School students help to promote biodiversity

By Our Correspondent

New Delhi, Oct. 14: School children in the city are alarmed at the increasing rate of extinction of various plant and animal species due to population explosion and destruction of nature by humankind. Extending a helping hand to promote and conserve biological diversity, the school students felt that children and young people can play an important role in achieving it.

These students of public schools have voiced this opinion in a four-page newspaper The Yamuna, which is published by the slum children of East Delhi and the latest issue dedicates to the World Food Day to be organised on Saturday.

The first of its kind, a special issue of the paper was released at Gandhi Smiriti on Thursday at a FAO-GSDS Inter-school essay cum elocution competition, a joint programme of Gandhi Smiriti and Darshan Smiriti and Food and Agriculture organisation of the United Nation. The prestigious Fight Against Hunger trophy was won by students of Happy School, Daryaganj.

Emphasising that biodiversity contributes to the achievement of sustainable livelihood for people, Bhavna Jain and Nishit Sood said that children and young people need to initiate creative responses to biodiversity conservation.

Bhavna of St. Mary’s School opined, “Authorities should establish biodiversity museums so that school students can go and learn examples of perfect balance and harmony between nature and human beings.”

“Promoting opportunities for children to experience nature at first-hand on the way to school, the promotion of an awareness of nature in children’s everyday lives, an interest in plants and animals and tolerance for native species, should be encouraged by schools and governments,” she added.

Nishit Sood of Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, suggested that stories on biodiversity, nature, cartoon-strip making, elocution and debating competitions, and painting competitions can help make people aware of the approaching threat of food scarcity.

Dr Daniel Gustafson, an FAO representative in India and Bhutan to promote the issue of biodiversity conservation for food security, said, “FAO has started a series of cartoon booklets and teacher guides on agricultural practices, biodiversity and environmental education to teach the secondary school students the link between environment and agro-pastoral practices used by farming families and communities.”

“I want to become an environmentalist so that I can serve the society and ensure food security of those who are hungry with the help of my advanced education and training,” added Apoorva Sharma of Class 11, St. Columbus School