UN Climate Change Conference - Dec 3rd -14th

Access the video archive here at: http://www.un.org/webcast/unfccc/2007/index.asp

Malnad Mela from 8-9th December

4th ICEE Concludes with Ahmedabad Declaration

The 4th International Conference on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development concluded last week with a dynamic Declaration that was painstakingly crafted by a core team that worked very hard, spending sleepless nights, crafting the draft. You can read the Ahmedabad Declaration here at http://www.tbilisiplus30.org/Declaration.pdf.

The participants from different working sessions got together to draft a set of recommendations. All the recommendations made by different working groups will be published as a book.

Presentations made by some of the speakers during the plenary sessions and other sessions are available here at: http://www.tbilisiplus30.org/Speaker%20ppt.html.

The conference had nearly 1200 participants from 80 countries.

Eco-Informatics Centre carries out a study on biodiversity awareness in Bangalore Schools

The Eco-Informatics Centre carried out a study on Biodiversity awareness in Bangalore schools and presented the findings at the 4th International Conference on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development. The presentation was made in the Working Session titled, 'Teacher Education: A Crucial Contribution to the UNDESD' that was jointly coordinated by Prof Charles Hopkins and Dr M J Ravindranath.

The study had 118 teachers and 223 students participating

The Study revealed that:
50% of teachers were interested in learning & using creative techniques for EE

75% of teachers not familiar with India specific EE & biodiversity related resources online

53% of students found environment science interesting but 47% of students found EVS boring, difficult or not fun to learn

Research Position: Tsunami Modeling

Suitable candidates with very high research motivation in the field of tsunami modeling are invited to attend the Walk-in-interview along with their CV and supportive certificates on 23rd November 2007 at 9:30 AM in the Department of Applied Geology, Guindy Campus (Opp: to Gandhi Mandapam), University of Madras, Chennai.

The post is a temporary position (up to March 2008) in the Ministry of Earth Sciences funded research project entitled “Establishment of National Early Warning System for Tsunami & Storm Surges in Indian Ocean” .

Selected candidates need to undertake fieldwork along coastal areas of India.

No TA/DA will be given for attending the interview.

For more details please contact:
Dr. R. R. Krishnamurthy
Senior Lecturer in Applied Geology
Scientific Officer to the Vice-Chancellor &
Adjunct Faculty in Center for Ocean and Coastal Studies
University of Madras
Post Bag # 5327, Chennai 600 025

Tel: 0091-44-22531786
email:rrkrishnamurthy@gmail.com
Fax: 0091-44-24961561 (or) 22352870
Mobile: (91) 9840123142

TRINet: Tsunami Rehab Information Network
www.trinet.in

Get to Interact With Dr Ramaswamy R Iyer on Nov 21st

Dear Friends,

Arghyam cordially invites you for an interaction session with Dr. Ramaswamy R Iyer where he will talk about his new book "Towards Water Wisdom - Limits, Justice, Harmony" on November 21st, 2007.


The Event Schedule and Venue are as follows:

Time: 4:30pm – 6:30pm

Tea : 4:30 - 5:00pm

Talk : 5:00 – 5:30pm

Interaction: 5:30 - 6:30pm

Venue: The Aeronautical Society of India, Suranjandas Road, Opp: HAL Engine Division,
New Tippasandra Post, Off Old Madras Road,
Behind Fuscos School, Bangalore: 560075
Ph: 080 25297159

RSVP is mandatory. Kindly RSVP to Nirmala at (080) 41698941-42 or nirmala@arghyam.org.

Regards,

Sunita Nadhamuni
CEO, Arghyam
Bangalore

Enough water, safe water....always and for all

Mobile: 09343718064 / Office: (080) 41698941/42
Email: sunita@arghyam.org, info@arghyam.org
Websites: www.arghyam.org, www.indiawaterportal.org


Here are some details about the book:


Towards Water Wisdom - Limits, Justice, Harmony
Authored by: Ramaswamy R Iyer
Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi
________________________________________
Description:
There is a widespread view that a water crisis is looming. Towards Water Wisdom: Limits, Justice, Harmony stresses the need for an urgent and radical transformation of our thinking on water management. The first section evaluates the water scene in India, redefining the projected crisis as one of mismanagement more than scarcity. It calls for a shift from supply-side engineering to restraining the increase in demand, for conservation and more equitable management.

The second and third sections deal with water-related conflict, including detailed discussions of the Indus Treaty, Baglihar, the Cauvery disputes and rehabilitation problems in the Narmada Valley. Conflicting rights are juxtaposed: the fundamental right to water, contractual rights of corporations, economic use rights of irrigators and industries, the advocacy of property rights by the World Bank, and neoliberal economists. The analysis points to the emergence of water markets.

The fourth section examines the inadequacies of water laws and policies and the changes that are necessary. The fifth section presents national water concerns in other South Asian countries. At the international/global level, it deconstructs several notions and prescriptions currently in vogue, and takes note of significant new thinking. Finally, the author widens the perspective beyond water to the total system of which it is a part, and draws attention to a dynamic world scenario that makes a change in our thinking imperative.


Reviews:• This authoritative and timely book will help to replace heat with light in dealing with water issues…this extraordinarily valuable contribution will make a significant impact on contemporary discussions on water conflicts. - M.S. Swaminathan
• The author must be congratulated for integrating the various issues under the important phrase in the title, [Towards] Water Wisdom, based on fundamental ethical principles of human dignity and equality, of water being a common good and participation by all concerned in its management. - M.G.K. Menon

• This book stresses the need for an urgent and radical transformation of our thinking on water management.
(e Social Science www.esocialsciences.com/booksinfo/bookdetails.asp?bookid=32 )

• Towards Water Wisdom makes a fervent plea for an urgent and radical transformation of our thinking on water. The author redefines the projected water crisis as one of mismanagement rather than scarcity, and calls for a more equitable, harmonious and sustainable management of the resource - Water Digest, Aug 15, 2007

• This is not a book therefore that has neat solutions to a massive global challenge of which the water crisis is only a part. Indeed its purpose is to convey a complexity that eludes easy solutions. According to the author, development can theoretically at least be informed by sanity, balance and wisdom; technology too could be benign. But can this transformation take place in a world where the challenge of environmental protection is global, but where any plan of action must tie together initiatives from the community upwards? - The Hindu, Tuesday, Sep 25, 2007

Be a Commutiny Fellow!

This is a fellowship for young people between the ages of 20 and 27 years

For more details check out

http://www.commutiny.in/ccc.html#contact

Plant Trees for Free!

