The Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST) has partnered with schools to tap people at the right age and sow the seeds of conservation.
The IWST has tied up with Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) and Navodaya Vidyalaya (NV) schools in Bengaluru to promote awareness about forests and environment.
The MoU has been named ‘Prakriti’ and is the result of the partnership agreement inked between the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education in partnership with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangha and Navodaya Vidyalaya Sangathan.
Pankaj K Aggarwal, scientist, extension, IWST, told DH that for the first time an MoU has been signed with schools.
The idea is to familiarise students about wood science, the museum, usage of wood and its importance. The aim is to also provide a platform for children to learn practical skills towards judicious use of wood.
Inaugurated in 2012, the museum-cum-interpretation centre is one of its kind in Karnataka and receives around 2,500 people annually, mostly school and architecture students.
At the museum, students can touch and feel the various types of woods, see the various colours, understand how to study the age of a tree and even know the tree’s history better. The museum also has a tree disc which traces the time since the British came to India until Independence.
“Schools approach us individually to visit the museum when they get to know. But now we are tying up with them. In the first phase it is KV and NV. Gradually we will also tie up with private schools since educational tours are now a part of the curriculum,” he said.
The IWST is also organising an awareness programme for children studying in classes VI-VIII in February.
To reach out to the masses better, IWST has also decided to re-visit its two-year-old proposal of adding the museum to the city’s tourism map.
N Mohan Karnat, director, IWST, said: “A proposal was made two years ago but it did not materialise. Now we are requesting the government and tourism department so that more visitors, especially students, can come. We are also working on adding more wood polymer made products in the museum to showcase innovations.”