Key Points

Distinguished forensic scientist from Assam, Dr Padmapani, graced the workshop on July 24 with over 50 enthusiastic participants that comprised students, researchers, biologists, and nature lovers. Dr Padmapani discussed his lifelong experiences as a forensic scientist, emphasising the diverse applications that forensic science has in the field of crime investigation.

Notably, Dr Padmapani is the only individual from Northeast India to hold a PhD in forensic science with over 30 years of service to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Assam, where he retired as Director in 2009.

Dr Padmapani highlighted the potential of forensic science in detecting wildlife crime. He also emphasised the importance of being a good human being, especially for the younger generation, by sharing several heartfelt experiences from his own life.

He advocated sowing the seeds of love and empathy towards nature and society in young minds to create a beautiful world around us.

Shikha Mahanta, an anchor with All India Radio, also appreciated the consistent efforts made by Aaranyak in conserving biodiversity.

Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Secretary General and Executive Director of Aaranyak, in his welcome address, inspired the participants to join such a workshop during their holidays--an act that reflects their love and responsibility towards nature.

"The summer workshop aimed to develop practical science skills by giving early exposure to STEM, by providing knowledge about various forensic science techniques, by engaging in creative activities inspired by wildlife, by participating in interactive sessions with forensic experts, and by focusing on many relevant aspects," Jayanta Kumar Pathak, Assistant Director, Environment Education and Capacity Building Division of Aaranyak said.

Throughout the four-day workshop, participants were introduced to the world of wildlife through engaging, STEM-based learning experiences that focused on spreading awareness about wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade while nurturing curiosity and love for nature.

The participants took part in various activities--Whose Track Is That?, Who Dung It, Plaster of Paris (POP), Wild clues - Tracks, Furs and Feathers, Wild Beats, The Leaf Code - Secrets Hidden in Plants, Plant Clue Patrol, Plant Evidence Lab, Build Your Clue Book, and Mystery at Nature Scene - Solving Eco-Crimes, that helped participants to understand the basics of forensic techniques for animal tracking methods and analyse forest trails and growth patterns to decode natural evidence in wildlife & environmental crimes.

The summer nature camp came to a close with a field trip that the students had taken to the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden. The students were taken on a trek inside the zoo premises and were oriented on nature in the Nature Learning Centre led by a biologist of Assam State Zoo, Pranjal Mahananda.

The students were also presented with certificates upon completion of the workshop.

The workshop was organised with support from the Mobius Foundation as part of its outreach and engagement initiatives with school students. It was led by Jayanta Kumar Pathak, Assistant Director, Environment Education and Capacity Building Division (EECBD) of Aaranyak. Project Coordinator at EECBD, Prajnyan Sarma, Young Professionals Andrew Roy, Dipankar Mazumder, Disha Haloi, Geetashree Sarma, Jyotismita Kashyap, Kaushik Ranjan Saikia, Purba Paul, and Purna Paul coordinated the workshop and delivered various sessions. Intern Danish Hussain also provided their valuable support in making the event successful.

- ANI