Model Educational Programme
(MEP)


 MEP-Kodaikanal Botanic Garden
(MEP-KBG)
 

Introduction || Aims & Objectives || Project Team || Work Progress

TITLE DEVELOPING A MEP FOR CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND ITS SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
SHORT TITLE MEP - KBG
SITE Kodaikanal Botanic Garden, Sacred Heart College, Centre for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai - 627 002, Tamil Nadu, India.

Telephone: 0462-2580413
Fax: 0462-2582765
DURATION 2 years (July 2005 to June 2007)

Introduction:
 

MEP-KBG project will develop the capacity of teachers in the remote biodiversity rich area of Tamil Nadu to raise awareness amongst teachers, primary school children, their parents and the local community about the importance of native flora and forests and the need to use plants sustainably. The project will involve several components including I) organization of a series of facilitative brainstorming workshops for concerned education department officials, environmental education training workshops for teachers, strengthening school gardens, establishing BioFriend competitions for students, publication of a teacher training manual on the appreciation of bioresources, II) a series of village-level participatory meetings to identify local environmental issues, III) guidelines for developing a model genetic garden, IV) demonstration of green forming practices and V) facilitate the setting up of a number of environmental education and development societies.
 

Need for this work
 

The literacy level in Tamil Nadu is approximately 60% and most illiterate rural dwellers make their living by the injudicious collection and sale of forest resources. For some months in a year they are involved in agricultural activities; but several inorganic chemicals and pesticides that seriously affect the soil health and fertility are used. Thanks to free education and school meal schemes of the Government of Tamil Nadu, the children of these rural dwellers attend primary school. An opportunity therefore exists to influence these children and their parents about the sustainable uses of natural resources through environmental education programmes at primary school. To reach the largest number of children, the project will work with primary school teachers.

For the past two years, the Kodaikanal Botanic Garden has been organizing teacher training workshops and promoting the setting up of school gardens. Many more teachers, than could be accommodated under the previous project, are keen to undertake training in environmental education and there is a strong desire to establish more environmental education and development societies.
 
 
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