Bhubaneswar: To link livelihood generation with wildlife conservation, Similipal Tiger Reserve has launched a green-skilling initiative for youngsters, especially women from tribal families living in surrounding villages.The programme aims to create sustainable employment opportunities while reducing dependence on forest resources and curbing activities that can threaten wildlife and habitats.Under Ama Similipal Yojana, two skill-development initiatives have been rolled out — the Similipal Skill Development Centre (SSDC) at Ramatirtha and the Green Skilling Centre at Jamuani. Together, the programmes aim to train 800 local youths over the next year, including 600 at Ramatirtha and 200 at Jamuani.Forest officials said the initiative is designed to equip young women and men with market-oriented skills that can generate income within their own region. Young tribal women from fringe villages would be trained in hospitality roles for Similipal’s growing ecotourism sector and engaged as eco-guides at various nature tourism destinations. Selected women would receive training in mobile phone assembly and repair, opening avenues for employment beyond the forest landscape.“In Similipal, conservation cannot depend on enforcement alone. If we want to secure Similipal for the future, we must also invest in future of its people,” said North Similipal deputy director Ramesh Kumar Bishnoi.The SSDC at Ramatirtha, recently inaugurated by forest minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, is a fully residential, free-of-cost training facility. Its first batch focuses on women, with 60 young trainees undergoing a placement-linked programme in mobile assembly. Officials said successful candidates will receive assured placement opportunities and monetary incentives upon completion of training.Meanwhile, the Green Skilling Centre, established in collaboration with Wildlife Institute of India, is training local youths as naturalists-cum-guides. The first batch consists of 30 participants selected based on educational qualifications, proximity to Similipal and aptitude for conservation-related work.The intensive eight-week programme covers wildlife interpretation, ecotourism ethics, bird watching, nature photography, biodiversity monitoring, GPS-based documentation, wilderness first aid, communication skills and responsible tourism practices. Participants also undergo extensive field training in species identification, camera trapping and guided safaris.“When local youth have better livelihood choices, conservation gains a stronger foundation,” Bishnoi added.The initiative reflects a broader vision that protecting Similipal is not only about safeguarding tigers and elephants, but also securing livelihoods, biodiversity, water resources and the future of communities that depend on the forest.