21st February
by Dr Patricia Shuen
The human-wildlife interface and protected area management/ endangered species management
Woke up to the sounds of warning calls
A predator is around!
Morning chai in Queen’s Corner courtyard followed by teaching an invigorating 45-minute yoga class.
Had a good turnout of students all practising their sun salutations facing the rising sun
The first lecture was given by Dr Ruchi Badola, an economist from the Wildlife Institute of India. Dr Ruchi discussed the socio-economic factors to consider when assessing the human-wildlife interface in India. The subsequent difficulties in implementing change to human communities living in these interface areas
We followed up with a visit to a local village in Sariska National Park. The men and women in our group separated and chatted with the village men and women in unisex groups
The women are multigenerational and from the same family living in harmony under the same roof. The women seem very content despite their limited material resources, busy manual workload, lack of financial independence, minimal academic education and exposure to the outside world. It was an eye-opener indeed
After lunch, there were more discussions regarding similar topics with team-building exercises incorporated into our afternoon tea session
Looking forward to our next learning day
Namaste 🙏
