Mokokchung, 8 February (MTNews): The Mokokchung Forest Division marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of the Forest Resource Centre today. The ceremony was graced by Hemant B Kamdi IFS, Conservator of Forests, Nagaland, who officiated the event.
This pioneering initiative, the Forest Resource Centre in Mokokchung, stands as the first of its kind in the state, incorporating an innovative Augmented Reality Approach in a gaming mode to enhance forest awareness programs. Speaking at the inauguration, Conservator of Forests Hemant B. Kamdi expressed his enthusiasm for the Centre’s interactive and engaging approach to forest education.
“We use an active learning approach to keep the students engaged and take away at least one message home- to save the forest. Once the individuals develop a sense of belongingness of the surroundings, they become instruments of change,” remarked Hemant B Kamdi.
The Forest Resource Centre serves as a hub for various activities, including online meetings, interactive sessions, collaborative learning, and divisional meetings. It aims to bridge the knowledge gap by imparting awareness on global, national, and local forests through advanced interactive panels, educational software, display plinths featuring signature specimens from the Mokokchung Forest Division, touch displays for interactive quizzes, and virtual-based forest experiences.
In addition to providing educational resources, the Centre offers visitors, students, and academicians a comprehensive understanding of Nagaland’s forests, including common terminologies, local forest facts, indigenous flora and fauna, and the impacts of human activities. Attendees can engage in quizzes, watch documentaries on local forests, and collect resource materials such as pamphlets, newsletters, and leaflets to spread awareness.
“The concept behind creation of this Forest Resource Centre is that we are fortunate to be abundantly gifted with our existing biodiversity while the developed world struggles to restore it. As the stewards of the forest we have been taking proactive measures to tackle deforestation, forest fires etc., however the community are least aware,” stated Divisional Forest Officer Dr Sentitula, IFS.
“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. In the wake of climate change and climatic extremes evident today, knowledge beyond the school curricula is of practical essence,” she added.
The inauguration ceremony was followed by a piping Ceremony to honor the Field Executive staff who were promoted from Forester Grade II to I and from Forest Guard to Forester-II. The program was attended by all the Officers and staff of Mokokchung Forest Division.