Maggie Esson's Journey

Maggie, Education Programmes Manager, made a hectic field trip to Assam to begin working on a new education component of the AHP. Maggie joined up with field co-ordinators in Sonitpur and Goalpara were she attended village meetings, visited schools and tea gardens - all locations where local people have their livelihoods and sometime their lives threatened by elephants.

In one village older residents fondly remembered the days when tigers, bears and langur monkeys were found in nearby forests. These people revere nature and are sad about what is happening as they witness deforestation and declines in wildlife. Although threatened by elephants they also said they love them, especially because they see elephants living in families and caring for their young, just like them. These villagers were about to abandon their village and their land before the AHP provided advice and support to protect the village against raiding elephants. Life is much improved for them. The tea garden managers are also very keen to improve the lives of their workers and to work for conservation. They have a campaign to deter boys from shooting birds with catapults and have anti-littering initiatives in place. Young teenage boys also use their catapults against elephants, often getting dangerously close to the animals and aggravating them. It is important that they realise they are putting their lives in danger and that their catapult activity is not nearly as macho as they think it is!

Over the next two years Maggie will work with EcoSystems-India to develop and monitor community education initiatives and to raise awareness of the issues surrounding human elephant conflict.

 

Evie Astbury's Journey

Maggie Esson's Journey

Andrea Fidgett's Journey