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| {{Short description|Indian conservationist, citizen ornithologist and scientist}} | {{Short description|Indian conservationist, citizen ornithologist and scientist}} | ||
| {{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| |name = Taukeer Alam | |name = Taukeer Alam Lodha<ref name="earlybird"/> | ||
| |image =File:Taukeer Alam.jpg | |image =File:Taukeer Alam.jpg | ||
| |caption=Alam in November 2019 | |caption=Alam in November 2019 | ||
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| |birth_place = ]<ref name="scroll"/>, ], India | |birth_place = ]<ref name="scroll"/>, ], India | ||
| |death_place = | |death_place = | ||
| |occupation = {{Hlist | |
|occupation = {{Hlist |Environmentalist |citizen scientist}} | ||
| | spouse = | | spouse = | ||
| | children = | | children = | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Taukeer Alam''' is an Indian ], writer, ] and birder from ]. He has documented the traditional knowledge of the ] from the ] region, authoring three books<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Fellow Update: Taukeer Alam |url=https://inlaksfoundation.org/community/updates/fellow-update-taukeer-alam/ |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation |language=en}}</ref> and translating over 170 children's books in his native language, ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Free Online Children's Stories To Read {{!}} StoryWeaver |url=https://storyweaver.org.in/en/stories?language=Van%20Gujjari%20%28Devanagari%20Script%29&query=&sort=Ratings |website=storyweaver.org.in/ |access-date=11 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> He has established community-based education from displaced Van Gujjar families and worked with the state forest department to educate over 4,000 students on ].<ref name=":0"/> | '''Taukeer Alam Lodha''' is an Indian ], writer, ] and birder from ]. He has documented the traditional knowledge of the ] from the ] region, authoring three books<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Fellow Update: Taukeer Alam |url=https://inlaksfoundation.org/community/updates/fellow-update-taukeer-alam/ |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation |language=en}}</ref> and translating over 170 children's books in his native language, ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Free Online Children's Stories To Read {{!}} StoryWeaver |url=https://storyweaver.org.in/en/stories?language=Van%20Gujjari%20%28Devanagari%20Script%29&query=&sort=Ratings |website=storyweaver.org.in/ |access-date=11 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> He has established community-based education from displaced Van Gujjar families and worked with the state forest department to educate over 4,000 students on ].<ref name=":0"/> He is a 2022 ] Fellow<ref name="inlaksfoundation">{{cite web |title=Fellow Update: Taukeer Alam |url=https://inlaksfoundation.org/community/updates/fellow-update-taukeer-alam/ |website=Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref>, a ] awardee<ref name="pioneer">{{cite web |last1=Pioneer |first1=The |title=Sanctuary Asia awardees honoured by BTDT |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/state-editions/sanctuary-asia-awardees-honoured-by-btdt.html |website=The Pioneer |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> and a ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tata Steel Foundation: Funding and celebrating tribal communities |url=https://causebecause.com/tata-steel-foundation-funding-celebrating-tribal-communities/7983 |website=CauseBecause |access-date=29 December 2024 |date=29 December 2020}}</ref> | ||
| == Early life == | == Early life == | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Alam was born into the ] in ], and grew up in ], developing an early interest in observing wildlife, particularly birds.<ref name="scroll">{{cite web |last1=Chakrabarty |first1=Arpita |title=Meet Taukeer Alam, the school dropout who has become one of Uttarakhand’s top birders |url=https://scroll.in/magazine/895647/meet-taukeer-alam-the-school-dropout-who-has-become-one-of-uttarakhands-top-birders |website=Scroll.in |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en |date=19 November 2018}}</ref> His grandparents were ], migrating from Rajaji with their ] herds to the grasslands in the upper ] during summer, and migrating back to Rajaji post monsoons. In 1983 Rajaji was declared a national park, forcing the Van Gujjars to quit pastorialism and relocate outside of the forest, and work as agricultural labourers. Following a larger disruption in 2003 his family moved to ] near ] when he was nine. He was admitted to school but dropped out within days, staying at home for the following two years.<ref name=" |
