TGFDC camps bring people closer to nature

Hyderabad: With an aim to bring people closer to nature, the Telangana Forest Development Corporation (TGFDC) Eco-Tourism has come up with nature camps every weekend in Forestrek Park at Manchirevula, Chilkur RF, which will be extended to other such parks in the future.

The TGFDC Eco-Tourism executive director, Ranjeet Nayak, said the corporation was organising the camps with proper measures, precautions, and amenities too. The aim was to bring people closer to nature. This activity was not only for de-stressing, but one can also expect interesting scientific expeditions. ‘Today the participants were much hampered by their lack of experience with nature’. He said the corporation would organise only alcohol prohibited camps, where each and every family could participate and be immersed in nature.

The official said that the corporation, in collaboration with Wandering Bee Holidays, organised the nature camp for all enthusiasts and nature lovers, 21 members participated in the camp. On Saturday, nature camp started at 3.30 pm, and everyone assembled at Raintree Rachabanda in the park at the entrance. The TGFDC Eco-Tourism Forest Range Officer Samineni Srinivas and Eco-Tourism Projects Manager Kalyanapu Suman briefed the participants on the event as per the scheduled events and times and Do's and Don'ts.

The camp started with various team-building activities like roller coaster, number stamping, ballon train, transport the water, relay race, paper cup transport, bullring, and mission impossible. Later, the participants were taken to the camping site and given a demo on how to pitch their own tents. After dinner, they were taken for night trekking by providing lanterns to them. Later, a bonfire at the camp site was organised, along with a few events where all the participants could join and enjoy themselves. On Sunday morning, the participants were made to wake up at 5 am. At 5.45 am they were taken for a bird walk. Before the bird walk, TGFDC provided brochures and binoculars to help them identify the birds they saw easily. After the bird walk, they were taken trekking through the hillocks to Pedda Cheruvu and provided breakfast. Later, they were taken to adventure activities in the park like tree climbing, river crossing, and valley crossing. In the nature camp, Suman, FRO Eco-Tourism Srinivas Rao, plantation manager V Lakshma Reddy, naturalist Srikanth, Raghavendra Prasad from Wandering Bee Holidays, Sathish, Naresh, and TGFDC staff participated.