Shillong, Sep 3: An awareness programme on “Wildlife Conservation: A Shared Responsibility” was conducted for students of St. Edmund’s College, Shillong with conservation scientist Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Secretary General and Executive Director of Aaranyak.
The programme was organised yesterday by the Department of Zoology in collaboration with IQAC of the college and attended by over 200 students and faculty members.
Dr. Talukdar emphasised on the ecological significance of Northeast India in terms of its rich biodiversity and highlighted the opportunities available for students to contribute, not only through research but also by engaging in on-ground conservation efforts where expertises from diverse disciplines are in demand as on date.
He spoke about Aaranyak’s wide-ranging initiatives, encouraging students to explore the organisation’s internship and volunteering programmes to work jointly for biodiversity conservation.
He further underlined the importance of collaborative training programmes to enhance students’ capacities in the field of biodiversity conservation and human well-being.
Principal in-charge of the college, Br. Sunil Britto also attended the event.
Later, Dr Talukdar delivered another invited talk on “Research Opportunities in the Field of Bioresource Conservation in Northeast India,” at Shillong College.
Addressing the students of Zoology, he spoke about the wide range of research avenues available in the region and encouraged them to devote time to understand and learn from nature. He also highlighted Aaranyak’s internship and volunteering programmes.
The faculty members of both colleges expressed strong interest in collaborating with Aaranyak to create opportunities for skill development of the students, with the aim of creating a pool of conservation-minded and research-oriented students and scholars in their institutions.