These people - www. treesforfree.org - will come and plant trees for you wherever you ask them to, free of cost.

Just call on 98454 49703 or email: rajanetyeg@gmail.com

Companies can adopt these trees by sponsoring them at Rs.100 per tree. The organization also plants trees in schools, orphanages etc.

Of course, you need to look after them afterwards. May be you would like to get some new trees planted in Bangalore, for all the ones that are being killed.

First Announcement: International Conference on ‘Invasive plants: management, utilisation and livelihoods’

The Oxford-Princeton Global Leaders Programme

Dear Readers,

I am involved in an exciting post-doctoral fellowship program, with Oxford, exclusively for nationals of non-OECD countries. This program is a partnership between Oxford's Center for Economic Governance, led by Ngaire Woods, and the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance, led by Helen Milner, at Princeton. We have very generous funding for up to six two-year post-doctoral fellowships a year. Fellows will spend their first year at Oxford, and their second year at Princeton. We plan to build a network of alumni, linked to our already-instituted Global Advisory Council on distinguished scholars working in developing countries.

The purpose of the program is to help increase the capacity of developing countries to negotiate on more equal terms with rich countries. We envisage our fellows returning with ideas and skills that will enable them both to train new cohorts of people with relevant expertise, and to participate in government themselves.

Candidates must either have a doctoral degree or be in the process of completing one, and they must intend to return to their own countries, or to other developing countries, for their career. We do not require a formal agreement, but in interviews we will seek to explore the depth of candidates' personal commitments to return to help their countries.

I am writing to solicit your help. Could you please take a moment to think both of potential applicants, known to you, and more senior people, especially in developing countries, who might know such potential applicants? Please feel free to forward this note and send the attached materials.

Further details are available on the Global Leaders Fellows website at Oxford. There is a link to this site on the Niehaus Center website. These addresses are as follows:

Website: http://glf.politics.ox.ac.uk/index.asp
Niehaus Center, Princeton: http://www.princeton.edu/~pcglobal/

Sincerely yours,

Bob Keohane
rkeohane@Princeton.EDU

Contributed by Harini Nagendra, Adjunct Fellow, ATREE

Conservation Leadership Program - Deadline - Nov 23

For more details about this interesting award, check out http://conservation.bp.com/applications/fcawards.asp

Useful link for GIS and RS resources and lots more...

Check out; http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/worldguide/gis/CommonGIS/CIA2004.html

and the parent site: http://www.intute.ac.uk/


Contributed by: Mohammed Irfan-Ullah, PhD,
Senior Manager, Remote Sensing Applications Group (RSAG), RMSI
email: irfan.m@rmsi.com

Report of the Inauguration of the Jalapaadom (Lessons on water) Program

ATREE in its effort to address the threats being faced by wetlands has initiated a Community Environmental Resource Centre (CERC) at Alappuzha, Kerala to involve local communities and institutions for wetland management. Jalapaadom is a unique environmental education programmes designed by the CERC for the students in the age group of 10-20 belonging to the schools in the Vembanad region.

The programme aims to motivate students to appreciate the values of wetlands so that they become advocates for wetland conservation and its wise use. Youngsters will be involved in the Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) activities, to address wetland degradation issues and to help restore the Vembanad Socio Ecological System.

The inaugural function of this program was held on 4th October 2007, at the YMCA Hall Alappuzha.

Inaugurating the function Shri. K.C Venugopal, Member of Legislative Assembly expressed his concern over the issues of Vembanad and appreciated ATREE for its timely intervention.


Shri. K.C Venugopal, Member of Legislative Assembly

Municipal Chairman Shri. P.P. Chitharanjan reiterated the significance of Vembanad and assured all possible supports to fulfill the efforts initiated by ATREE. The official logo of “Jalapaadom” was released by him.

Shri. K.V Dayal, well known environmentalist motivated students to be committed to protect their environment and take sincere efforts to safeguard the lake from further destruction. He distributed the “Water Quality testing kit” to some schools and colleges.



Shri K.V. Dayal distributing the water quality testing kits to students

Mr. Jojo T.D, Jalapaadom Program Officer briefed the audience about the objectives and structure of Jalapaadom. Dr. Ravi Chellam, Director of ATREE in his presidential address wished all the best for the program.



Dr. Ravi Chellam, Director of ATREE lighting the lamp

Dr. Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, Principal investigator of Wetland Conservation Project, expressed ATREE’s views and commitments and requested all concerned people to join hands with this venture.


Dr Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan addressing the gathering

Teachers and students from schools and colleges included in Jalapaadom program were present to enrich the occasion. Many nature lovers, activists, officials and media were present to grace the occasion.



Dr Latha Bhasker, Programme Officer, Wetland Conservation Project delivers the vote of thanks

There was good media coverage in print-audio-visual-media about this programme. ATREE’s intervention to save Vemband through the young generation is given wide publicity by all media. M.M. News channel did cover the programme giving an interview of the programme officer. All India Radio covered the function giving a 20 minute exclusive broadcast. All Newspapers reported the function along with photographs.

A documentary on Kuttanad and a small cultural program by the students of St. Josephs College, Alappuzha added colour to the program.

Media coverage of the event

Successful Ban on Use of Plastic in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

Between 15th July to 15th August 2007, ATREE along with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and Singampatti Samasthanam organized a successful campaign to ban the use of plastic in KMTR. Here's the report.

Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) in the Agasthyamalai range is endowed with rare plants and animals. The reserve is also known for several religious and tourist places that attract large number of people from places far and near throughout the year and especially so during certain festivals. One of them is the Arulmigu Sorimuthu Iyanar temple which is visited by lakhs of people during the Aadi amavasai festival which falls on the new moon day of the Tamil month of Aadi.

The festival and its background
Locally known as the Sorimuthaiyan Kovil, the temple’s history can be traced back to the Pandian Kingdom of Singampatti. Iyanar and Mahalingam (a self-emanated Sivalinga) are among the numerous deities worshipped in the temple. On the day of the festival, mass-cooking and offering of pongal takes place.

During this festival, the Raja of Singampatti (who is also the hereditary trustee if the temple) holds his customary durbar for two consecutive days. Dance and martial arts performed by descendants of traditional dancers and walking on the fire by devotees are also an integral part of this ritual.

