Kolkata: To commemorate World Environment Day, Aperture Alchemist, the photography club at Sister Nivedita University (SNU), along with Nikon India, Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) and Satyam Roychowdhury (SRC) Foundation, recently organised a four-day interactive programme. Titled, ‘Bridging Classrooms & Forests – Exploring Wildlife Conservation through Photography’, this four-day programme held between June 2 and 5 saw the presence of conservationists, award-winning photographers, environmentalists and students to advocate for wildlife conservation through photography. With a thematic emphasis on the sensitive ecosystem of Sunderbans, the programme combined expert guidance, interactive discussion and hands-on field education.
The event commenced on June 2 with a hands-on mentorship session led by celebrated Nikon Creator and wildlife photographer Kallol Mukherjee, alongside noted wildlife photographer Debarpan Dutta. Students learned the importance of waiting for the perfect shot, the ethics of non-intrusive photography and how a single image can inspire conservation efforts.
Rajarshi Banerji, award-winning photographer and conservationist, focused on photography’s ability to generate conservation awareness and sustainable eco-tourism in the Sundarbans on June 3. Tapas Das, IFS (Retd.), ex-Chief Conservator and Field Director of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, explained the present-day conservation processes by the Indian Forest department. Jayanta Basu, seasoned environmental journalist, who highlighted the important part played by the media in environmental discourse. The session was chaired by Prof (Dr) Raj Sekhar Aich, transdisciplinary researcher and professor of psychology at SNU, who steered the discussion through the crossroads of environment, media and human behaviour.
Between June 4 and 5, 26 invited students, along with their club mentor, a representative from the SRC Foundation and under the able guidance of Dutta and Nikon representatives, undertook a field trip to the Sunderbans. There, they gained firsthand experience in wildlife photography amid learning forest ethics and the fine line between observation and conservation. “As a naturalist and photographer, I always feel that each picture has a story as well as a responsibility. We need to be the forest’s silent narrators, never its disruptors,” said Dutta. As part of the trip, the team also stopped at a tribal school under the outreach of SRC Foundation, where a touching interaction between university students and school children took place.