Alam was born into the ] in ], and grew up in ], developing an early interest in observing wildlife, particularly birds.<ref name="scroll">{{cite web |last1=Chakrabarty |first1=Arpita |title=Meet Taukeer Alam, the school dropout who has become one of Uttarakhand’s top birders |url=https://scroll.in/magazine/895647/meet-taukeer-alam-the-school-dropout-who-has-become-one-of-uttarakhands-top-birders |website=Scroll.in |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en |date=19 November 2018}}</ref> His grandparents were ], migrating from Rajaji with their ] herds to the grasslands in the upper ] during summer, and migrating back to Rajaji post monsoons. In 1983 Rajaji was declared a national park, forcing the Van Gujjars to quit pastorialism and relocate outside of the forest, and work as agricultural labourers. Following a larger disruption in 2003 his family moved to ] near ] when he was nine. He was admitted to school but dropped out<ref name="pioneer"> within days, staying at home for the following two years.<ref name="vikalpsangam">{{cite web |last1=Chakrabarty |first1=Arpita |title=Meet Taukeer Alam, the school dropout who has become one of Uttarakhand’s top birders |url=https://vikalpsangam.org/article/birder-taukeer-alam-uttarakhand/ |website=Vikalp Sangam |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en |date=3 December 2018}}</ref> | ||
| == Career == | == Career == | ||
| At the age of 18, he started assisting researchers from the ]-based ] at the ]. Later he joined the ] at ] as a field coordinator, assisting in field research |
At the age of 18, he started assisting researchers from the ]-based ] at the ]. Later he joined the ] at ] as a field coordinator where he taught himself data collection and analysis<ref name="pioneer"/>, assisting in field research.<ref name="scroll"/> In six years he became one of the most prominent birders from Uttarakhand.<ref>{{cite web |title=eBirders - Uttarakhand, India - eBird |url=https://ebird.org/region/IN-UL/ebirders?yr=BIGDAY_2018a |website=ebird.org |access-date=29 December 2024}}</ref><ref name="mongabay">{{cite news |last1=Chandramouli |first1=Kartik |title= Binoculars showed the way to this 23-year-old citizen scientist |url=https://india.mongabay.com/2018/07/video-binoculars-showed-the-way-to-this-23-year-old-citizen-scientist/ |access-date=29 December 2024 |work=Mongabay-India |date=11 July 2018}}</ref> | ||
| == Community education == | == Community education == | ||
| It was reported in 2023 that Alam and his friends conducted a survey in 2018 or earlier, finding out about 600 out of 3,200 being enrolled in schools, and only about 100 attending schools.<ref name="villagesquare">{{cite web |last1=Thakur |first1=Jyoti |title=Community classrooms sow hope among Van Gujjar children |url=https://www.villagesquare.in/community-classrooms-sow-hope-among-van-gujjar-children/ |website=Village Square |access-date=29 December 2024 |date=30 January 2023}}</ref> In 2018 he and with his Van Gujjar friends established a school in ] to teach children from the Van Gujjar settlements.<ref name="villagesquare"/> Later this team established an organisation called Maee ("buffalo caretaker" in Van Gujjari) to educate children.<ref name="villagesquare"/> In 2019 he and the Maee team established a community-run library in his house.<ref name="villagesquare"/> In 2022, the number of students came down to 100 from 250 due to the ].<ref name="villagesquare"/> He has been collaborating with the forest department to take children for ] trips, teaching them about ] and other bird behaviour through ] festivals and training programmes.<ref name="scroll"/> | It was reported in 2023 that Alam and his friends conducted a survey in 2018 or earlier, finding out about 600 out of 3,200 being enrolled in schools, and only about 100 attending schools.<ref name="villagesquare">{{cite web |last1=Thakur |first1=Jyoti |title=Community classrooms sow hope among Van Gujjar children |url=https://www.villagesquare.in/community-classrooms-sow-hope-among-van-gujjar-children/ |website=Village Square |access-date=29 December 2024 |date=30 January 2023}}</ref> In 2018 he and with his Van Gujjar friends established a school in ] to teach children from the Van Gujjar settlements.<ref name="villagesquare"/> Later this team established an organisation called Maee ("buffalo caretaker" in Van Gujjari) to educate children.<ref name="villagesquare"/> At Maee he also created teaching materials like nature-based games and used traditional games and folktales to teach environmental conservation.<ref name="earlybird">{{cite web |title=Meet an Educator: Taukeer Alam Lodha – Early Bird |url=https://www.early-bird.in/meet-an-educator-taukeer-alam-lodha/ |website=Early Bird |access-date=29 December 2024 |date=7 December 2022}}</ref> In 2019 he and the Maee team established a community-run library in his house.<ref name="villagesquare"/> In 2022, the number of students came down to 100 from 250 due to the ].<ref name="villagesquare"/> He has been collaborating with the forest department to take children for ] trips, teaching them about ] and other bird behaviour through ] festivals and training programmes.<ref name="scroll"/> | ||
| == Selected works == | == Selected works == | ||
Revision as of 13:44, 29 December 2024
Indian conservationist, citizen ornithologist and scientist| Taukeer Alam Lodha | |
|---|---|
 Alam in November 2019 | |
| Born | Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand, India |
| Occupations |
|
Taukeer Alam Lodha is an Indian nature conservationist, writer, community educator and birder from Uttarakhand. He has documented the traditional knowledge of the Van Gujjar people from the Sivalik Hills region, authoring three books and translating over 170 children's books in his native language, Van Gujjari. He has established community-based education from displaced Van Gujjar families and worked with the state forest department to educate over 4,000 students on environmental protection. He is a 2022 Inlaks Shivdasani Fellow, a Sanctuary Asia awardee and a Samvaad Fellow.
