Tiger, tiger, roaming free
In the forest, wild and
carefree
River flowing, sun shining bright
Sky above, a beautiful sight
Ocean waves, crashing on the shore
Tiger's home, forever more
Sun, sky, river, forest deep
Tiger's world, where they love to sleep.
Jayama Dodamani of the Mushtifund Saunstha Primary School in Panjim wrote this beautiful poem as part of an exercise given to all the participating teachers of the recently conducted Kids For Tigers Environmental Leadership Workshop in the magical forests of Valpoi in Goa. Did you know that there are prehistoric forests in Goa which are part of old Gondwanaland of the Palaeolithic era and the period of Dinosaurs?
Myristica swamps, characterised by unique upturned U shaped roots, once widespread across the Konkan, are today fast-shrinking, fragmented, and an endangered ecosystem restricted to small patches like the one in Goa. The swamps are important because they play a key role in maintaining perennial stream flow and possess higher potential to store carbon than nearby non-swamp forests.
Nutmeg and mace, mysterica fragrans, as one of the oldest flowering species belong to the primitive Myristicaceae family. This is one of the sacred groves called ‘Nirankarachi Rai’ in Maloli village of Nanoda. Before entering the sacred grove, the teachers witnessed a Malabar Giant Squirrel on the Matti tree, blue mormon butterflies on Pagoda flowers and learnt about endemic trees like Kumeo (Careya Arborea), Crocodile Bark Tree (Eliptica Ballerica), Jackfruit, etc. The fresh water spring here was known to have medicinal properties as local people believed that drinking this water increased one's appetite, explained Goa’s well known environmentalist and water warrior Shri Rajendra Kerkar. Everyone felt the difference in temperature by a few degrees, it was so cool!
After spending some quiet time in the magical forest, the teachers got ready to move to the next location called Codal. Here Mr Kerkar pointed out the local Karvi (Strobilanthes Callosa) plants growing along the side of the road. These flowers bloom every seven years, where the plants explode into mass flowering and have now become a huge attraction. The flowers produce a special kind of honey and the leaves are used to treat stomach ailments, while the dry twigs and stems are used to make thatch roofs. Mr Kerkar also pointed out many other local and medicinal plants. The association of the stream loving Pandanus or Kewda (Screw pine) to its aromatic flower, to rats who love to feed on it and the snakes who come to feed on the rats. The king cobra is often found in these cool areas because it predates on other snakes.
The teachers were then taken to Derodem, where they had a chance to see the edge of the mighty Western Ghats and the continental ridge in profile! Mr Kerkar also pointed out another sacred grove, Devachi Rai.
Our final stop was along the Kalsa river, where we settled down for a picnic lunch on the rocky bank listening to the soothing sounds of the water that flows downstream where it is called Mhadei/Mandovi. After lunch, a session on ‘Street Play to create awareness’ was conducted by President of the NGO Uzwaad, Prof Sendra Pereira and another member Renuka. A small working group with teachers as volunteers demonstrated scripting and presenting a street play on Tiger killing. The team from Travelling Dome led by filmmaker and educator, Vishal Rawlley presented the street play on Tiger Reserve in Goa. The last session was conducted by Prof Dr Fr Bolmax Pereira and he shared his journey as a teacher, citizen and activist working for the environmental issues in Goa. He motivated and inspired the teachers by sharing his near death moments and how he survived the odds and carries on his work despite the challenges. As a botanist and teacher, he shared the successes of his students and encouraged teachers to work closely with students who have a keen interest in the environment.
The day ended with singing birthday songs to Mr Kerkar who celebrated his birthday on 15 September and formally presenting the teachers with certificates and mementos to the guest speakers. Teachers from more than 20 schools in Goa participated in the workshop. All teachers asserted that they felt energised, inspired to motivate their students to take up environmental conservation and safeguard the forests and rivers of Goa.
"It was such an insightful and impactful workshop on conservation of our previous resources. The session was not only informative, but also inspiring as it highlighted critical issues related to sustainability and the protection of our natural resources," shared the teachers from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans School, Upasnagar, Vasco.
It was incredibly enriching and sparked my curiosity to learn more about history, our authentic culture, and ecology, as well as how we can use this knowledge to safeguard our environment.
The street play session by Uzwaad, along with the tips provided, was very useful. It served as a reminder of how, as teachers, we can utilise our resourcefulness to improvise meaningful skits with strong messages in just a matter of minutes.
Rev Fr Bolmax awakened a sense of duty within us through his powerful message on stepping up to the front lines for all that is worth fighting for, particularly for the future of our children.
"I am eager to incorporate everything I have learned into my lessons and Eco Club sessions," added Heloise Angie Barretto of Sharada Mandir School, Kadamba.
(Tallulah D’Silva is an Architect and silver
awardee of the Golden Door Award 2020 for truth and integrity.)