Coimbatore: As many as 65 students belonging to the arts and science discipline from Nirmala College for Women were taken to Mulli inside the Karamadai forest range on Saturday on an one-day trip to explore the beauty of nature in the Western Ghats, organised by a city-based NGO 'Osai' as a part of 'Kovai Vizha - 2019'.
District forest officer (DFO), Venkatesh, took part in the program and flagged off the trip along with Osai organisation president K. Kalidhas, at the Nirmala College campus by around 6:45 am. The DFO briefed the students about man-animal conflicts being frequently recorded in the Coimbatore forest division. He also explained to them the concept of co-existence, with wildlife and nature without destroying them.
On his part, Osai president Kalidhas advised the students not to bring anything from the forest except photographs recorded there, and also not leave anything inside the forest except their foot prints.
The Kovai Vizha organisers had arranged from the city three buses to ferry the students along with their packed breakfast, noon meals and snacks.
Renowned member of Osai, K. Sayed, who led the team, told DC, ''It's a chance for student to know about the biodiversity including the flora fauna, endangered and endemic species of birds, plants, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians in the Western Ghats. An awareness speech was given on how to conserve forest and nature for the next generation, which also created a chance for the students for enlightening themselves about wildlife.
The students were also taken to the Pillur water purification plant and dam. A trek was arranged for a distance of two-kms. As the students proceeded with the trip, they were fortunate enough to sight the Malabar pied horn bill the state bird of neighbouring Kerala, Malabar giant squirrel, Sambar deer, spotted deer and gaur.
