The Corbett National Park platinum jubilee celebrations will begin with a workshop on strategies for preservation of the tigers of Corbett and landscape for the coming 25 years.
The workshop will be organised by the Uttarakhand Forest Department at Ramnagar on March 11 with the support of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and will be attended by senior NTCA officials and renowned wildlife experts.
The honorary wildlife warden of Corbett and ambassador for tiger protection in Uttarakhand, Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni, has extended his best wishes to the event organisers. Dhoni is expected to attend one of the events scheduled as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations.
According to the State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wild Life Warden, Shrikant Chandola, NTCA member secretary Rajesh Gopal, NTCA DIG SP Yadav, CEO of WWF-India Ravi Singh and field experts of wildlife and conservation will attend the workshop.
The main issues to be studied and deliberated upon in the workshop include man-wildlife conflict, forest corridors, wildlife poaching, impact of tourism on the environment and wildlife, quality of water in the Ramganga river which flows through the heart of Corbett, lantana infestation and exotic plantations.
The pre-workshop programme which will begin on March 9 will comprise an orientation headed by the CWLW and include field trips for studying monoculture exotic plantation sites, grasslands, anti-poaching camps, reservoir and riverine forest, wildlife in grasslands and impact of tourism.
Researchers of the Wildlife Institute of India will make a presentation on results of camera trapping in Corbett and Rajaji national parks. Other activities will include onsite discussions on man-wildlife conflict and impact of tourism at Sunderkhal and Bijrani areas of Corbett.
According to Chandola, the aim of the workshop is to capitalise on the practical knowledge and experience of senior field experts, officers and young department officers to chalk out plans for conservation of tiger and landscape in Corbett park. He added that the department has also communicated with the Indian cricket team captain and honorary wildlife warden of Corbett, MS Dhoni, who is expected to attend the celebrations besides Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. The platinum jubilee ends in December.