The issue
Earlier, few people used to visit the temple but now, due to availability of public and private transportation and better roads, the number of pilgrims has raised manifold. Since people visit the temple from far off places, they camp in the forest for 2 – 5 days. Besides fuel wood collection, threat of forest fire, water pollution and outbreak of diseases due to extreme unhygienic conditions, the major concern has been littering of garbage, especially that of plastics in the forest. Plastics not only clog the soil, but can also be fatal to animals that consume them. Lack of awareness and a complete absence of a garbage collection and disposal mechanism have been the contributing factors.

In 2006, ATREE, along with the Forest Department, launched an anti-plastic campaign during the festival and a clean up campaign by placing garbage bins. Though the effort was small, it helped us in planning a fitting campaign of a greater magnitude in 2007 to tackle the problem.
This year, we first worked towards getting a ban imposed on plastic covers and cups within the sanctuary. Later, a major awareness campaign on the hazards of plastic and the ban order was launched with the help of the Forest Department and the Temple Samsthanam. During the festival, a string of activities were planned to ensure a successful implementation of the ban.

Getting a ban imposed would not be possible without local support. For this purpose, letters of support were obtained from the Raja, the Panchayat members and Panchayat union, the Lions Club, the Rotary Club, pensioners’ association and farmers’ union of surrounding villages. This was submitted to the District Collector of Tirunelveli requesting for a ban. The Field Director of KMTR followed this up and eventually the collector issued a notice to prevent plastic in the sanctuary. The press and news channels were effectively used to highlight this. In total, 6 local dailies, 3 satellite channels, 3 local network channels reported the issue and the ban order.

Awareness was targeted at different levels using various media. Arumugal Trust - a local NGO, helped us in highlighting the hazards of plastic through a string of street plays and cultural programmes in target villages around Alayakulum. These were repeatedly telecast during prime hours in local TV channels. Prior to the festival, students from Tilak Vidalaya School, Kallidaikurichi; Thithapathi Higher Secondary School, Ambasamudram and St. Mary’s High School, V. K. Puram took out processions holding placards and wearing animal masks made by ATREE’s Green Brigade (an eco-club for school students also known as Pasmai Padai).
An awareness procession by school students wearing masks

Interviews in TV and radio channels were another important way of spreading awareness. Dr. R. Ganesan, was interviewed during the prime hour in Suryan FM – the most popular local FM channel. Dr. Soubadra Devy, Dr. R. Ganesan and Dr. T.Ganesh were interviewed by satellite channels where they spoke about the plastic menace and requested people to minimize use of plastic in the sanctuary. The ATREE team also gave lectures in schools and colleges on the importance of making the sanctuary plastic-free. To highlight the ban, we also arranged for a press meeting with the Panchayat leaders, the Rajah and the Field Director of KMTR.

Implementation
Bins were placed in various places to avoid littering. Over 3 days, about 500 volunteers from various colleges helped us in collecting plastic covers from the pilgrims and replacing them with cloth/ paper bags and in collecting and replacing plastic cups with paper cups from shops. The volunteers also took out an awareness procession around the temple. Efforts were made to ensure that the ban is implemented successfully during the festival.

A vehicle census was carried out on all 3 days at the entrance to get an estimate of the number of people and the number of vehicles that enter the sanctuary. Water samples were collected from the Tambraparni River before and after the festival to test for BOD and E coli levels. To assess the prevailing belief system that prompts people to visit the temple every year in spite of the hardships involved, a social survey was conducted. The social survey also looked at the awareness levels among people which will help in planning the next campaign better.
After the festival, a clean up of the place was organized. NSS students from Theerthapathi Higher Secondary School along with the ATREE and Forest Department staff picked up plastic covers and paper strewn all over the place.

Reported to The Eco-Informatics Centre by Jahnavi Pai and M. Mathivanan

Recommendations for next year's Campaign

Here's a List of Recommendations made by ATREE's KMTR Team to ensure that next year the event will be even more effective

1. Better co-ordination between of the Forest Department and the Police and Municipality and ATREE in implementing the ban

2. Volunteers to be selected more rigorously

3. Advertising about the ban in local newspapers

4. Stop distribution of bit notices inside the reserve which adds to the garbage.

5. Urge people to throw plastic and organic waste in separate bins. A fine should be imposed on the offenders.

6. It should be made mandatory for shopkeepers to keep bins. The Forest Department or the Temple Trust could facilitate this by bringing the bins to the site and renting them out to the shopkeepers.

7. Shop keepers should not be allowed to use, sell or give away plastic bags and plastic cups. They should also arrange for bins outside their shops. License should be issued only on this condition. Offenders should be fined or their license should be cancelled depending on the extent of violation.

8. There should be more firewood depots. This year, firewood was sold only at a single depot and was not enough to meet the demand. People also found the fire wood at the depot expensive. This led to collection of firewood from the forest.

9. The police should be involved in enforcing the ban. For this, better communication and co-ordination required. This year the Police were unaware of the order.

10. Mandatory fine should be imposed at the check post for carrying plastic and liquor. Though the police checked for liquor bottles this year, they not treat carrying of plastic as a violation of law.

11. The temple authorities should provide permanent dust bins and undertake proper waste disposal.

12. There should be a regulation on the number of days people can camp within the sanctuary.

13. Screening of movies and songs on a large screen should not be allowed.

14. A working committee with executive members from ATREE, Forest Department and the Temple Samsthanam should be formed which should work towards implementing the ban well in advance.

15. Support for Volunteers especially for women/girls in terms of a clean mess, water and toilet facilities should be provided.

16. More attention should be given to Banathirtham and other temples where garbage is beginning to accumulate. It is better to curtail it at this early stage.

Attention! Animal Welfare NGOs!

Here's an issue that needs immediate action!

In the recently concluded temple festival at KMTR, goats were killed. Animal sacrifice in temples is an issue that animal welfare NGOs need to take up on priority basis and launch a campaign to stop the practice immediately.

Here are the names of the team members who made the KMTR campaign a big success

Dr. M. Soubadra Devy
Dr. T. Ganesh
Dr. R. Ganesan
Adithya Bhaskaran
Ganesan.V
Jahnavi Pai
Johnson
Joseph Antony
Kottai Muthu.R
Mathivanan.M
Merlin Gnana Jeeva
Paramesh
Peramuthu
Rajkamal Goswami
Savitha Swamy
Tamil AzhaganGreen Brigade, ATREE



Here's a big thank you from ATREE's KMTR Team

To the following corporates, commercial establishments, organizations, educational institutions, and individuals without whom the campaign would not have been possible.

