JavaScript must be enabled in order for you to use the Site in standard view. However, it seems JavaScript is either disabled or not supported by your browser. To use standard view, enable JavaScript by changing your browser options.

| Last Updated:: 06/05/2015

World Heritage Day - 2015

Download Pamphlet of World Heritage Day 2015

 

Across the World, World Heritage Day is celebrated on the 18th April every year in order to commemorate the beauty, splendour and biological richness of World Heritage Sites, inscribed in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List and commemorate the collective commitment of Mankind towards conserving these areas for posterity. With this background, Wildlife Institute of India celebrated World Heritage Day on its campus on 18th April, 2015 with great enthusiasm. It was organised by the newly established UNESCO Category 2 Centre on World Natural Heritage Management and Training for Asia and the Pacific Region, the only one of its kind in the World, intended specifically for Natural World Heritage Sites.The celebration endeavoured to make students and citizens appreciate the fact that World Natural Heritage Sites are the shared wealth of Humanity and preserving these areas of outstanding universal values demand collaborative efforts from every individual. Youth is the strength of every Nation and they have a particularly important role to play in conservation. Therefore, the event was enriched with the presence of students from various schools in Dehradun such as Kasiga School, National Institute for the Visually Handicapped and The Asian School.

 

The Event started with an introductory speech by Dr. P.K Mathur, Dean, Faculty of Wildlife Science, WII who focussed upon the diversity of Cultural and Natural Heritage sites in the Asia-Pacific region and the role of the students in their conservation. A presentation featuring the rationale and background of UNESCO World Heritage Programme with stunning visuals of important World Heritage Sites of the Asia-Pacific region was also exhibited. Speeches by the Guests of Honour, Smt. Nita Bali, Shri Kamalbir Singh, Shri A.K Das and Dr. Geetika Mathur, Medical Officer NIVH followed. The speakers highlighted the uniqueness of World Heritage Sites and exhorted the students to contribute their bit towards their conservation. Shri Kamalbir Singh emphasised on the importance of natural conservation related issues and its importance for younger generation. Smt. Nita Bali emphasised the importance of wildlife education at school level and Shri A.K Das reiterated the importance of unity amidst diversity as it was evident in the Quiz teams, where individual team members were from different schools. This was followed by the main event of the day, the Quiz Competition on Biodiversity and Natural World Heritage. There was active participation by the students of all the three schools. The first Prize was won by team Western Ghats that comprised of Shubham Johar (The Asian School), Tanuja (NIVH) and Palash Tyagi (Kasiga School). Prizes consisting of Field Guides were distributed to the winners while all participants were given Bird Call CDs. A brief felicitation ceremony followed in which the distinguished Guests of Honour were felicitated by mementos and a recent copy of the Envis Bulletin of WII. On this occasion, the first issue of the Natural Heritage E-Bulletin brought out by the Category 2 Centre was released by the Dean, WII and Smt. Nita Bali, Principal Kasiga School.

 

Marking an end to the programme, a guided Nature Walk was organised for the students to enhance their appreciation of Nature and its bountifulness and to encourage them for its preservation. The students were taken around the WII Nature Trail in two batches by the Faculty and Resource Persons from WII. The event concluded with a collective re-iteration of the commitment towards cherishing our wonderful Natural Heritage Sites and conserving their outstanding universal values for the benefit of our future generations.

 

'Spreading the awareness regarding the need to conserve our rich natural heritage amongst the youth is the critical first step and celebration of the World Heritage Day on 18th April, 2015 would go a long way in achieving that as over 150 students including the visually challenged from the model school of the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH) would be participating in this event, which is being celebrated for the first time by the newly established UNESCO Centre at Wildlife Institute of India (WII) " said Dr Vinod Mathur, Director, WII