Conservation Outreach Road Trip (CORT)
-Susan Sharma
Yet another citizen effort to help, document and archive the grass root level environment and wildlife conservation effort is currently on.
Nirmal Kulkarni is a wildlife ecologist working in the Western Ghats on lesser known fauna in general and herpetofauna in particular. He also aims to photo document the lesser known fauna the Mahdei Bio region and create awareness amongst the masses.
With this objective in mind Nirmal has set out on a road trip which he has christened "Conservation Outreach Road Trip-Inspiring people, places and their work ". His journey covers Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The primary aim of these road trips is to identify, motivate and engage with grass roots activists and conservationists whose silent work needs to be appreciated and further strengthened. Another purpose is to provide these identified individuals, groups
and teams with basic equipment, field guides and share experiences about conservation as well as eco-tourism. Nirmal has a group of writers, photographers and researchers accompanying him, all on volunteer basis.
Research associate Rahul Khanolkar connected with anti poaching camp watchmen from Bimgad WLS Karnataka. They were provided First Aid kits as a first step towards empowering these grassroots warriors
as part of the CORT initiative.
The stories on the way are recorded by the writer while the photographer documents the still and moving images. The trip will ensure that a detailed report and reality check is done on field issues that concern the forests of these states. And finally
of course, with the help of images, video shoots and journal entries and sketches, he hopes to generate stories for popular as well as scientific interest.
Nirmal giving first aid kit to Darshan nail a round forester at Castle Rock wildlife range karnataka.
At the end of the year, a ‘ Grass Roots Conservation database’ will be created to bring these silent workers on one platform so that their combined strength can inspire as well as motivate the work of others.
The team outside anti poaching camp near kuveshi village Karnataka
Rahul Khanolkar, Research associate at Mhadei Research Centre explaining about the Davis Weather station to team members.
Chaukul village screening of a wildlife drama oriented documentary "Vaghobacha Khatla' in the local language Marathi on human-leopard conflict.
"You can join a trip too. Come be a part of the ‘Conservation Road trip’ journey and help make a difference…one step at a time." says Nirmal. Nirmal Kulkarni can be contacted at ophidian_nirmal@yahoo.co.in