CONTRIBUTORS
Lions Club, Ambasamudram
M.K.V.K Tiles, Pavoorchatram
Pensioners Association, Ambasamudram
RMZ Constructions, Bangalore
Rotary Club, Ambasamudram
Rotary Club, Tirunelveli
Sabeena Auto Agency, Vickiramasingapuram
Selvarani Jawli Stores, Alankulam
Singampatti Samasthanam
Sivagami Gold Station, Tirunelveli
Subburaju Cotton Mills, Tirunelveli
Tamil Nadu Forest Department – Eco Development wing
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Papanasam
TREE Trust Kallidaikurchi

INDIVIDUALS
Mr. Esakki Saravanan, President, Rotary Club, Ambasamudram
Sri Sankarasubramanian, Correspondent, Tilak Vidyalaya Hr. Sec. School, Kallidaikurichi
Mr. Sivasailam, Headmaster, Theerthapathi Hr. Sec. School, Ambasamudram
Mr. Sundaramahalingam, NSS Coordinator, Theerthapathi Hr. Sec. School, Ambasamudram

VOLUNTEERS
Ambai Arts College, Ambasamudram
Green Brigade, ATREE, Singampatti
Sri. Paramakalyani College, Alwarkurichi
St. Mary’s Hr. Sec. School, Vickiramasingapuram
Ms. P. Muthukumari, South Papankulam
Theerthapathi Hr. Sec. School, Ambasamudram
Thiruvalluvar College, Papanasam
Tilak Vidyalaya Hr. Sec. School, Kallidaikurichi
Ms. Veera Raghavan, Kallidaikurichi
Mr. Yohann , Paris, France

MEDIA SUPPORT
Arumbugal Trust, Tirunelveli
Daily Thanthi
Dinakaran
Dinamalar
Dinamani
Jeniffer T.V., Alangulam
Nellai T.V., Vickiramasingapuram
Suryan F.M., Tirunelveli
Thendral T.V., Vickiramasingapuram
Win TV, Tirunelveli

SPECIAL THANKS TO
Sri. T. N. S. Murugadas Tirthapathi, Raja of Singampatti
Mr. A. Ramkumar, Field Director, KMTR
District Superintendent of Police, Ambasmudram
Mr. S. Armugam, Manager, Gold Station, Tirunelveli
Ms. Kritika Ganesh, RJ, Suryan FM
Mr. Saleem, Kallidaikurichi
Mr. Sridhar, Manager, HPCL Tirunelveli
Mr. Gokul Srinivasan, Tirunelveli

2007 Nobel Prize jointly shared by Al Gore and IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachouri

Get the full story here at :http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/press.html

Earlier this year, doctoral researcher at ATREE, Dharavala L.Kothavala had interviewed Al Gore.
You can listen to the interview here at: http://www.kcsb.org/?p=328

Karnataka FD organizes, ' Run for Wildlife'

The Karnataka Forest Department organized a "Run for Wildlife" event yesterday. Participants included school and college students and senior citizens too. The run was from Gopala Gowda Circle, near Vidhana Soudha, to Lalbagh. To know more about this event, check out: http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/08/stories/2007100860021100.htm

Lantana Mela is on at MM Hills on Oct 6th.

Lantana camara was once a troublesome weed that colonized nearly 60% of the forest land in MM hills. Also known as Spanish flag, the plant is a native of South America.

Sustained efforts made by ATREE’s Conservation and Livelihoods team have helped transform Lantana from a disturbing weed to a utility plant. Working with Lantana camara has become an attractive livelihood option for the Soligas as well as other tribal communities.

Perhaps you may want to spend this Saturday meeting with the craftspeople and seeing for yourself the lovely works of art and craft that can be made with Lantana.

Lantana camara is a tough, hardy plant which thrives well in low rainfall conditions and is not affected by bugs or microbes. To know more about the Lantana initiative at ATREE, you can check out this link: http://www.atree.org/lantana_confl_07.html

Here's the agenda for the Lantana Mela

11.00 am: Invocation by Divyajyothi members

11.30 am: Laying of Foundation stone for Community-based Conservation Centre, MM Hills
by Mrs Parimala Nagappa, MLA, Hannur - Chief Guest

11.40 pm: Distribution of certificates to the Lantana Craftspeople

13.00 pm: Lunch

14.30 pm: An interaction session with the Craftspeople

15.30 pm: Field trip

19.00: Cultural program: Janapada geethegalla nruthyarupaka by Soliga artisans and Adima Kala Shale, Kolar

Event Organizers : Lantana Craft Centre (LCC), Divyajyothi SHG (Self Help Group)Federation, University of Agricultural Science, Bangalore and ATREE.

ATREE's Rural CE Workshop on Oct 9th

Dear Friends,

Attached is the notice for the Rural CE workshop on October 9th, 2007 at ATREE. The primary focus of the workshop will be to look at the existing CE (conservation education) initiatives in our field sites, and see how best we can come up with a CREATIVE ASSESSMENT PLAN for each of these areas. Each team will ideally share with the group what they think needs to be done and this can be consolidated into an overall plan.

The assessment itself while looking at Conservtion Education in particular will also build up baseline information that will help us plan further CE work in each of these areas. We look forward to your presentations (please feel free to use any format to present) and the kite flying that will follow. Both Gladwin and I are looking forward to veering away from the usual questionnaire type of assessments and would like to make it as experiential and hands-on as possible. We will all need to pitch in to decide how best we take this forward.

Please bring along anything (non-textual material, photos, art work, crafts, seeds etc) or written material that will help in building up our plan. If there are any clarifications or pre-workshops discussions you need, please do get in touch with me.

A line confirming who will participate will be appreciated. I am also sending this to some of our Urban CE folks with the request that they also attend if interested.

Thanks and regards,
Sunita

Member and Programme Coordinator,
Kalpavriksh, Pune & Adjunct Fellow,
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Bangalore, India

Here's our tentative agenda for the meeting on October 9th, 2007


10.00 am: Introduction to the meeting

Expected outcomes/outputs including the assessment methodology

Gladwin and Sunita

10.30 to 13.00: Presentations by teams from ATREE’s 6 CCC field sites (with CE as the focus)

o KMTR: Soubhadra/Ganesh/Savitha
o Natham: Sarvanan
o Kanakpura: Kavitha
o MM Hills: Kannan
o BR Hills: Siddappa/Sunita
o Vembanad: Priyan/Jojo

Each presentation can be about 15 minutes long followed by a discussion that is within the context of the purpose of this meeting, and will lay the way for the afternoon discussions.

