Environmental education has long term consequences in shaping a sense of environmental consciousness, and developing attitudinal and behavioral changes within local communities. Sustainable development and conservation goal can only be achieved when local communities recognize the importance of conserving biodiversity and wise use of natural resource for their livelihood and wellbeing. This is especially true where the natural environment is under constant threat due to multiple factors viz. over exploitation and depletion of natural resources, destruction of ecosystem and natural habitat, loss in biodiversity and growing pollution.
NTNC takes environmental education not only as a program for diffusing ideas and conservation messages but also as a means to bring responsive action among individuals, groups and society as a whole. It puts emphasis on both formal and informal environmental education. NTNC helps create change agents in students and teachers through its school programs by undertaking special conservation education curriculums, formations and mobilizing of green force clubs, eco-clubs, FOZ's and environmental teacher’s forum. Its informal education programs focus on creating awareness among the general public both in rural and urban areas through mobilization of community based institutions and networks such as conservation area management committees (CAMCs), and buffer zone user committees (BZUCs). NTNC also actively engages with the wider public through various audio-visual and print media to share, learn and discuss about pertinent conservation and environmental issues.
Some Facts
NTNC executes its own curriculum-based conservation education extension programme 'Prakriti ko Sandesh' (T: Voice of Nature) in more than 100 schools reaching out to over 8000 students annually. | > 80,000 students have been engaged as members of Friends of Zoo (FOZ). |
NTNC's own radio programme 'Prakriti' (T: Nature) is aired from five different radio stations each week reaching out to scores within and outside the conservation community. | > 100 environmental education programmes and campaigns are carried out annually reaching out to more than 100,000 students and local community members. |