Catch them Young , has been the idea behind an on-going awareness programme on turtle conservation by DPCL. Mostly children from
Class-VI to Class-X in schools in Dosinga, Dhamra and Chandbali areas of Bhadrak district and Talchua area of Kendrapara district are targeted. These schools are
situated close to possible turtle nesting areas and, the villages inhabited largely by the fishing community members.
A band of dedicated youths engaged in the IUCN-DPCL turtle observer programme are carrying out the school awareness drive. With simple descriptions and use of
pictures, the school children are taught about different species of turtles found world-wide, the arrival of Olive Ridley turtles to Orissa nesting beaches
and about various reasons of their large casualties. Through the school awareness programme, interest is being created among the children for turtles,
and think about their conservation.
Inter-School Essay Competition on Turtle Conservation
As part of its awareness programme on Turtle Conservation, the Dhamra Port Company Ltd (DPCL)
organised an inter-school essay competition among students of class VIII, IX and X.
Over 300 students from nearly 25 schools from Dosinga, Dhamra, Talchua and Chandbali areas participated in the
competition by sending essays on the given topic through their respective school headmasters. After proper scrutiny
as many as 27 students were selected, who were given certificates and prizes at a function held at Dhamra.
A student from Chandbali Girls High School, Chandbali Snigdhashree Mallick topped among the participants to win a
special prize. In her essay she made an emotional appeal to the human society to show concern towards the Olive Ridley
turtles who die in large numbers every year during their visit to the Orissa coast for nesting. She has also given
some good and simple reasons why we should stress on the conservation of turtles for better future of the fishing
community and the environment at large.
The essays were invited from students during school awareness programmes on turtle conservation, being carried
out by a group of dynamic youths, who are part of the DPCL-IUCN turtle observer programme.
Street Theatre for Awareness among Fishermen
A street theatre programme to sensitise members of the fishing community on turtle conservation and
teach them about the relationship between turtles and fish, street theatres at important fish landing centres of Bhadrak,
Balasore and Kendrapara districts were staged in November 2008. A theatre troupe from Jagatsinghpur - Sachetan Natya
Parishad staged 20 plays in the fishermen habitations near the fish landing centres. There was large audience to all
the stage shows and, the feedback taken from the locals after each show was very much encouraging.