Moderator: Gladwin

13.00 to 13.45 pm: Lunch

13.45 pm: “Generating a creative assessment methodology for CE”- Gladwin/Sunita
14.30 to 16.00 pm: Group discussions and presentations on what each site team would ideally like to have as an assessment plan.

Moderator: Gladwin

16.00-17.00 pm: Wrap up and consolidation (work plan, task list, team)

Tiny frog discovered in Western Ghats

A stamp sized frog has been discovered by S D Biju and colleagues, researchers at the University of Delhi. The team have named the frog, Nyctibatrachus minimus. Get to know more about this fascinating discovery here at: http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/sep252007/854.pdf

Invitation to Jalpaadom

Dear Readers,

I am very happy to invite you all for the formal inauguration of ‘Jalpaadom’. Jalapaadom is a unique environmental educational program designed for the students in Vembanad backwater region, Alappuzha, Kerala. Jalpaadom is an initiative of the Vembanad conservation program of ATREE.

Kerala's Minister of Education, Mr. MA Baby, has agreed to inaugurate the program
and Mr. KC Venugopal, MLA will preside over the function.

The program schedule is outlined below:
10.30 am - Prayer

10.35 am- Welcome Address

10.40 am: Briefing on Jalapaadom : Mr Jojo T.D. (Jalapaadom Program Officer)

10.50 am: Presidential Address: Shri K.C. Venugopal (MLA)

11.05 am: Inaugural Address: Shri M.A. Babay (Minister of Education and Culture)

11.25 am: Official Logo Release : Mr Shivasankar M, IAS (Director of Public Instructions,
Kerala)

11.40 am: Release of Resource Materials: Shri P. Nazar, President, District Panchayat,
Alappuzha

11.50 am: Felicitations: Shri P.P. Chitaranjan, Municipal Chairman, Alappuzha
Dr Ravi Chellam, Director, ATREE
Shri K.C. Dayal, Environmentalist

12.15 pm: Vote of Thanks: Dr Latha Bhaskar

Place and time: YMCA Hall, Alappuzha at 10.30am, 4th October 2007

If you wish to attend this event, please contact Shali (shali@atree.org) for the details and for making arrangements.

Thanks

Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, PhD

Fellow Scientist, Insect Taxonomy and Conservation
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)
#659, 5th A main, Hebbal, Bangalore - 560 024, India.

Ph:91-80-23530069/23533942/23638771(R) 91-80-23535287;
Fax: 91-80-23530070
Other ID: priyadarsanan@gmail.com
url: www.atree.org/priyan.html

"Monsoon – India's God of Life" to be screened on 2nd Oct

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to invite you to attend the screening of:

"Monsoon – India's God of Life"

by

Growing Wild in association with Wildlife Conservation Society(WCS), Centre for Wildlife Studies(CWS) and Wildlife First.

Screening of the film will be followed by an interaction with SHEKAR DATTATRI.

Date and time: Tuesday, October 2nd 2007, 10.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.
(please be seated by 09.45 a.m.)

Venue: Mangala Mantapa, NMKRV Women's College, 3rd Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore

Total seats available: 900

IMPORTANT: As seats for this event are limited, seating at the auditorium will be on first come first served basis .

Entry is free.

About the film:

'Monsoon – India's God of life' is a fascinating chronicle of how the wildlife of India copes with the dog days of summer, and how the arrival of the south-west monsoon transforms their lives and the land they live in. Filmed in some of India's most spectacular wilderness areas, the cast includes one horned rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, lion- tailed macaque and a host of lesser known animals. Two years in the making, this film was part of the 'WILD ASIA' series produced for international television. It is a Natural History New Zealand production. Shekar Dattatri is the producer and cinematographer of the film.

During the last two decades, he has produced over 20 documentaries, several of which have aired worldwide on international channels such as National Geographic, the Discovery Channel and the BBC. He is the recipient of a Rolex Award for Enterprise, and co-founder of 'Naturequest', a forum in Chennai that seeks to promote greater awareness of wildlife and conservation issues among the general public. He recently received the Prithvi Ratna award for his outstanding contribution to the cause of wildlife conservation.

We look forward to your participation along with your family and friends.

Thanks and regards,

Killivalavan R
Program Coordinator Growing Wild

Source: email communication from Sushmita at sushmita@atree.org

Aranyam 2007 On in Bangalore from Oct 5th to 7th

Dear friends,

Aranyam is back... Celebrating Wildlife and Environment for the second time in Bangalore. ActNow in collaboration with Aranya Bhavan – The Government of Karnataka, Forest Dept, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, British Council, Wild Screen U.K, Vodafone, Radio Mirchi, and Epson is organising "Aranyam 2007- Wild Life and Environmental Film Festival" in Bangalore on 5th 6th and 7th during Wild Life Week on October 2007.

The festival will screen documentaries, animations, PSAs, music videos and feature films that relate to wildlife conservation.

Films will be presented along with discussions with consumers of eco tourism, environment and wildlife organizations, forest department personnel and documentary movie producers. Audience participation is invited.

Dates: 5th, 6th and 7th October 2007

Venue: Gurunanak Bhavan, Jasma Bhavan Road Off Millers Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560001. India

Aranyam 2007: Schedule

5th October 2007

INAUGURAL FUNCTION ( 5.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

6.00 pm: Wild Dog Dairies by Kripakar Senani - 38 mins

7.15 pm: Earth Calling - Episode Coorg by Rita BanerjiShilpi Sharma - 28 mins


6th October 2007

10.00 am: Are We Changing Planet Earth? by The BBC - 59 mins

11.15 am: A Green Agony by Geeta Singh - 26 mins

11.50 am: Climate Change: Hard News, Hard Facts : Greenpeace - 03 mins

12.00 am: Can We Save Planet Earth? by The BBC - 59 mins

Open Forum

Lunch

12.45 am: Strange Days on Planet Earth: The One Degree Factor - National Geographic
56 mins

02.00 pm: Global Dimming by The BBC - 49 mins

03.00 pm: Climates First Orphan by Eleanora Images - 20 mins

03.30 pm: A degree of concern by Syed Fayaz - 45 mins

04.15 pm: The weeping apple tree by Vijay S Jodha - 45 mins

05.00 pm: The Fridge by Lucie Stamfestova - 7 mins

Panel Discussion: Carbon Neutral Bangalore (05.30 p.m. to 07.00 p.m .)

