Bhubaneswar: Eco-tourism spots in the states will soon have trained guides and naturalists to explain the vast bio-diversity of the places to nature tourists as an added attraction.
The state government has assigned the task of training to the Odisha Biodiversity Board with financial support from Department of Tourism and Wildlife Wing of Forest Department. The trainees will be selected from local communities of all 42 identified ecotourism centers, according to a TNIE report.
The Board has already completed two three-day training programmes at Dangamal Ecotourism Centre, Bhitarkanika and Godibari Ecotourism Centre under Chandaka Wildlife Division. Total 30 ecoguides and naturalists of each centre were trained on how to explain common plants and animals in the identified the respective sites by applying both traditional and scientific knowledge to the tourists.
Scientific staff of the Board including Prasad Kumar Dash (botanist), Satya Ranjan Behera (zoologist) and Shubhransu Nayak (microbiologist) imparted the training. The guides were taken to eco-trails where 100 plant species, 50 animal species and 20 crop wild relatives were explained from their natural history, ecology, biology and associated traditional ecological knowledge in a three languages module.
The purpose of the initiative is to attract more nature tourists besides showcasing the the rich bio-diversity of Odisha. Since sighting of wildlife is not always possible at the spots, it leads to a drop in footfall. With the eco-guides accompanying the tourists and narrating the flora and fauna, it is expected that the visitors will not be disheartened.
“Biodiversity conservation is not solely about tigers and elephants. Plants with their medicinal, and edible and ecological values do matter. So do small creatures like butterflies, mammals, reptiles, birds and insects and their conservation is of high priority as they protect the bio-resources. The community members must be aware of their local, national and global significance which the programme aims at,” said sources in the Board.