Early life
Alam was born into the Van Gujjar tribe in Uttarakhand, and grew up in Rajaji National Park, developing an early interest in observing wildlife, particularly birds. His grandparents were nomadic pastorialists, migrating from Rajaji with their water buffalo herds to the grasslands in the upper Himalayas during summer, and migrating back to Rajaji post monsoons. In 1983 Rajaji was declared a national park, forcing the Van Gujjars to quit pastorialism and relocate outside of the forest, and work as agricultural labourers. Following a larger disruption in 2003 his family moved to Gaindi Khata near Haridwar when he was nine. He was admitted to school but dropped outCite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
Career
At the age of 18, he started assisting researchers from the Bangalore-based Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science. Later he joined the Nature Science Initiative at Dehradun as a field coordinator where he taught himself data collection and analysis, assisting in field research. In six years he became one of the most prominent birders from Uttarakhand.
Community education
It was reported in 2023 that Alam and his friends conducted a survey in 2018 or earlier, finding out about 600 out of 3,200 being enrolled in schools, and only about 100 attending schools. In 2018 he and with his Van Gujjar friends established a school in Laldhang to teach children from the Van Gujjar settlements. Later this team established an organisation called Maee ("buffalo caretaker" in Van Gujjari) to educate children. At Maee he also created teaching materials like nature-based games and used traditional games and folktales to teach environmental conservation. In 2019 he and the Maee team established a community-run library in his house. In 2022, the number of students came down to 100 from 250 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been collaborating with the forest department to take children for environmental conservation trips, teaching them about seed dispersal and other bird behaviour through birdwatching festivals and training programmes.
Selected works
- Alam, Taukeer (April 2024). Vana Gujjarī Kahāniyāṃ. Maee.
- Alam, Taukeer (April 2024). Vana Gujjarī Hindī Śabdakośa. Maee.
- Alam, Taukeer (April 2024). Vana Gujjarī Baiṃta: Vana Gujjarī Gīta. Maee.
- Alam, Taukeer (April 2024). Bajarāta Te Khvāna: Vana Gujjarī Paheliyām̐ Aura Lokokatiyām̐. Maee.
See also
References
- ^ "Meet an Educator: Taukeer Alam Lodha – Early Bird". Early Bird. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Chakrabarty, Arpita (19 November 2018). "Meet Taukeer Alam, the school dropout who has become one of Uttarakhand's top birders". Scroll.in. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Fellow Update: Taukeer Alam". Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- "Free Online Children's Stories To Read | StoryWeaver". storyweaver.org.in/. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- "Fellow Update: Taukeer Alam". Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Pioneer, The. "Sanctuary Asia awardees honoured by BTDT". The Pioneer. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- "Tata Steel Foundation: Funding and celebrating tribal communities". CauseBecause. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- "eBirders - Uttarakhand, India - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- Chandramouli, Kartik (11 July 2018). "[Video] Binoculars showed the way to this 23-year-old citizen scientist". Mongabay-India. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Thakur, Jyoti (30 January 2023). "Community classrooms sow hope among Van Gujjar children". Village Square. Retrieved 29 December 2024.