Earthwatch launches Project at Hyderabad
Earthwatch, in association with its local partner organisation-CPF (Centre for Peoples' Forestry), launched a Project in the forest areas of Nathinoipalle, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
The project had the eager participation of 38 employee volunteers from HSBC, the largest strength for any Volunteering Project event conducted anywhere in the world, as part of the HSBC Climate Partnership.
The aim of this project is to deliver a comprehensive estimate of forest resources in the community/Van Samrakshan Samiti (VSS) protected forest of Nathinoipalle.
Earthwatch was represented at this launch by its India Programme Officer, Dr. Pranab J. Patar who introduced the volunteers to the HSBC Climate Partnership and Earthwatch’s citizen science model.
As part of the community engagement component of this project, the HSBC Volunteers interacted with the VSS chairperson, two VSS members and one tribal woman from the Lambada community who was also the cluster leader of the embroidery micro–enterprise. The volunteers were curious to know from the cluster leader about the time she spent on embroidery and the income she earned from it and about the market linkages of the enterprise. In their interactions with the members and chairperson of the local VSS, the volunteers were keen to learn about the government schemes availed for by them, the way in which the community undertakes management of the community forest and the extent of activities undertaken by them-the funding received by VSS and the implications of the National Rural employment Guarantee Schemes on their income.