International Day of Forests: “I share a deep connection with the forest I live in. We are both dependent on each other. People call me and my cousins ‘Farmers of the Forest’, because we help in growing the forest by dispersing seeds of the fruits that we eat.”
If you are wondering who that may be, it is one of the four types of Hornbills found in Arunachal Pradesh and is a part of a multimedia story told through the hornbill’s point of view.
This is not the only one. Starting Monday and coinciding with the International Day of Forests, users across the world can view for free rare stories from different ecosystems of India’s rich natural heritage through more than 100 rare visuals and videos of wildlife and birds on the Google Arts & Culture platform.
These stories have been developed by the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Bengaluru.
This is a first-of-its-kind partnership between Google and NCF and aims to bring out rare and unusual stories about endangered species, habitats, community-driven initiatives and scientific knowledge about indigenous flora and fauna to the larger global public.
The variety of stories – currently presented in three Indian languages – Malayalam, Tamil and English – range from the marvellous to the astounding: a glimpse into what wonders lie in the tree buttress of a densely packed, untouched rainforest in Valparai, Tamil Nadu; A swim through the underwater forests of coral reefs off the island of Lakshadweep; The world from the view-point of Paga, a Great Hornbill as he soars over the forests of Pakke in Arunachal Pradesh; and the life journey of the majestic Ghost tree – the ghost that does not walk, a release from NCF said.
“As conservation scientists and lovers of nature, we at NCF want the public to appreciate the diversity and wealth in our native forests and ecosystems. By launching stories of the wild on the International Day of Forests, in three Indian languages, we hope to further the cause of wildlife conservation and create awareness about our precious fauna and flora,” said Dr M. Ananda Kumar, director and senior scientist, NCF.
Describing the effort and the reason, Shweta Taneja, communications manager, NCF, said: “At NCF, we’ve always wanted to experiment with new media and mediums of digital storytelling, so our message of natural heritage may reach audiences across the globe in newer ways. The
Google Arts & Culture platform enables innovative storytelling through immersive, virtual features. By showcasing our wildlife and forests on this platform, we hope to reach out to the public in a new way and create awareness about our natural heritage.”
Established in 1996 as a public charitable trust, the NCF aims to contribute to the knowledge and conservation of India’s unique wildlife heritage with innovative research and imaginative solutions. Google Arts & Culture puts the collections of more than 2,000 museums at your fingertips with an immersive way to explore art, history, and the wonders of the world.
