UKHRUL, July 4: The Ukhrul Forest Division, Forest Department, Government of Manipur, in colaboration with the Ukhrul District Working Journalists Association (UDWJA) organized a “One Day Awareness Programme on Wildlife Protection & Conservation.”
Held on Saturday at Charshung, Seipet Zingsho Phungreitang, the event was centered around the evocative theme, “Protect Wildlife, Preserve Nature, Secure Our Future.”
Speaking at the event, which took place during with Vana Mahotsav, India’s annual week-long festival of trees, Laishram Gitla, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Ukhrul, delivered a powerful address directly highlighting the role of media in ecological preservation.
Addressing the present media fraternity, Gitla drew a profound comparison between planting trees and publishing stories, “A sapling planted in the soil grows into a tree. But a story planted in the minds of the public can grow into a movement. That is why the press is not just an observer of environmental conservation; you are its life support system.”
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The DFO emphasised that conservation cannot happen in the dark and tasked the press with bringing crucial environmental issues to light. She noted that through features, documentaries, and daily reporting, journalists demystify complex concepts like climate change and biodiversity loss. Furthermore, she commended the media for giving a voice to the voiceless, including grassroots activists, forest guards working in perilous conditions, and rural communities who serve as the true custodians of the wilderness.
Gitla urged the journalists to leverage digital platforms to make conservation engaging, visual, and urgent for the younger generation, concluding with the poignant reminder: “Nature does not have a PR agency. It relies entirely on the integrity of the press to tell its stories.”
The program also placed a strong emphasis on youth education and community action under the slogan, “Conserve Wildlife Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”
Thirty students from the Oriental Naga Academy actively participated in the awareness program, learning about their role in ecological preservation. Officials from the Forest Department presented short educational speeches focusing on the urgent need for forest conservation and the legal and ecological frameworks of wildlife protection. During the event 200 oak tree saplings were planted in the area. An individual sapling was also distributed to each participant to plant at home.
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