For the greener good

Mumbaikars can now attend classes and learn lessons on the local fauna and flora the city has to offer

The green causewill soon get newwarriors. Frombeing aware of thedifferencebetween a parrotand a parakeet to knowingwhether a neem tree isindigenous or not -- and evenknowing Mumbai's secretbiodiversity hotspots -- theseguys are familiar with it all.EcoFolks, a group into natureconservation, is offering acertificate course in natureinterpretation. Commencingthis Sunday, the 12 to 15-weekcourse will focus on theenvironmental diversity inMumbai and what can bedone to preserve what's leftof it here.

"People do not realise thateverything in nature is interconnected.If one goes out ofgear, everything left is inchaos. Through this course,we give a general overview ofall nature-related aspects of aplace," says Paresh Pimpale,founder of EcoFolks. Also athand are the best from eachfield. "We have bird experts,those into botany as well asinsect lovers coming to sharetheir knowledge with thestudents.

The on-the-field lecturesand training sessions are conductedat some of the bestbiodiversity hotspots in andaround Mumbai includingSanjay Gandhi National Park,Maharashtra Nature Park,Byculla Zoo, Vasai Fort,Tungareshwar WildlifeSanctuary, Karnala BirdSanctuary and other places.Pimpale says, "Since it is conductedwithin and aroundcity limits, the knowledgeshared is obviously local andpertaining to Mumbai. Notmany know that one can easilyfind 50-60 species of birdsduring a single visit to VasaiFort including bulbuls, parakeetsand the sunbirds."

And what will you gain atthe end? Pimpale says, "Weneed more people who areinterested in nature and haveknowledge about biodiversity.Sometimes, in the name oftree plantation, people domore harm than good if theyare unaware of what speciesto plant. Also, deservingcandidates can be absorbedinto EcoFolks."

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