Goa Khabar : YUVA Tourism Club “Brahmanti” of Goa College of Home Science organized a session titled “Sacred Groves of Goa” on 3rd August for F.Y.B.Sc students of the College. The Resource Person of the session was Rajendra Kerkar, a dedicated environmentalist from Keri village of Sattari Taluka of Goa, fighting to save Mhadai River, and protecting the biodiversity rich Western Ghats area of Goa and the forested region bordering Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The Primary Goal of the session was to educate participants on the importance of sacred groves. Kerkar began with giving students information on what sacred groves are and importance of preserving sacred groves. He focused on different medicinal plants and trees found in sacred groves which are used by local communities.
Kerkar spoke about rich flora and fauna found in groves and emphasized communities’ role in conserving the groves. He further said in Goa, like many parts of India, a number of communities practice different forms of nature worship, one of which is sacred groves. Providing protection to patches of forests dedicated to deities and ancestral spirits, the local communities protect ecosystems that harbor many threatened, endangered and rare plant and animal species.
The session concluded with questions and clarifications from students regarding sacred groves. The session was organized by Assistant Professor Mitali Bhate, Coordinator of YUVA Tourism Club of Goa College of Home Science.
