In 30 villages of Nandanpur local self-government unit in South Dinajpur district, conducted under the West Bengal Civil Society Support Programme and supported by DFID-UK.
The project involves creating awareness about biodiversity conservation and enhancement and establishes a process of biodiversity recording and generates linkages with rural livelihoods. The project commenced on 18 August 2008. We have created awareness at village and district level on biodiversity conservation and enhancement. We have conducted training of three Core Groups of school students and teachers on biodiversity recording and orientation of women's Self Help Groups and Farmers' Groups. Biodiversity recording is in progress and livelihood enhancement interventions will commence shortly.
ASED was part of a team that conducted a Perception Study in West Bengal on the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Field visits were conducted by a team from ASED in sample villages in West Midnapur, Bankura and Purulia districts. The study reports are in the process of preparation.
DRCSC and ASED organized a school garden project entitled "Nutrition Garden inside school complex". In the project students from the Eco Club of Classes 7 and 8 created medicinal and vegetable gardens inside their school campus or in pots where there was lack of space.
DRCSC and ASED provided guidelines and technical support for this six month project.
ASED collaborated with Earthcraft to promote eco-friendly products of hand-made paper and water hyacinth.
As part of our Foundation Day celebrations, we conducted an essay writing competition in 30 schools in Kolkata, 15 English medium and 15 Bengali Medium schools. The prize-winning essays were given prizes at the Foundation Day Celebrations on 14th September 2005 at Parish Hall, Kolkata. There was also an extempore speech competition for Classes 11 and 12 in which over 15 schools participated. The event was sponsored by the Forest Directorate, Ministry of Environment and Forests and corporate bodies.
ASED has been the associate group for the Sanctuary Britannia Tiger Programme "Kids for Tigers", a programme to protect the tiger and its forest home, conducted the programme in 67 schools in 2002-03. Over 18,000 school students took part.
We organized a meeting where the "Tiger Ambassadors" symbolically handed over more than 1 lakh signatures to Mr.Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Chief Minister of West Bengal as a petition to Save the Sunderbans.
