KATHMANDU, May 21: Ishani Shrestha, Miss Nepal 2013, is the eighth Young Conservation Ambassador appointed by WWF Nepal. During her inauguration ceremony last month, Ishani promised to work to raise awareness on conservation issues.
Starting with Payal Shakya in 2004, WWF Nepal has been appointing the title holder of Miss Nepal as its Young Conservation Ambassador as the best way to disseminate the message of conservation among youth.[break]
WWF Nepal believes that Miss Nepal’s influence amongst the youth will build awareness and understanding on conservation issues while also stimulating debates and actions.
Akash Shrestha, senior manager at WWF Nepal’s communications and marketing department, says, “Through our ambassadors in turn, we seek to empower youth to be the agents of change for the environment.”
The ambassadors either come with an area of interest or work out their own plans and projects with WWF. Till date they have been involved in issues ranging from community participation in conservation and protection of species, climate change and wise use of water. According to WWF, the ambassadors are committed to their role and have taken the effort to learn more about conservation so that they can communicate better.
With field visits and interactions with WWF personnel and local community members, they are involved in learning about conservation and other important issues that help them be a better communicator.
Ishani was recently in Dhunche in Rasuwa district to participate in the red panda awareness tournament. Speaking of her experience there, she says, “I found that the community was very well informed regarding the importance of conserving the red panda. No one is allowed to hunt in the forests.”
“I think it would be interesting to meet poachers and get their perspective. I’d consider it a success if I’m able to dissuade them from poaching,” she further adds.
For this year, the ambassador will be fronting The Generation Green youth campaign which will teach the young generation about making smart and environmentally viable decisions that can be incorporated into their lifestyles.
Photos Courtesy: WWF Nepal
Shristi Shrestha (above) in Khambachen village where she was pres
After her stint as the ambassador, Sadichha has become more conscious of little things, like not throwing chewing gum out of car’s window or not throwing wrappers just anywhere.
She remembers a home stay village at Dalla in Bardia district. “It was also Nepal Tourism Year and promoting home stay meant that the local economy would receive a boost,” she says. During one of the visits to eco schools, she was presented with a bag made out of gutkas packets and she also planted a tree next to the one planted by Hollywood actor, Leonardo Di Caprio.
On whether their roles as the conservation ambassador help bring about effective change, Sadichha states that it does have some impact. “Though it might not be on a large scale, there is a change, however, small. With publicity, a certain interest arises in the issues and that’s how people become aware of things they might not have known. But we can’t really change people. It’s more about the lifestyle than the status of education. We know about things, we’re just not motivated enough to make the changes we should,” she says.
Ishani believes that it’s more effective to mobilize and teach the youth and the presence of a role model helps make it possible. “I didn’t even know about Dhunche and the red pandas till I visited the place. So that’s how we learn,” she says.
Works done by Young Conservation Ambassadors
n Miss Nepal 2004 and the first Young Conservation Ambassador, Payal Shakya, focused on climate change. She travelled to Gokyo in the Everest Region where she observed the impact of changing climate on the Himalayan eco system. The documentary ‘Meltdown in Nepal’ was based on the trip.
n Sugarika KC, Miss Nepal 2005, involved herself in promoting participatory conservation, which is basically the approach to connecting traditional knowledge with the scientific for sustainability.
n Tackling the importance of water issues for biodiversity and people, Sitashma Chand, Miss Nepal 2007, was also involved in the concerns over freshwater in Nepal. Along the same lines, she was involved in spreading the message of using water wisely, as illustrated in the children’s book ‘The Journey of Pani Prasad’ which she helped to distribute.
n Zenisha Moktan centered her role as the Young Conservation Ambassador on raising awareness among the youth on tiger conservation. The Miss Nepal 2009 was also the spokesperson for WWF’s Year of the Tiger Campaign through which she helped release the documentary ‘Tracking the Tiger’.
n Miss Nepal 2010, Sadichha Shrestha, launched the first home stay program in Bardia district. She was also part of the Green Hiker-Green Planet organized in Langtang by WWF Nepal and USAID.
n Malina Joshi, Miss Nepal 2011, was engaged in a camera trap project in Bardia. This method is useful in capturing animals on films without requiring the presence of a researcher. Malina also visited Indrawati to understand WWF’s climate adaptation work there. A trek to Gosaikunda and participation in the Red Panda trophy tournament in Dhunche were her other engagements as the Young Conservation Ambassador.
n Snow leopard monitoring was the focus of Miss Nepal 2012, Shristi Shrestha’s engagements as conservation ambassador. Shristi traveled to Khambachen village in Kanchenjunga where recognizing the work done by the locals she raised funds in order to help improve their lives.
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