07.15 pm: Diminishing Resources by Himanshu Malhotra and Sabina Kidwai - 49 mins


7th October 2007

10.00 am: Tiger Death Chronicles by Krishnendu Bose - 63 mins

Workshop: RTI for solution (10.15 a.m. to 11.45 a.m.)

12.00 pm: The Queen of Trees by Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble - 54 mins

Break (1.00 p.m to 1.30 p.m.)

01.30 pm: Silenced Witness by P. Balan - 63 mins

02.30 pm: Angels in Tigerland by Suresh Elamon - 35 mins

03.15 pm: Once there was a Purple Butterfly by Sonia Kapoor

03.45 pm: The Last Dance by Ashima Narain - 26 mins

04.15 pm: Cherub of the mist - Bedi Films - 50 mins

Break

05.15 pm: Leopards in the Lurch by Gurmeet Sapal - 13 mins

05.45 pm: Turtles in The Soup by Kalpana Subramanian - 30 mins

06.15 pm: Just another death by Vilas Kane - 20 mins

06.45 pm: Concert for India's environment by Chinmaya Dunster - 15 mins

07.00 pm: The Hunted by Jay Mazoomdar

07.20 pm: Right to Survive by Rita Banerji - 25 mins

07.45 pm: Discovery of God - 30 mins

08.15 pm: Riding Solo to the top of the world


Thanks and regards,

Vishal Verghese,

ACT NOW
# 1, Gullamma St,Karavalli Main Rd,Kacharakanahaiil Extn,Behind Jalvayu ViharBangalore- 560 084Tel: 080- 254380299886222678

http://www.aranyam.org/


Source: email communication from Sushmita at sushmita@atree.org

Talk on Conservation of Orchids

Dear Readers,

You are cordially invited to attend a talk by Dr. K.S.Shashidhar (Director, IWST) on:

Conservation of orchids and climate change

Date: 24th September 2007 (Monday)

Time: 3.00 - 4.00 pm

Venue: ATREE Terrace

All are welcome

Regards
Kalpana Prasanna,

HR Officer, ATREE

Here's the abstract

Natural ecosystems have evolved over a period of time with a complex and intricate life supporting interrelationship with its components. Unabated human activities leading to overexploitation of natural resources have disrupted this sensitive balance in nature. Some of these components in the ecosystem are extremely sensitive and few are hardy and can survive the consequences of these disturbances. Epiphytes, especially orchids are known to be the suitable indicators of, the health of the ecosystem, changes in the local climate and biodiversity as they provide nutrition to other flora and fauna and are highly sensitive in nature.

Identifying such indicator species in the ecosystem and monitoring will help in taking adequate precautions for conservation of the ecosystem and forewarning the consequences of these disturbances. Orchids are unique group of flowering plants highly evolved and have developed special mechanisms to ensure pollination and survival in nature in association with insects. Apart from this, the zonation of its occurrence in the forest structure and ecosystem makes it an interesting species.

The rise in global temperature due to emission of CO2 and other green house gases such as methane and Chlorofluorocarbons have resulted in glaciers disappearing, average sea level rising, coastal areas and islands submerging. On the other side, it has played havoc on the living and vibrant Forest ecosystem resulting in loss of biodiversity, species extinction, and totally disrupting the delicate life supporting, complex interdependent activity almost to an extent of irreparable stage.

Effects of these changes on the ecosystem are being observed in the form of changes in the community structure, alteration of phenological events, migration of the species, sensitive activities like synchronized pollination through insects are few of them. Conservation approaches in such a scenario are to be in a holistic manner taking in to account the entire ecosystem rather than focusing on any particular species for both short as well as long term. Along with the known conservation practices of insitu and exsitu, assisting species to migrate to locations of better adaptability will compliment the on going programmes. A well conceived conservation programme of restoration, reintroduction and new introduction will ensure the conservation of these important indicator species.

Here's an announcement from the Rotary Club of Yelahanka

Greetings,

I bring to you the cheer and goodwill of Rotary Club of Yelahanka. Every year Rotary International organizes a "Group Study Exchange" (GSE) program that allows four young professionals to visit a foreign country every year. The entire cost of travel, lodging and boarding is borne by the movement.

Rotary has just now announced that the last date for receiving applications for this program has been extended to 20th September. Since that gives us a day more, we would like to reach out to as many people as we can and bring this wonderful opportunity to their attention.

So if you know of any individual who might be interested in applying, please let me know. There are no strings attached - the application form has to be submitted with a processing fee of
Rs 300/-, and that is all there is to it in terms of cost.

Application forms can be obtained from Rtn Ramesh Joshi, 105, Swiss Complex, Race Course Road, Bangalore – 560 001.

Request for application can also be made on email – rameshjoshirj@yahoo.com or you can also email me at sanjaysagrawal@gmail.com.

Please spread awareness about the program so that the right persons get to see and learn the world.

Cheers and warm regards,

Yours in Rotary

Sanjay Agrawal

Director, International Services
Rotary Club of Yelahanka

Cell: 093411-92099

http://yelahanka.rotary-site.org/ .

Get an update on Environmental Conferences happening around the globe

http://www.conferencealerts.com/environment.htm

Make sure the Ganesh Chathurthi Celebrations in your Neighbourhood are Ecofriendly

The Environmental Impact of Ganesh Chaturthi

by Manisha Gutman

To be able to choose the most appropriate ecosensitive solution it is important that we understand the environmental impacts of Ganesh Chaturthi.

These can be summarised to be the following:

• The water pollution caused by the immersion of chemically painted Plaster of Paris idols into natural water bodies.



• The waste generated by the non biodegradable accessories used during the worship.


• Noise pollution


• Traffic congestion


• Increased consumerism

Amongst these, the first two can be partially resolved by a shift to eco sensitive materials and practices.

Water Pollution: The Issue
For some years now we have been observing a growing awareness about the water pollution caused by the immersion of Ganesh idols made out of Plaster of Paris, in natural water bodies such as lakes, rivers and the sea. PoP is not a naturally occurring material. Plaster of Paris is a calcium sulfate hemi-hydrate : (CaSO4, ½ H2O) derived from gypsum, a calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4 , 2 H2O), by firing this mineral at relatively low temperature and then reducing it to powder. While idols made out of naturally occurring clay ( shaadu in Marathi) dissolve within hours of immersion in water, PoP idols may take anywhere between several months to years to fully dissolve. In addition, when chemical paints are used to decorate the idols, these paints contain heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which seep into the water as the idol dissolves.

