‘Breakfast with Birds’ at Deepor Beel WLS

Imagine a group of bubbling school children are having breakfast amid chirping of bird of different hues and sizes. Sounds so nice and fable-like, Isn't it? Can you dare to think that it was just what had happened just at the outskirt of bustling but noisy and polluted Guwahati? Yes it was a reality just a few days back and where else but Deepor Beel and thank Aaranyak if you like the idea.

It’s a tragedy that Guwahatians hardly realize that we a living in a unique city located amid reserved forests, wildlife protection areas, rich water-bodies and hills having a treasure trove of wildlife.

But Aaranyak, a leading scientific and industrial research organization headquartered in the city, has set out on an avowed initiative to make the budding denizens of Guwahati to realize the value of their city that is nothing less than a unique gift from the Mother Nature and the need to protect as well as cherish it.

“Break fast with Birds”, is one of the novel initiatives undertaken by Aaranyak for school kids and teachers and as part of the initiative a group school children from the city along wither their teachers were taken to Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary on April 29 ,2010 to let them frolic amid the nature and early morning birds.

Altogether 51 participants including 33 students from Maharishi Vidya Mandir Sixmile were enjoying the breakfast of their life amid a nature’s paradise dotted with birds in Deepor Beel. They were also given an opportunity to interact with Dr Devojit Das from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and learn about birding from the experience.

The whole programme was facilitated by Bibhuti P Lahkar, Naba Krishna Nath, Namita Bramha, Purnima Devi Barman, Sanjay Das from Aaranyak. Apart from the birding Bibhuti P Lahkar, programme secretary of Aaranyak told the school children about wetlands and their immense value for survival of animal kingdom on the earth. Wildlife journalist made a very interesting and lively speech on “birding as a hobby”.

Aaranyak’s environmental educator, Jayanta Kumar Pathak coordinated the porgramme and spoke about the Deepor Beel WLS, role of students in conservation arena.

The school kids received practical training on bird watching, how to identify birds, fine points about birding etc.

Most of the students participants were there in Deepor Beel for the first time that day students while majority of other participants including teachers and seniors were not aware of the path or location of Deepor Beel. And this speaks of the immense need for organizing such a programme to bring our citizens closer to the Nature.