Journey for Learning : Combining unplugging escapes with firsthand lessons on coexistence of communities and wildlife in Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape

COVID-19 pandemic restrictions left students world over desperate to unplug their digital screens and take a break from online learning mode. For 25 students from Indian Institute of Forest Management, the Journey for Learning (J4L) programme of Aaranyak- a society for biodiversity conservation, made it a unique unplugging experience. A package of escapes into forests of Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong in Assam and combining it with firsthand learning about coexistence of communities with forest and wildlife.

The J4L is an experiential learning programme of community based eco-cultural tourism focused mainly on Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscapes, concentrating on nature, wildlife, people and their cultural practices along with the coexistence with wildlife. The J4L for IIFM students began on January 5 after their arrival in Karbi Anglong.

Through the J4L initiative, Aaranyak tries to give an exposure to the visiting students about the eco- cultural and biodiversity conservation in North East India. This initiative also benefits and supports the local communities residing in the fringe villages of Kaziranga and Manas, as they provide different kinds of services like homestay accommodations, meals , local guides, etc. which helps them not only financially, but also showcase their rich cultural heritage and tradition. At the same time, the local community also gathers different kinds of information and knowledge from the visitors .

The programme commenced with a “Chingrum Amei” (get together in Karbi) on 6th January during which there was an introduction session along with a meditative exercise which helped the students in experiencing their surrounding environment and gradually developing a deep connection with nature.

Following that, ‘The Village Walk’ was organized in Karbi villages of Chandrasing Rongpi and Bakring Ingti for the students to understand the way of village life, their traditions and customs, and during which they visited different areas of the village like agricultural land, the sacred space of Bakring Ingti village where the Rongkher festival is held. During the entire walk, Gulap Singh Ingti, the village headman of Bakring Ingti and local village guides namely Dalimet Engtipi, Avinash Phangcho, Rangseni Phangcho, Jagat Engti and Larlin Engtipi, along with an elderly guide Bapuram Ingti also guided the students along with members of Aaranyak.

A notable activity closely associated with the Village walk is the Participatory Rural Appraisal (P.R.A.), during which the different student groups visited the nearby villages, and discussed different issues with the village headman, members of the Self Help Groups (SHGs), along with other youth and elderly persons of the village. The exercise gave the students a clear idea regarding the villages in aspects like political system, geographic features, economy, seasonality, livelihood, etc.

On January 8, a River study activity was organised which enlightened the students about river course, condition of a river channel , riparian area and riparian vegetation, and also assessing the water discharge and water quality of the river. The entire activity was carried out on different points of the course of Kohora river. The Kohora river is known as “Kindu Langso” in Karbi, which means “River with Rhino '' and it acted as a lifeline for the nearby Karbi villages. But in due course of time, due to several factors like over-exploitation of its natural resources in its basin areas and human activities, the quality and quantity of the river water has reduced to an alarming level.

The most exciting and adventurous activity of the J4L was the Ingnam Kengkam, which means ‘Walking in the Forest’ in Karbi’. The trek consisted of deep forests, steep hill climbs, narrow trails and spotting some animals and animal signs on the way which gave a sense of adrenaline among the students. The students chose the most challenging and toughest route for the trek, and in spite of facing some difficulties on the way, successfully completed it. They spotted troops of Capped Langurs during the beginning of the trek, heard the call of other birds and animals such as the Hoolock Gibbon, Barking deer, Hornbills and were briefed about different plant species of flora that they spotted on the way. Along with the trekking, the students also learned about the “Quadrat Sampling” method to know about the diversity of vegetation in an area and then they groupwise performed the exercise and documented the results accordingly. Traditional food was prepared by some locals in Karbi style in Bamboo nodes and was served to the students in Kopat Leaf. During the last part of the trek, two exercises namely, “Hugging a Tree” and “ Natural Soundscaping” were carried out, which helped the students to relax their body and mind after such a venturesome and challenging trek, bringing them closer to nature.

Another enriching experience for the IIFM students was the Jeep Safari in Kaziranga National Park and the interaction with the Field Director of Kaziranga National park, Mr. P Sivakumar. During the safari, the students explored the richness and diversity of the flora and fauna of the Kaziranga National Park. Some exotic species of animals and birds that were spotted during the safari were the One Horned Rhino, Hog Deer, Wild Buffalo, Crested Serpent Eagle Spot-billed Pelican Assam Roofed Turtle among others. The interactive session with Mr. Sivakumar proved to be a very fruitful one for the students as they got to know about various aspects of Kaziranga that include its history, wildlife, landscape, threats, conservation efforts, etc.

The Self Help Groups(SHGs) in the villages play a very important role in shaping the village economy as they provide opportunities of income for the people and contribute towards community development. The IIFM students got to know about the ventures of the SHGs of the Karbi villages like Kindu Langso SHG, Karju Langso SHG, Rukasen SHG, Lang Kiri SHG, etc. during the interactions with them. During the J4L programme, the Self Help Groups namely Kindu Langso SHG provided assistance in the accommodation and food services , while Lang Kiri SHG supported the Aaranyak team during the “Ingnam Kengkam” trek.

Before leaving Kohora, the students also took part in the “Green Audit” exercise and “Jhum Plot Study”. During the Green Audit exercise, they learnt about the sustainable management in terms of energy, water and waste along with the management of the green cover by the different tourist accommodation facilities near Kaziranga National Park. The “Jhum plot Study”, enabled the students to visit various Jhum plots and gain important insights about Jhum cultivation and its importance in the lives of the Karbi people.

During the last few days of the programme, the students visited the Rainforest Research Institute (RFRI) located in Jorhat, where they got to know all about Bamboo and its importance, especially in the conte North Eastern states from Dr. Rajib Kr. Kalita, a scientist at RFRI. The students were also taken for a “Forest Walk” at a protected area of the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary which was quite rewarding for them, as they spotted different animals and birds like Hoolock Gibbon, Malayan Giant Squirrel, Pig tailed Macaque, Red Headed Trogon, etc.

While performing all the different activities, the students also developed skills like handling the GPS device during River study, Ingnam Kengkam, Jhum cultivation, and processing the GPS data, Village Mapping and plotting different Timeline and Seasonality graphs during the P.R.A. exercise, etc.

“The learning from the fieldwork was immense. The change in perspective that I could observe was the greatest plus point. I wouldn't have thought that a community can coexist with forest and wildlife with such respect and bond,” says a student of IIFM sharing his experience.

To sum it all, the “Journey for Learning” programme proved to be one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences for the I.I.F.M. students. The 18 days spent in the beautiful home stays of the Karbi villages taught them about a simple way of living far away from the luxuries and distractions and they got to engage themselves in the village life completely during the entire programme. The daily briefing sessions and guidance by the Aaranyak resource persons helped the students in performing the required tasks and also helped the students in understanding Nature more deeply and the interdependence between human and nature.

Photo and text- Randeep Chetia

Randeep Chetia has completed his Masters in Tourism and Travel Management from Tezpur University. Currently he is working as a Project Officer (Trainee) in Aaranyak. He can be reached at [email protected]