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Chhattisgarh Youth Transform Forests into Classrooms
6 Apr
Summary
- Hundreds of young people join the YUVAN program.
- Volunteers tackle biodiversity and human-wildlife conflict.
- Initiative fosters empathy, curiosity, and conservation action.
In Chhattisgarh's Balodabazar district, a significant green movement is underway, spearheaded by the YUVAN (Youth + Van) volunteer program. This initiative actively involves young individuals in environmental conservation and the mitigation of human-wildlife conflict.
Currently, 600 school students are registered as junior members, complemented by over 90 college students and local youth serving as active volunteers. Together, they form a growing grassroots network dedicated to protecting biodiversity.
The program offers practical, on-ground experience in critical areas such as biodiversity conservation, managing human-wildlife interactions, and conducting community outreach for environmental awareness. Participants receive hands-on training from the forest department.
Training modules include vital skills like bird watching, wildlife photography, wetland conservation, and understanding forest-based livelihoods. The program aims to cultivate ecological sensitivity and practical conservation abilities among the youth.
Divisional Forest Officer Dhammshil Ganveer emphasizes YUVAN's role as a long-term behavioral change initiative. It is built on fostering empathy for nature, sparking curiosity, and enabling tangible conservation actions, ultimately aiming to develop future environmental leaders.
