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Rewriting History in Marine Camp at Beyt Dwarka, Gujarat
While the rest
of the country was reeling under a severe cold wave,
the sheer proximity of Sundarvan's marine campsite at
Dunni Point, Beyt Dwarka, attracted more than 300 participants,
including students, adults and personnel from Navy and
customs, this December. Sightings of dugong, a rare
marine mammal, near the campsite make the camp and the
Gulf of Kachchh a very special place to visit.
Sundarvan, CEE's Nature Discovery Centre,
acts as a catalyst and stimulant to start a process
of enquiry into nature. Sundarvan-Beyt has been developed
as a marine education unit with camping facility. Several
educational programmes are being carried out every year.
The marine unit is located on the island of Beyt Dwaraka
in Jamnagar District of Gujarat. The sea surrounding
the campsite has rich algal beds. Over a hundred species
of algae have been recorded in the area, with red algae
predominating. The marine life that can be spotted during
the camp includes sponges, jelly fish, sea feathers,
sea anemones, bristle worms, corals, mollusks, barnacles,
crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers, marine turtles, sea
snakes, dolphins, etc. Winter brings migratory birds
to the area.
On 20 December, history was rewritten
when teachers from tribal villages of South Gujarat
, on their exposure tour as part of CEEs Samvardhan
project, went across the Gulf of Kachchh in a boat from
Dunni Point to Mundra Port. The last time such trips
were made was in 1954. After that, they stopped and
were never revived. By boat, it takes about 6 hours,
whereas by road, one has to take a long journey of 15-17
hours to reach Mundra from Beyt. The group was greeted
by a school of Dolphins in the main channel of Gulf.
The 8-day tour started on 17 December,
and covered places like Dwarka, Dunni Point, Mundra,
Nilpar, Ratanpar and Dholavira. The teachers gained
knowledge of the diversity of marine life, tides, difference
between spring and neap tides, types of connectivity
to the other ports, multi- purpose terminals, social
infrastructure, new wave management, historical importance
of Harrappa civilization, etc.
For more information about Sundarvan's
nature camps and marine camps, write to sundarvan@ceeindia.org
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