Teesta Review: A Journal of Poetry, Volume 5, Number 1. May 2022. ISSN: 2581-7094
Preservation of Nature – a la Bahar Nature Foundation
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to
nature. It will never fail you.”
– Frank Lloyd Wright.
“Looking at the beauty in the world [nature] is the first step of purifying mind.”
– Amit Ray.
“Nature
is not a place to visit. It is home.”
– Gary Snyder.
Realizing the wisdom in the nature quotes like the
above, some like-minded people from Wardha – also known as Gandhi City – in
Maharashtra came together to promote activities to save Nature and make people
aware of Nature conservation. Unto this end, they formed an organisation ‘Bahar
Nature Foundation’ (BNF) on June 23, 2015. Right from the beginning the
office-bearers and the members of BNF have worked like a lively, well-oiled
team with each of them owning the organisation.
Dr Kishore Wankhede, founder of BNF observes:
“We have two mothers. Our own mother takes care of us.
The second mother is Mother Nature, without whom we can't grow. This second
mother is in danger. We all need to take care of her!” And he goes on to add: “Bahar
Nature Foundation promotes this view. Various activities are being conducted to
involve people in our mission to save Mother Nature. People in Maharashtra are
enthusiastically participating in these activities and programmes as the true
messengers of Bahar Nature Foundation. The foundation is also getting proper
guidance from State Forest Department to educate people about conservation of
Nature. The foundation has also extended help to the department during animal
census and bird census activities.”
Multifarious activities
Sanjay Ingle Tigaonkar, Vice-President of the BNF
lists off the activities it conducted since its inception. In August 2015, just
within two months after the foundation came into being, a cycle rally was held from
Wardha-Dhaga-Masod and it received a huge response especially from the
villagers. Wild Life Week was celebrated from October 1 to 7 in the same year. A
drawing exhibition organised by the Foundation in Mahatma Gandhi International
Hindi University, Wardha, was well appreciated by all. Dr Gopal Paliwal,
Director, Centre for Bee Development, Wardha, delivered his lecture on Honey
Bee and Food Production. In association with State Forest Department, a programme
named ‘Dr Salim Ali Bird Census’ was conducted in two Water resources in Wardha
district. Members of the foundation took part in the 16th ‘Pakshi Mitra
Sammelan’ held in Washim in Maharashtra.
During 2016-17, the following programmes took place,
as Dr Babaji Ghewade, President of the BNF says:
A plastic eradication and
cleanliness campaign at Bor Wild Life Sanctuary in Wardha district.
A sky-watching programme held
in association with Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti for the 17th ‘Vidarbha
Pakshi Mitra Sammelan’ at Sevagram.
Celebration of World Sparrow
Day guiding the people on the importance of conserving sparrows.
A workshop by noted environmentalist
Maruti Chittampalli on grafting of plants and saplings – at Mahatma Gandhi
International Hindi University, Wardha – which was well attended by Nature
lovers.
‘Shetkari Pakshimitra
Sammelan’ (Farmers-Bird-lovers Conference) at Rotha in Wardha district.
And during 2018-19, were organized a ‘Shramdan’ at
Giroli in association with Paani Foundation, an organisation devoted to water-related
works, and a study tour at Mendhalekha Kurkheda in Gadchiroli district.
Elections to choose the ‘City Bird’!
Just as our country has peacock as the national bird,
and Maharashtra has the ‘yellow footed green pigeon’ as the state bird, BNF
activists Dr Kishore Wankhede and Dr Jayant Vagha (a renowned paediatrician) recount
that the BNF, wishing to have a city bird for Wardha, had short-listed 5 birds –
White Breasted Kingfisher, Spotted Owlet, Coppersmith Barbet, Indian Roller and
Black Winged Kite. And the general public were involved to choose the finalist
via an election process organized by Wardha Municipal Council and the BNF.
Vaibhav Deshmukh, Secretary recalls that the City Bird election campaign began on June 23, 2018. People were asked to elect their City Bird through a physical ballot and the Wardha residents staying abroad were given the facility of online voting. The election process was monitored by 25 election officers. It was not just about elections, but creating interest among people about bird life and environment. “To spearhead the poll campaign, we resorted to display of hoardings, wall paintings, bird watching, exhibition, cycle rally and lectures,” he clarified.
