Balancing act

The Protecterra Ecological Foundation (PEF),recently founded by Bhale,is dedicated to civic,environmental and wildlife conservation awareness and education. The foundation believes that our economic survival ultimately depends on our ecological stability and considers it of the utmost importance that people of all walks of life come together to make a more ecologically sustainable and sensitive society.

PEF had organised- Book and Activity Club,a series of activities aimed at interaction from all age groups. On June 1,the foundation had organised interactive games and book reading sessions for children between the age group 5-11 years. On Thursday,children between the age group 12-18 years were taught the basics of bird identification. Today,the World Environment Day would be celebrated with the screening of a film and presentation in tribute to Billy Arjan Singh,renowned conservationist who passed away this year.

“Billy Arjan Singh appeals to us all through his writings – the way he writes is out of pure passion. Someone from a Royal family advocating conservation is incredible. I met him a few months before he passed away but even at the age of 92,he talked about little other than tigers and their conservation,” adds Bhale.

Bhale also vociferously protests that the book club starting in the same week as the World Environment Day is pure coincidence. “I actually wanted to start a month or so earlier,but things were not falling into place,so I had to delay its launch,” she says.

The club shall function on Tuesdays,Thursdays and Saturdays from 5.30pm to 7 pm respectively for each age group.

Protecterra comes from the English word ‘Protect’ and the Latin word Terra (meaning earth) and PEF aims to do exactly that – protect the earth. They also have a flexible school and college programme,eco clubs and are working to set up an ecological education and training academy in the Ratnagiri district.