can still help out.

Hi niknik!

Yes, I got to know about it on Sunday but I thought you would have started from yesterday itself!! Anyway, all the best! I have had some exciting experience till now, especially today!!

An will you please share your experience with us?????

Kunal, you just had to ask !

For all those who are still interested in my SGNP banter - Today morning as usual, I left for SGNP! Little did I know I was meeting a '10 feet' long snake on my visit to the first designated waterhole deep in the jungle! Yesterday was also thrilling as I sighted a small (may be just 3 ft long) snake only 3 ft away from me)! But before the minute I stopped and took a look at it it jumped off the ledge it was cautiously residing on!

But today, I was there with a forest guard and also my hubby along with me and suddenly just some 50 mts before the waterhole, heard some movement in the leaf litter close by. The noise stopped for a few seconds and again it was very clear and audible. We almost stood as still as the trees in the jungle and within seconds in the gorge below could see this long snake making it's way towards a rock. On closer observation we could see clearly that it['s head was badly hurt but overall it looked quite healthy and moving at a good pace.

By now, one could clearly hear my heart beat louder than the noise the snake was making while moving in the leaf litter! The guard accompanying me urging to come to another place where I could get a clear view and I could take photographs! With trembling hands, I went berserk clicking a few photographs before it made it's way into a burrow - which I think is it's regular residing place. Later the guard did mention that it was a non-venomous one, but still the feeling of seeing it in it's 'ilaaka' (territory)at such close range was a real thrilling experience.


BTW, I have been designated the 'Tulsi lake' area at SGNP, a restricted zone for SGNP visitors.


So here are the photographs - some of the snake and some from here and there .



One can see how badly the head is hurt - probably in a fight (?)



Another angle



If that is not enough, I had a close look at this colorful friend of mine



Something very colorful and attractive



I have to say there are not much birds to sight in this heat, but the regular ones are still flying around here & there. Jungle babbler



Yesterday's catch - Oriental-magpie Robin

The three butterflies in a row is a killer shot. At Tulsi lake you should also get to see crocodiles.

Update on my volunteering bid. Met Mr Salgaonkar today. He seemed like a very helpful fellow and patiently explained what the project was all about. He then called up some other officers within different areas of Yeoor. While talking to the one at Chena, I got the impression that there had been some problem. The officer said "Lafda zala aahe?" and then presumably heard the details of the problem. After that he told me that they don't need any more volunteers for now but will get in touch with me if something comes up.