This weekend in Pune, wildlife festival for kids: Interactive session by ‘Taboda's Birdman', puppet show, short films and more
The second edition of the Wildlife Festival for Kids, popularly known as 'Wildfest', will be held at Bougainvillaea Farms in Pune's Erandwane on Saturday, June 14.
Organised by Jungle Belles in association with the Nature Walk Charitable Trust, the festival, which will be held from 4 pm to 9 pm, aims to raise awareness among schoolchildren and teenagers about India's rapidly vanishing forests and the importance of wildlife conservation. The Forest Department supports the event, and it will be free of charge for children and their parents.
This year's edition is expected to draw attention not only for its educational sessions but also for the presence of Sumedh Waghmare, popularly known as 'Tadoba's Birdman', who will lead an interactive storytelling session titled 'Enchanting Forest Tales'. Waghmare, who can mimic the calls of over 200 birds and animals, rose to fame after his performance was shared on social media by Sachin Tendulkar.
'It is critical to instil awareness in children, they are the future,' said Himangi Vartak, co-founder of Jungle Belles and the main organiser of the event.
'If they are exposed to these ideas early on, they are far more likely to grow into responsible, empathetic individuals who care about wildlife conservation and protection. Events like Wildfest are small but meaningful steps in that direction,' she added.
Apart from Waghmare's session, the festival will feature a mix of presentations, exhibits, and hands-on activities. Dr Prachi Mehta, a wildlife scientist known for her work on owls, will speak on 'The World of Owls'. Arpit Mairal, Range Forest Officer at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, will give a presentation on conservation efforts in national parks.
Other attractions include a puppet show on human-animal coexistence by Mrudula Kelkar and her team, a wildlife photography exhibition and activity booths offering face painting, food, souvenirs, and more.
Several senior officials, including N R Praveen, Chief Conservator of Forest; Shri Tushar Chavan (IFS), Deputy Conservator of Forests, Pune Wildlife Division; Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), and Sunil Phulari (IPS), Special Inspector General for Kolhapur, are expected to attend.
The evening will conclude with a screening of four short wildlife films curated by Roundglass Sustain, a platform known for its ecological storytelling. The line-up includes 'Corals' (8.56 mins) by Akanksha Sood Singh, 'King Cobra – King for a Reason' (3 mins) by Sandesh Kadur, 'Caves of Meghalaya' (8 mins) by Pradeep Hegde, and 'Indian Wolves' (4 mins) by Advait Dindore.
Reflecting on last year's inaugural edition, Vartak noted that this year's festival has been expanded in terms of both scale and variety. 'The core idea remains the same — learning through experience,' she said.
'But this time, we have introduced more elements to engage children through stories, visuals and hands-on activities to make conservation engaging for young minds,' she added.
Kavyaa Masurkar is an intern with The Indian Express.
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