In Bangalore a study done by the Central Pollution Control Board to assess the impact of immersion of Ganesh idols on the lakes revealed the following:
The acid content in the waters increased.
The TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) increased by a 100%
The Dissolved Oxygen content increased during the day due to the agitation of waters during immersion and reduced at night when organic discharge increased.
The heavy metal content sampling showed an increase in metals such as iron which increased nearly 10 times and the content of copper in the sediments increased by 200 to 300 %.

Possible solutions:
Since the main issue around water pollution has got to do with the idol immersion ritual, several people are now suggesting a slight variation of this ritual to avoid water pollution. ]

These include:
1. Immersing the idol in a water tan constructed by the government, instead of directly into natural water bodies.
2. Using only a natural clay idol and immersing it either in the tank or in a bucket of water at home.
3. Immersing a 'betel nut' which symbolises the idol and reusing the same idol every year.
4. If one is using a PoP idol, simply sprinkling a few drops of water on it as a symbolic immersion and donating the idol to be recycled for the following year.

Appropriate Management of 'nirmalya':
Along with the idol, there are several accessories used during the worship which are collectively referred to as 'nirmalya'. These include flowers, fruits, coconuts, cloth, incense, camphor etc. Further, many people create elaborate temples out of thermocole to houwe their idols. Until some years ago, all these were also immersed along with the idols.
In Pune, the municipal corporation has successfully convinced people not to immerse the 'nirmalya' into the water. Instead, they have installed large bins shaped as traditional pots or 'kalashes' to recieve this nirmalya. While this is a good first step, the appropriate management of the nirmalya is still crucial considering the volumes that are collected every year.
This is a sensitive issue since it involves the sentiments of the worshippers.

Possible solutions:
1. Avoiding the use of non biodegradable material such as thermocole altogether.
2. Composting all bio degradable material.
3. Distributing food itmes such as coconuts and fruits among the poor.
4. Recycling flowers to make hand made paper or dried flower products.

To know more visit www.e-coexist.com or http://www.kalpavriksh.org/

Ecosensitive Ganesh idols: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNKCiIwa7gk

Papier Mache Ganesh idols http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2TqRnPR63w

Here's an interesting blog we've just noticed

http://www.ecoponder.blogspot.com

Two Education Seminars at ISEC

Institute for Social and Economic Change's Seminar Series


Professor M.D.Usha Devi
Professor and Head, Centre for Human Resource Development (CHRD), ISEC

will be presenting a seminar on

'Pre-Service Teacher Education for Secondary Stage Education in the Emerging Diverse Education Context in Karnataka/India'

and

Dr.U.A.Shimray and Professor M.D.Usha Devi
Assistant Professor and Professor and Head, CHRD,ISEC, respectively

will be presenting a seminar on

'Trends and Patterns of Migration: Interface with Education- A Case of the North Eastern Region'

Venue: ISEC Seminar Hall
Time: 3.30 PM
Date: Thursday 6th of September, 2007

All are welcome

Tea/ Coffee will be served before the Seminar

Dr. V Anil KumarSeminar Coordinator
Asst. ProfessorCentre for Decentralisation and Development
Institute for Social and Economic Change,Nagarabhavi PO, Bangalore - 560 072
Phone: 080-23215468; 23215519; 23215592 Extn.417
Fax: 080-23217008
E-mail: seminarcoordinator@isec.ac.in
http://www.isec.ac.in/

Here are the abstracts

Pre-Service Teacher Education for Secondary Stage Education in the Emerging Diverse Education Context in Karnataka/India

By

M D Usha Devi


Abstract

The present study is an attempt to understand the nature of professional preparation of teachers for secondary level of education as revealed through B.Ed programmes in one of the states (Karnataka) in India.. The purpose of the study was to assess the relevance of the teacher preparation for the emerging demands of the society and economy and its capacity to meet the professional requirements of the teaching profession in the emerging context. The study is essentially conceptualised within the interactive framework of the education of the teacher, the changing expectations of the society with respect to professional role of a teacher, expansion of the knowledge domain, economic development and technological advancements in the society. The study employed a descriptive survey design with a normative framework for analyzing the current teacher education programme.

The data have largely been qualitative in nature and are gathered from multiple sources.. The major part of the evidences is gathered through content analyses of the B.Ed curriculum. Primary data have also been collected from a sample of 71 teacher educators across the state who responded to macro survey questionnaire. In addition, perceptions, views and experiences of teacher educators (17), student teachers (177) and beginning teachers (26 ) about the pre-service teacher education have also been collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires in a micro study conducted in six sample B.Ed colleges representing different management types and regional locations. Further, 43 classroom observations of teacher educator’s curricular transaction and content analysis of 20 lesson plans and 20 observation records prepared by student trainees in the sample B.Ed colleges have also been done to study the process and practice of induction and professional orientation of teachers. The present study is limited to the current B.Ed programme offered by the Bangalore university. Some of the major findings of the study are:

In terms of the intentions and objectives of teacher education for secondary stage of education, the B.Ed programme appears to reflect the broader national goals of education as well as some of the emerging concerns in the diverse education context. However, there appears to be an over emphasis towards loading student teachers with information about these aspects rather than developing critical mental faculties. Regretfully, none of the papers, either professional or pedagogic make a mention anywhere about exposing student teachers to the school life and school culture at least in intentions as this is an important objective of a professional programme like the B.Ed.

In terms of relevance, the current B.Ed programme is found to reflect different parameters of diverse education context in some paper or the other. However, the extent to which these dimensions are reflected vary across professional and pedagogic subjects. With respect to equipping the prospective teachers with necessary skills and competencies, the programme is found to fall short in several areas of professional practice, induction and orientation to teaching, the most important being the short duration of the B.Ed programme and the limited internship period therein. In terms of orienting student teachers to professional roles of teachers during the classroom curricular transaction by teacher educators, there were very few references to the teacher’s role for emerging demands in the diverse education context such as - teacher as a knowledge broker, as a learning facilitator, as a promoter of collaborative learning, as a promoter of new delivery skills, as a counselor, as an innovator, as a researcher and life long learner etc,. Even attempts to establish a connection between the curricular content transacted in the B.Ed classroom and the school practices were also found to be conspicuously missing.

