ATREE’s WilD KiDZ ‘Camp WilD’ 2019

ATREE’s WilD KiDZ ‘Camp WilD’ 2019, was two days and one-night camp organized for 21 students from grade 5 to 8 on September 14 and 15, 2019. The camp is a unique venue that connected the kids with nature, allowed kids to become independent and self-confident, while socializing and making new friends, and learning new skills. The campers stayed in the Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre (ACCC), ATREE’s research station on September 14, 2019. They climbed and walked in the Canopy walk-way to understand the uses of canopy ecology and later after the tea they attended presentations on Western Ghats ‘a overview’ in which they learned about Western Ghats and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in specific followed by a talk on basics of butterflying helped the campers to identify the five families of Butterfly, then two documentary on Big 4 Snakes and Snake bite mitigation were screened along with a briefing on Indian Snake. After a sumptuous dinner, the campers went for a night walk to the nearby canal, during the walk they witnessed the twinkling stars, graceful fireflies in the dark sky, sleeping garden lizards, active moths, croaking frogs, fat little toads, swiftly bats, hoots of owls, slimy long eel, cool breeze, churring of nightjars and long, elegant Common Bronzebacked Tree snake (Dendrelaphis tristis). They also observed moths belonging to Geometridae, Crambidae and Uraniidae families and also other insects such as Praying Mantis, Caddies fly, beetles, etc. attracted by the moth screen.

The next day, the campers went for a hiking in the 6 km Karayar-Servalar Nature Trail. There they saw a Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), watched birds like Blue-faced Malkoha (Rhopodytes tristis), Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus), white-cheeked barbet (Psilopogon viridis), Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus); found Bicolored or Malabar frogs (Clinotarsus curtipes) on the floors of the forest; identified butterflies such as Southern Birdwing (Troides minos), Crimson Rose (Pachliopta hector), Common Mormon (Papilio polytes), Common Jay (Graphium doson), Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus), Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor), Striped Tiger (Danaus genutia), Common Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona), Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe), Pysche (Leptosia nina), Common Crow (Euploea core), Chocolate Pancy (Junonia iphita), Common Four-ring (Ypthima huebneri) and Double-banded Judy (Abisara bifasciata). 


Acknowledgements


The ATREE’s ACCC team members Mathivanan, Saravanan, Thalavaipandi, Maria Antony and Vinod Kumar would like to specially thank the following persons: Mr.Kommu Omkaram, I.F.S. Deputy Director, KMTR for the permission and guidance to conduct the camp, Mr.Saravanakumar, Forest Range Officer, Mundanthurai, KMTR for providing accommodation and logistics, Mr. Ajithkumar, Anti-Poaching Watchers, Mundanthurai, KMTR for guiding the nature trail. We specially thank Dr. John Abraham, Director, Mrs. Jeyaseeli, Vice-Principal, Mrs. Muthu and Mr. Vijaya Kuma, Eco Club Co-ordinators of SCAD International School, Cheranmahadevi for guiding and taking care of the students. Our Hearty thanks to the enthusiastic campers Dharanidaran, Deniz Benjamin, Shamshul Shahid, Allapitchai, Rajalakshimi, Shivani, Divya Pricelin, Kawshik, Prince Samuvel, Siva Durgesh, Sudharsan, Shreeram, Praveen, Jebarlyn, Dora, Imelda, Subhashree, Srnithi and Fafina.