Residents watch the documentary, The Last Dance, at the film show organised as part of the Planet under Pressure 2012 programme at Srikrishna Science Centre in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

An adult giraffe can be as tall as 5.5-6.09m. Palash or dhak tree are also known as the Flame of the Forest.

These were the answers to two of the questions lobbed at participants at an open-house quiz at Srikrishna Science Centre on Thursday. The organisation had organised a daylong programme, Planet under Pressure 2012, on its premises to create awareness on environmental issues.

Around 50 participants put their knowledge to the test at the quiz.

Apart from the open-house quiz, the science centre had also organised a film show on biodiversity. Three documentaries from the collection of British Council, Calcutta, — Once There Was A Purple Butterfly, The Last Dance and The Silenced Witness — were screened at the show. A signature campaign was also part of the Planet under Pressure 2012.

While visitors to the science centre have to pay Rs 10 to enjoy the various facilities on offer, Thursday’s programme was more special as entry was free.

Abhijeet Bharti, a research scholar who was one of the visitors, said: “I didn’t know about this programme before. So it was really a pleasant surprise for me. I came with my niece and nephews and saw two films. Both were based on environmental issues. We also had a lot of fun in the open-house quiz, where I learnt facts I never knew before, like Earth Day is observed every year on April 22. I also did not know that the first international conference on environment was organised in 1972.”

Seven-year-old Abhigyan, one of Bharti’s nephews, was happy to watch The Last Dance that spread the message of conservation of bear. “From the film I came to know that bear is an endangered species that need to be protected. This film moved me. I have decided to spread awareness on the species among my friends and family.”

Like Abhigyan, Rashmi, a Class VI student of St Karen’s High School, also came across unknown facts about butterflies. “The 15-minute Once There Was A Purple Butterfly dealt with the issue of butterfly extinction very nicely. I got a thorough idea on the issue from the film,” Rashmi said.

Sources said around 100 people saw the documentaries screened at the programme.

Anurag Kumar, the project co-ordinator of Srikrishna Science Centre, said: “We organised the programme on the lines of Planet Under Pressure 2012, a four-day international science conference that ended on Thursday at the London Convention Centre in the United Kingdom. This London event focused on solutions to the global sustainability challenge. The National Council of Science Museums, under which Srikrishna Science Centre runs, has decided to organise the Planet under Pressure programme at all its science centres in the country.”