Trends and Patterns of Migration: Interface with Education- A Case of the North Eastern Region

By
U A Shimray & M. D. Usha Devi , CHRD/ISEC

Abstract

For a long time, North Eastern Region (NER) has been a major corridor of human migration. The NER is characterised by extraordinary ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity. The NER scores over most other states of India in the area of human resources for its relatively high literacy rate. The region has recorded high literacy growth rate in the decade 1991-2001. However, there is also remarkable variation in the literacy rate among the states within the region. Mizoram state reveals highest percentage of literacy with 88.5 per cent, followed by Tripura [73.6], Manipur [68.8] and Nagaland [67.1]. The states like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Assam are below national average. Interestingly, the tribal dominant states like Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and also Manipur reveal higher literacy rates as compared to other states in India. Notwithstanding, higher literacy attainments, the NER has poor educational infrastructure at post secondary and higher levels of education. This has been one of the reasons for out migration, particularly among school graduates who are interested in pursuing vocational training and higher education for better employment prospects. It is in this context, questions relating to patterns of migration in the NER and its interface with education have been moving into the forefront of the research agenda.

The study is set with the following objectives:
To examine the trends and patterns of migration from the NER in terms of time and space;
To trace the educational growth in the NER;
To identify the determining factors for migration;
To examine the connection between migration and education.

The present study is a descriptive analysis of secondary data drawn from the census documents, NSS and other relevant documents and reports. The analysis is confined to the census decades of 1981, 1991 and 2001.

Some of the major outcomes of the study are as follows:
The magnitude of migration is considerably low in NER. There is fluctuation in the rate of migration between the decades in NER as a whole. At disaggregate level, Nagaland state has recorded highest migration rates at 8 per cent followed by Mizoram [4.28 per cent] and Assam [2.66 per cent]. However, the trends of migration in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura are found to be declining. Selectivity among migrants also occurs by sex. The magnitude of females migration is much higher than the males in all the states of the region. In terms of reasons for migration, marriage, family and employment are found to be predominant. Education as a motive for migration is considerably low. However, it is significantly increased in the last three decades particularly among male population. This phenomenon is seen relatively to a higher extent in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

With respect to educational growth in the NER, there is a sharp decline in the enrolments with increasing levels of education, particularly in the post-secondary and higher education. Interestingly, the highest literate state Mizoram has a lowest proportion of students enrolled at Higher Secondary and Graduate and above levels. The availability of educational institutions particularly for higher and technical education is rather low in all the states except Assam. Although, in the post 1990 period the states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram have witnessed increase in the number of institutions/universities for higher education, yet the patterns of infrastructure growth reveals inadequacy.

EIC’s Workshop on Ecological Niche Modelling

Review of Key Papers & Desktop GARP Demo made it exciting!

The Eco-Informatics Centre’s just concluded workshop on Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM), gave practical advice on how to use ENM tools efficiently. The workshop was conducted by Prof Townsend Peterson, a leader in this field from the University of Kansas, USA and Dr Shaily Menon from Grant Valley State University, USA. This one day event program was held at Doddi’s Resort on 31 August, 2007 and was attended by 35 researchers including those from Centre for Ecological Science (CES), National Centre for Biological Science (NCBS), National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and ATREE.

In the first half of the session, Prof Peterson gave a broad perspective of ENM with interesting examples that ranged from predicting the distribution of Ebola virus in Africa to estimating species distribution of butterflies in Canada. Later, he explained step by step, key factors that are important while conducting ENM studies. With reference to environmental data, he stressed the importance of data quality, type, source and methods of data collection. Regarding occurrence data, he explained how important it is to distinguish between primary and secondary sources. He cited GBIF, MaNIS, ORNIS, HerpNet, FishNet2 and MODIS satellite data as some useful reference sources for data. This was followed by a detailed evaluation of best model selection, modeling algorithms and validation. He also reviewed key papers in the field which gave a clear overview of how the entire field has evolved. Later, Dr Shaily Menon presented her work on ecological and geographic distribution of Asian nuthatches.

In the afternoon session, Prof Peterson, demonstrated desktop GARP (Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Production), and Maxent (Maximum Entropy Algorithm), the two modeling algorithms in ENM. He reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of the different modeling algorithms. This workshop was a refresher for those who are already doing research in ENM. For new comers, it gave a simplified understanding of concepts and technical know how.

Seed Workshop in Bangalore - Aug 30 th -31st

The workshop looks at the Seed Act and seed certification in particular for organic farmers and communities.

Workshop Organizers: GREEN Foundation and Organic Farmers Association of India.

Venue: Fireflies Ashram, Pipal Trees, Dinnepalaya, Kaggalipura, Kanakpura Road, Bangalore.

Here's the Program Schedule

30th August, 2007

Welcome Address : 10.30 - 10.45

Self Introduction: 10.45 - 11.00

Role of seed savers in today's context - Claude Alvares - 11.15 - 12.00

Implications of seed bill on seed saving - Dr. Vanaja Ramprasad - 12.00 - 12.30

Seed diversity cataloguing- Initial effort - 12.30 - 1.30, 2.00- 3.00

Presentation by invited representatives on seed saving - 3.15 - 4.30

Discussion on the seed bill - 4.30 - 6.00

31st August, 2007

Discussion on seed cert standards and seed act 1966 - 9.00 - 11.00

Varietal registration procedures - 11.15 - 12.00

Discussion on evolving organic seed production standards - 12.00-1.30, 2.15-3.00

Seed exchange action plan - 3.15-4.30

Concluding remarks - 4.35 -4.50

Vote of thanks - 4.50-5.00

Prof Ruth DeFries's presentation

Prof Ruth DeFries was here last month at ATREE and gave a very interesting talk.

We've posted below the synopsis and some of the interesting slides that she has generously agreed to share on this blog for those of us who missed attending her talk.

This presentation examines the process of land use change through wildlands, frontier clearings, subsistence agriculture, to intensive agriculture and urban settlements. This process parallels other societal transitions that occur with development, including demographic, health, nutrition, and energy transitions. The research discussed in the presentation focuses on the southern Amazon, where large-scale deforestation is occurring for pasture and mechanized cropland as part of the frontier stage of land use transitions. Remote sensing is an essential tool to identify deforestation and quantify the fate of deforested lands. India is currently experiencing relatively stable forest cover and rapid urbanization. One of the major transitions underway is the increased use of modern fuels and declining use of traditional biofuels.
------------------------------------

If you would like to correspond with Prof Ruth DeFries, you can email her at rdefries@umd.edu

or write to her at: The Dept of Geography and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
2181 Lefrak HallCollege Park, MD 20742
Tel: 301 405 4884 Fax: 301 314 9299