VISITOR CENTRE AT SATAPADA 

Chilika is a wetland of international importance and a Ramsar site. It is a unique lagoon and a hotspot of biodiversity. Chilika supports more than 0.20 million people who depend on the lagoon for their livelihood. It is an avian grandeur and a paradise for the visitors. Satapada is considered as the gateway for the tourists who visit Chilika from Puri side. The rare Irrawady dolphin is frequently sighted near Satapada along the outer channel. With an objective to orient the visitors and to sensitise them about the Chilika ecosystem a visitor centre is developed at Satapada by CDA. The concept for the visitor center along with the installation of various components is being done by Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad. The center at Satapada would provide visitors with an understanding of basic wetland ecosystem of the Chilika lagoon, threats, conservation concepts, and the need to protect such an important habitat. The themes exhibits in the center will feature all the details of the lagoon from its ecology to the various organisms present from the benthic to the birds in the air, thus giving a comprehensive view of the complete ecosystem. A visit to the interpretation center would make the visitors more receptive and appreciative of the lagoon. 
A varied range of exhibits: panels, translites, dioramas, digitized sound systems, photographs, computerized touch screens, etc. at the center would generate interest as well as provide information to the visitors. A discovery room for the children is being especially designed for the children visiting the center to learn while playing. Jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, board games, interactive panels etc would make the learning a fun. Dioramas on the birds that traverse continents and make Chilika their home for four months in a year will explain the mystery of migration. The auditorium and the interpretation center at Satapada offers a good location to run special workshops for stakeholders and students. Here in addition to the exhibits, audio visual materials and talks will be used effectively for the visitors. The exhibits would be bilingual, in Oriya and English. The sales counter at the nature interpretation center would be set up for selling publications, souvenirs such as T-shirts, bags, caps, etc. bearing conservation messages. local skills of the communities would be tapped for making other souvenirs. 

The Visitor Center is developed with multi-objectives. This will cater to the need of stakeholders, tourist, public, and school children. For the stakeholder the visitor center will provide a better understanding about the values and functions of the lagoon and about the various components of its ecosystem. Chilika is a complex ecosystem. Human interference in one aspect leads to a cascading effect on a number of components of the chilika ecosystem. The visitor center will further help :

• To make the local communities aware about the ecological significance of the Chilika lagoon to their lives to create an understanding and appreciation for it.

•  Create a sense of ownership amongst the local communities for Chilika, enable, and motivate them to protect it against outside threats.

•  To enhance and build on the existing skills of the local communities to promote alternate income-generating activities to reduce resource dependency on the lagoon.

(a) For School children

Chilika offers a wonderful opportunity to learn from nature. Students can learn a number of scientific relationships from the various interactive exhibits, panels and touch screens. The visitor center will serve as a powerful educational ‘tool’ such as :

•  To create awareness about the ecological significance of wetlands, threats faced by wetlands in general, need for their conservation, Chilika in particular.

•  To encourage the use of the lagoon as an open-air laboratory to learn scientific relationships through school projects.

•  To encourage the participation of school children in conservation of the lagoon.

(b) For tourist and general public

Chilika is a unique ecosystem which is under various ecological and anthropogenic pressure. Interpretation can raise awareness among the public to support the conservation efforts of the CDA in form of :

• To create awareness about the biodiversity of Chilika.

•  To sensitize the public towards the needs of the local people, help them to understand people-wetland relationships.

•  To make tourists and local population aware of the need to protect and conserve the lake environment.

•  To facilitate the integration of traditional knowledge and local art and crafts.

•  To make “Friends for Chilika” an advocacy group who will voice their concerns for the need to conserve the lagoon ecosystem.