The Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) developed by the EI Division, under the ENVIS Scheme, was launched in June, 2017 on a pilot basis at 10 locations, spread over 9 bio-geographic regions of the country, with a Basic Course and Advanced Course of 3 months’ duration each, to skill the youth as Biodiversity Conservationists and Para-taxonomists, respectively. The pilot course has received positive feedback from all stakeholders.
94 students underwent training in BSI/ZSI centres. Of these, 74 students are interested in continuing to the advanced course.
Few Success stories are as follows:
1. Three trainees were selected as Field Assistants in a Project of ZSI, at their Kolkata Centre.
2. One of the trainee at Dehradun Centre of ZSI was selected in the D/o Genomics, FRI, Dehradun as Project Assistant under a project, “Genetic improvement for productivity and insecticidal properties of Polygonatum verticillatum L.” This project is funded by NMPB for 3 years with a salary of Rs. 9000 + HRA.
3. Another trainee from ZSI’s Dehradun Centre, belonging to Patara Village, Teh., Dunda Dist., Uttarakashi held meetings with his villagers and apprised them about Conservation of Biodiversity. He informed them about alien invasive plant species and the threat they pose to the plant diversity and motivated his fellow villagers for the eradication of Parthenium from his village. He took initiative to cultivate mushroom in the village. He invited 15 people from the village and explained how one can generate income through mushroom cultivation. He also conducted nature trail in the Sr Secondary School of the village in which more than 100 students and teachers participated. The Principal of the School appreciated his initiatives and gave an honorarium of Rs. 1000/- from school fund.
4. A female trainee at ZSI’s Dehradun Centre has been selected for a six months prestigious training programme in the USA on Restoration Ecology being organised by EarthCorps Organization, Seattle, USA.
5. Two trainees at Dehradun Centre of ZSI have been selected for WWF-India Programme pertaining to biodiversity documentation. Another trainee is pursuing his dissertation work on birds in ZSI, Dehradun.
6. One of the trainee at Western Ghats Regional Centre of ZSI delivered classes at Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary, Wayanad for the nature camp students on two occasions.
7. One of the trainee at Western Ghats Regional Centre of ZSI delivered lectures on various aspects of biodiversity to the school students at Aralam Wild Life Sanctuary, Kannur district. Another trainee delivered a lecture on Tiger Conservation at a Punarjani Camp conducted for college students in Thrissur.
8. Few trainees from the Western Ghats Regional Centre of ZSI attended the bird surveys as part of the bird atlas programme conducted at Kannur & Kasaragod district and the butterfly survey of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve on 10-13th Oct. 2017 organized by the Kerala Forests & Wildlife Department. Another trainee compiled a list of birds of Wayanad with their tribal names for a project work of Prof. MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Kalpetta, Wayanad.