Jayant Sabane, Treasurer, pitches in to say that as
many as 51,267 people had cast their ballots in the polls that started on June
23 and closed on August 15. Of the total votes, 47,646 votes were physical, and
3,621 were online, says architect Ravindra Patil, member of the guidance team.
The final result was announced by noted ornithologist Maruti Chittampalli in the presence of Wardha Municipal Council Chief Atul Tarale and Chief Executive Officer Ashwini Waghmale. The Indian Roller (Nilpankh) took early lead right from the first round. Of the 10,940 votes counted in round one, the bird got 5,988 votes. At the end of the fourth round, Nilpankh bagged 29,865 votes while its nearest rival White Breasted Kingfisher was way behind with 6,950 votes. The votes for the other candidates were Coppersmith Barbet (4,105), Spotted Owlet (4,805), and Black Shoulder Kite (4,886). The remaining 656 votes were invalid. The 54-day election exercise had generated a lot of interest among not only the local residents but also the nature lovers from entire Maharashtra. Isn’t it incredibly interesting and stimulating!
BNF enters the Limca Book of
Records
Dr Wankhede recaptures some of the interesting
incidents that happened during the election campaign.
“When we visited schools for this purpose, many
students thought that we had brought the candidate birds caged in the ballot
boxes! Spotted owlet was one of the candidates in the City Bird election. A high-level
officer remarked that we had not properly narrowed down the candidates. He said
that we shouldn’t have included the owlet, the bird of ill-omen. An artistic
sculpture of the elected city bird Nilpankh was erected at the welcome point of
Wardha. This sculpture had been made out of scrap by the students of J J School
of Arts Mumbai. It is a great honour for the Bahar Nature Foundation that its
activity of ‘City Bird Election’ winged its way into the Limca Book of Records
in March, 2020.”
The enthusiastic participation and response of the villagers encouraged the BNF to organise a cycle rally from Wardha to Karad in the Satara district. The cyclists created awareness about conservation of environment and water during the rally. They also attended the Maharashtra ‘Pakshi Mitra Sammelan’ there.
Snehal Kubade, Assistant Secretary, details:
“To involve students in the matter of conservation of birds,
the BNF organised a Vidyarthi Pakshi Mitra Sammelan on January 14, 2019. The
second ‘Shetkari Pakshi Mitra Sammelan’ on January 27, 2019 was well received
by the farmers. The BNF members took part in the 18th ‘Vidarbha Pakshi Mitra
Sammelan’ in Chandrapur district. The cycle rallyists from Wardha to Mumbai via
Revdanda participated in the Maharashtra ‘Pakshi Mitra Sammelan’. The Vidarbha ‘Pakshi
Mitra Sammelan’ at Lonar was attended by the cyclists who began their rally
from Sevagram.”
BNF pioneers the Bird Week in Maharashtra
Here is one more memorable activity of the BNF. Four
cyclists Dr Kishore Wankhade, Dilip Virkhade, Deepak Gudhekar (Vice-President)
and Darshan Dudhane pedalled to Mantralaya, Mumbai by bicycle in 2020 and
submitted their demand to declare 5-12 November as a Bird Week. Impressed with the idea of BNF, Chief
minister Uddhav Thackeray promptly accepted the demand.
Prof Dr Aarti Pranjale, Avinash
Bhole, Rahul Wakare, Parag Dandge, Rajdip Rathod, Pawan Darne and Darshan
Dudhane – all executive members of the BNF; Atul Sharma, member of the guidance
team; and Rahul Telrandhe, founder member cum renowned photo-journalist – have
been educating the people on nature and water conservation, plastic
eradication, non-use of nylon thread for flying kites, tree plantation, the
need to keep water pots at homes for birds and animals, etc.
“All my life through, the new sights of Nature made
me rejoice like a child.” – This observation by Mary Curie is rejuvenatingly
relevant even today for protection of Nature.
The initiatives and efforts of Bahar Nature Foundation
for preserving Nature in its original form needs to be appreciated and
supported by every lover of Nature.
Pics by: Rahul Telrandhe, Wardha.