ATREE’s Wild Kidz Monsoon Camp

ATREE’s Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre (ACCC), Manimutharu in association with Tamil Nadu Forest Department organised the Wild Kidz ‘Monsoon Camp’, a three-day residential camp, held at Mundanthurai, Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR). The camp introduced 13 boy, six girls and four teachers of Muthamil Public School, Muneerpallam, Tirunelveli to the marvels of nature through lectures on
line-drawings, uniqueness of KMTR, morphology of plants and identification of Butterflies of KMTR.

The camp also included a forest hike, road-kill survey, Butterfly walk and a night watch, where they sighted animals including the Nilgiri Langur (Semnopithecus johnii), South Eastern Langur (Semnopithecus priam), Bonnet Macaque (Macaca radiata), Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor), Spotted Deer (Axis axis), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), and Asian palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) among others.

The campers also learnt to monitor tree phenology, trap moths, and scan the behaviour of Bonnet Macaques, which helped increase their observational skills and provided hands-on training.  Interviews with ‘Forest Department Staff’ enhanced their understanding of conservation and helped them raise meaningful questions.

Games designed to introduce children to common phenomenon in biology raised environmental awareness and helped them understand prey and predator relationships and identify common biotic and abiotic factors related to KMTR