On the 11thAugust, 2018, students of the M.Sc Environment Management Ist Semester accompanied by Dr. Meenakshi Sati went to a trip to the Regional Science Centre, Dehradun and the adjoining Jhajra Biodiversity Park.
At the Regional Science Centre, students were taught about the constellations through a simulation of the sky in the “Tara Mandal”. Constellations and the beauty of which we only have envisaged in the past appeared real and in front of our eyes through the projector. Students also watched a 3D film, which dealt with the topic of our environment and how it is destroyed. It hammered into the students’ head through humour the gravity of the situation, that the death knell has been tolled, and its “high time” we do something about it. The most exciting part of the RSC for the students was the “Himalayan Gallery” which is a museum bringing forth to the visitor the details of the Himalayan geology, biodiversity, and the exhilarating grandeur and the beauty of the royal Himalayas.
The students visited the Jhajra Biodiversity Park after they completed their visit to the Regional Science Centre, Dehradun. The Jhajra Biodiversity Park has been developed by the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun with Faculty and former Scientist of the Ecology Division at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, Dr.H.B.Vasistha, being at the helm of affairs. The Jhajra Biodiversity Park has been developed on a small piece of landmass. The Biodiversity Park has been segregated into even smaller square plots with each square plot representing a particular type of floral species which include, Riverine species, Nakshatra species, Bamboo species, Timber species, medicinal plants, fruit bearing species, Agroforestry species, and Miscellaneous species. The beautiful biodiversity park, quite naturally plays host to a number of butterflies and insect species.
