The second Children’s Conclave on Biodiversity took off at the Indian Institute of Science campus in the city on Monday. It was all excitement at the Rustom Choski Hall as 110 students from various schools across Bangalore converged to talk nature, environment and all related things.
According to a press release, DK Ved, IFS, Advisor, FRLHT, inaugurated the event and took questions, doubts from teachers and students alike. Dr TV Ramachandra, Secretary General, IBC 2012, pointed out, that capacity building at such an young stage would enable the future citizens to grow more acquainted about biodiversity and how to conserve it.
A continuation to the first Children’s Conclave on Biodiversity that was held in Kerala as a part of the First Indian Biodiversity Congress two years ago, the current edition also has the participation of students who have been looking in amazement and curiosity to study more on nature.
Elaborating on various facets of the destruction of the environment and poor planning by the administration, Dr Ramachandra dwelt upon what all essentials the Western Ghats provide to the people of the region.
D K Ved said that youngsters today are much more informed about biodiversity than the earlier generation, and that brings hope. The young generation understands the complex biodiversity issues and act accordingly in order to bring about conservation, he added.
Students who attended the conference were flooded with information and inputs on biodiversity. Rohit Prasad, a class XI student from BGS International Residential School said, “This conclave has helped students like me to get a clear picture about biodiversiy. I learnt a lot about the various plants, nano organs, algae and the Big Bang theory.”
Even school teachers were immersed in picking up more know-how on biodiversity, its types and applications. “Our students are very keen on learning all about biodiversity. These sessions addressed all topics relating to biodiversity and helped us visualise the subject,” said Sugandhi Umapathy, teacher at Sena Public School, Chamrajpet.
Vandana Bhagwat, another teacher, who came down from Pune’s Bharatiya Vidhyapeeth, said, “Every individual must contribute to preserving our biodiversity. And educating students is the way forward to kick-start this process.”