Check Dam Repairing near Girnar

On the occasion of the World Environment Day, the volunteers of Vasundhara Nature Club, Junagadh (VNC-JND) decided to serve for the Mother Nature. It was decided repair a check-dam located in the foot hills of Girnar Mountain at the edge of the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary. This check-dam was leaked and plenty of water was being wasted. This check-dam helps the wild animals of Girnar WLS to survive even during the summer season.

More than 20 volunteers of VNC-JND worked for couple of days and repaired the check-dam properly using RCC and other materials. As an estimate, about 40 lakh litters of rain water will be conserved after this repairing. In this work donation, volunteers of VNC-JND including teachers, doctors and other professionals worked very nicely and served for the Mother Nature.  

Here are some glimpses!!!

Rescue of Crocodile

Few days back, we received a rescue call. The caller said that crocodile was sitting near his house. We immediately inform the forest officials and moved toward the location. It was a 6 feet long crocodile nearby the caller's home. With the help of forest department, we rescued that crocodile safely, and released it in the nearest water body.

Rescue of Pangolin

The founder of Vasundhara Nature Club, Junagadh Mr. Pranav Vaghasiya was passing through Bhavnath Road, Junagadh as per his regular routine. On the way he noticed a crowd gathering roadside, the like of which is generally caused by sighting of something unusual. He quickly went near the crowd and shocked to see a rarely sighted mammal. That rare mammal foraging in the cement bench was getting harassed with stones by the crowd nearby. It was a Pangolin, yes a pangolin.

Pranav quickly informed forest officials regarding the rare sighting. The pangolin was transferred to the forest premises quickly for due diligence. 

After doing necessary paper work, the beautiful creature was released to its safe natural habitat.

Pangolin is marked as Endangered in IUCN Red list. Major threats to pangolins in India are hunting and poaching. Though it is a protected species, it is heavily exploited for its flash, scales and skin. Illegal demand has been increased drastically in past few decades. Let us hope that the beautiful species stay in the lap of mother nature forever. 

A Workshop on Avian Acoustics & Field Recording Techniques

Group Photo of Participants, Expert & Organizers

Evolved from dinosaurs million years ago, birds can be found almost everywhere nearby us. To watch and listen birds is an its kind of amazing experience one can feel.

It is well known fact that bird calls have their own importance while bird watching. A presence of a bird can be noted by its call in case one is not able to see the bird. Also practicing recording calls, songs and mimicry of birds is being increased nowadays for scientific purpose also to the study of birds.

To let the gain knowledge of birds’ acoustics and to enhance the knowledge of field recording techniques of enthusiast bird-watchers, we, Vasundhara Nature Club (VNC) organized a two workshop on “Avian Acoustics & Field Recording Techniques” from 9 -10 February, 2019 in the foothills of the Great Girnar Mountain, Junagadh. The workshop was conducted by invited resource person Shree Viral Joshi. Viral Joshi is currently working on birds in IISER and is a Sanctuary Asia Young naturalist Award. He has recorded calls of plenty of birds.

Discussion on Xeno-Canto

Basics of  Birds Acoustics

The participants of the workshop were explained the difference between birds’ songs and birds’ calls. They were also explained about birds’ acoustics, bio-acoustics, spectrographs of birds’ calls, things to be taken care during recording on-field, post-processing of recorded calls through various software, data management on ebird and xeno-canto, etc.

Field Trip

On Fiels Discussion

This was the first its kind of workshop in the state of Gujarat. The participants enjoyed and learnt many new thing of the subject and also experienced in two field trips organized by VNC. Honorable Range Forest Officers of Dungar South Range, Girnar, Junagadh Shree Bhagirathsinh Zala was remained present in the inaugural ceremony of the workshop.

Spectograph Analysis

On Field Discussion

Crocodile Rescue & Rehabitation...

On date 19 Dec, 2018 at 21:00 VNC (Vasundhara nature club) got a call from Gandhigram for rescuing a crocodile. On reaching the spot, our volunteers encountered a 4feet crocodile stucked on a road. With the help of Forest department we successfully rescued it and released it into its habitat. We also aware the people around about the crocodiles and their behaviour.

Awareness Talks on Makkar Sankranti...

As it the festival season of Makar Sankranti, popularly known as Uttarayan in Gujarat, we become busy in flying kites in the sky. In order to cut the kites of others, we are using threads modified with smashed glass which becomes harmful to the flying birds and sometimes to human too. In association with Forest Department, every year Vasundhara Nature Club starts a helpline to help the injured birds during this festive season.

Many volunteers from different organizations join us in this noble cause. To explain them the situation we face every year and to train them how to react and proceed when someone finds an injured bird, we organize a talk on "Avian Rescue and Rehabitation". The talk was conducted by Mr. Pranav Vaghasiya. Founder of Vasundhara Nature Club.

Also, as a part of spreading awareness, we organized a talk in Ghodasara Mahila College, Junagadh in which students were explained the deprivation caused by the harmful threades. They were also explained about the preliminary treatment given to such avian.

If one finds any injured bird during these days near Junagadh area, can contact us on our helpline number +91 99093 90070.