[ Prem Chetry ]
SINGCHUNG, 25 May: The Ludlow’s Bhutan Glory Conservation (LBGC) project team from Nature Mates (NM), Kolkata, organised a workshop on habitat conservation in collaboration with the Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve (SBVCR) and the Forest Department at Ramaling in Singchung subdivision of West Kameng district on Monday.
Sarika Baidya, researcher and programme manager at NM and team leader of the LBGC project, said, “Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary has recently been gaining wider recognition for its insect diversity. Therefore, it is high time for us to focus more on habitat conservation for the entire forest ecosystem and its biodiversity.”
The project is the first insect conservation initiative in India dedicated to a single insect species. Supported by the Wildlife Trust of India’s Rapid Action Grant and the Segre Foundation, the project has been working closely with the SBVCR and the Forest Department to protect the endangered Ludlow’s Bhutan Glory in India and spread awareness among local communities.
The event highlighted the importance of habitat conservation for the species, with participants engaging in group discussions to better understand habitat protection and their role in conserving it.
Leiki Marphew, a member of the SBVCR team, said, “Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is home to rich biodiversity. Habitat protection will not only support wildlife conservation but will also benefit local communities economically through ecotourism.”
Another member, Gom Phinya, also spoke about the sanctuary’s rich biodiversity.
Meanwhile, EWS Range Officer Yachang Kani stressed the importance of the workshop, saying, “A safe habitat is the foundation of all conservation activities. That is why such workshops are very important.”
He thanked Baidya and her team for organising the workshop and said that community members could learn a great deal about pollinators and habitat conservation.
During the session, Dipendra Nath Basu, a researcher at the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability, Ashoka University, Delhi NCR, also delivered a presentation, explaining the pollinator communities found in the area.
