Awareness has always been a key tool for conservation. Making common people aware about the issue of the conservation always help tremendously in the process. Lack of basic knowledge about the need of conservation indulges people to do harm to their own natural resources and to the environment. Making people aware about the need of conserving an area helps in building up the necessary supports from the society. Conservation worthiness for an area should always be put forwarded by the society and not by the authorities concerned. To make that happen the society should be sensitized by providing with the total information about significance of the area very scientifically and systematically. And this is merely the job of research organizations, academic agencies, individuals etc.
Promoting conservation awareness and environment education has been a major area of activity for Dolphin Foundation since its inception towards achieving the goal of Biodiversity Conservation in northeastern region of India. Various programs have already been undertaken during the last 14 yeas period. These programs were carried out at different levels with issues specific activities.
CA & EE program for school students : This has been a routine activity of Dolphin Foundation which has already covered a huge areas of the region. Till the end of the year 2005 about 200 such programs were organized in various places of the region. In these programs CA & EE camps were conducted in schools mainly in the rural and fringe areas of PAs. Various educational materials were developed and distributed among the school children during the camps.
Teachers Training Workshops (EE for Teachers) : The idea of undertaking this program is to reach a large number of students through educating and orienting School Teachers in various issues of biodiversity and environment conservation. This program also helps in reaching a significant portion of the society as the teachers use to play a role of community leader. About 20 such workshop have already been organized by Dolphin Foundation in Assam.
Community awareness program in the fringe of PAs : This program has been mainly carried out along with the species conservation program in various project areas of Dolphin Foundation. The main aim of the program is to sensitize the local communities on the need of conservation. Developing and distributing different awareness materials like – stickers, leaflets, posters, t-shirts awareness booklets etc. to the communities ; display of signboards, glow-signs, banners etc. in the public places ; holding meetings and dialogues with the communities, natures camps for the village youths etc. were the main activities of the program.
Community awareness program in the fringe of PAs : This program has been mainly carried out along with the species conservation program in various project areas of Dolphin Foundation. The main aim of the program is to sensitize the local communities on the need of conservation. Developing and distributing different awareness materials like – stickers, leaflets, posters, t-shirts awareness booklets etc. to the communities ; display of signboards, glow-signs, banners etc. in the public places ; holding meetings and dialogues with the communities, natures camps for the village youths etc. were the main activities of the program.