2026-11-09

"Today’s session was very interesting, and I learned so many new things about snakes. The live demonstration of snake rescue was my favourite part," shared one enthusiastic student of Government Upper Primary School (GUPS), Veluthuruthy, Kottayam. The excitement and curiosity among the young learners reflected their eagerness to understand these fascinating reptiles and learn how to coexist with them safely.

The educational programme was conducted at GUPS Veluthuruthy from 10:30 AM to 12:45 PM as part of the environmental education and awareness initiatives of the Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences (TIES). The programme was supported by Sagata Foundation under Project CO-EXIST (The Project ZERO-BITE, 2025–2030), a comprehensive school-based snakebite mitigation and conservation awareness framework for Kerala, which aims to promote snakebite prevention, improve awareness and foster peaceful human-snake coexistence. The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Abraham Samuel, President of TIES, while Reena Manmadhan, Headmistress of the school, delivered the welcome address. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Renjith Sakaria, Staff Representative.

A total of 46 students participated in the interactive session, exploring various aspects of snake awareness, including snake identification, behaviour, ecological importance and safety measures during snake encounters. The sessions were led by Appu S and Vishnu, trained SARPA-coordinated snake rescue volunteers who had received certificates in snake rescue training. Drawing from their practical field experience, the resource persons made the sessions informative and engaging, encouraging students to actively participate, ask questions and develop a better understanding of these often-misunderstood reptiles.