With an aim to bridge the knowledge gap and create awareness on the abundance existing biodiversity, Mokokchung Forest Division inaugurated a “Forest Resource Centre”, Thursday.
A press release by Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Mokokchung stated that inaugurating the forest resource centre, Conservator of Forests, Nagaland, Hemant B. Kamdi said the centre was first of its kind in the state to employ the augmented reality approach in a game mode to make forest awareness programmes interactive and interesting.
DFO Dr. Sentitula said the concept behind creation of the forest resource centre was to remind the people about the abundantly gifted biodiversity while the developed world struggles to restore it.
As the stewards of the forest, Dr. Sentitula said the department have been taking proactive measures to tackle deforestation, forest fires etc., however, lamented that the community are least aware.
“It is our responsibility to bridge the knowledge gap so that children and stakeholders know the local forest, the indigenous flora and fauna, the dangers of human activities and solutions that the forest department has been offering,” Dr. Sentitula said.
In the wake of climate change and climatic extremes evident today, the DFO said knowledge beyond the school curricula was of practical essence.
Dr. Sentitula said the forest resource centre aims to bridge the knowledge gap by imparting awareness on global, national and local forests using advanced interactive panel with latest educational software, display plinths with signature specimen from the Mokokchung Forest Division, touch display for interactive quizzes and a virtual based forest experience.
DFO said students, visitors and academicians can get an idea of the common terminologies, facts of Nagaland, watch movies of the local forest, participate in quizzes and collect resource material such as pamphlets/newsletters/leaflets to spread the word.
The resource centre is also central area for online meetings, interactive sessions, collaborative learning and divisional meetings.
The inauguration was followed by pipping ceremony for the field executive staffs who were promoted from Forester Grade II to I and from Forest Guard to Forester-II. The programme was attended by all the officers and staffs of Mokokchung Forest Division