Officials along with participants from various schools. (Photo courtesy the Photography Club Dimapur)
Dimapur, November 4 (MExN): The Nature Learning Centre conference hall at the Forest Office Complex hosted the much-anticipated opening ceremony for the Tokhü Emong Bird Count (TEBC) 2024 on November 4. The event held from November 4 to 7 every year, which is a vital initiative aimed at promoting citizen science and conservation in Nagaland, saw an enthusiastic gathering of nature enthusiasts, students, educators, and officials.
The ceremony commenced with a welcome address by Achano Tungoe of the Photography Club Dimapur (PCD), followed by an opening prayer led by Benjamin Singsit, also from PCD. Suman WM Sivachar, IFS, DFO Wokha Forest Division and DFO Doyang Plantation Division, delivered the keynote address, underscoring the significance of TEBC in fostering environmental awareness and engaging the public in bird-watching and biodiversity conservation. Citing the example of Amur Falcon conservation, he added that the community-based conservation effort today serves as an inspiration to the entire world. He encouraged the younger generations to extend this protection to all the birds in the coming years.
The event featured video screenings and impactful short speeches, including remarks from Sandeep Rajgotra, IFS, Wildlife Warden of Kiphire, who highlighted the importance the TEBC in documenting Nagaland’s rich birdlife.
Umesh Maurya, Consultant, Pentax Binoculars, highlighted the importance of community engagements during such events and expressed optimism of partnering with TEBC.
In her message, Mittal Gala, Project Coordinator, Bird Count India, mentioned that bird counts are essential for understand trends in bird population which is especially critical in regions like northeast India where climate change is impacting the ecosystems.
Dr Dolly Kikon, Professor of Anthropology and Director Centre for South Asian Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz expressed hope that this initiative will help us to connect with one another to learn how to center communities, culture, and tradition to work collectively.
The official launch of TEBC 2024 was marked with excitement, followed by a presentation from PCD showcasing their commitment to nature documentation. Lansothung Lotha, RFO of Wokha Forest Division, announced key partners supporting the event.
This year, TEBC is organised by Wokha Forest Division, the DMU Wokha, and Doyang Plantation Division, in collaboration with the Dimapur Wildlife Division, Kiphire Wildlife Division, Northeast Birding Tours, Bird Count India, and powered by eBird India.
Other organizations partnering in TEBC 2024 include Eco Warriors Nagaland, Foundation for Ecological Security, Nagaland Community Conserved Areas Forum, Nagaland Tourism Association, Nagaland Association of Tour Operators, and Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary. Education partners include the Department of School Education and University of California Santa Cruz, while Photography Club Dimapur joined as the photography partner. We The Nagas is the social media partner, while the equipment partner for TEBC 2024 is Pentax Binoculars.
Participants for the opening session included members from the PCD, Better Dimapur, Eco Warriors, and students of Beanstalk School, Unity College Dimapur, and Bethel AG School, Deziphe. Nearly a hundred participants participated in total.
Tekameren Jamir, Eco Warrior, explained the steps involved in using eBird app as well as Merlin app which is used for the bird count event. The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by Lesemew Yimkhuing, Chairman of Eco Warriors.
The event concluded with hands-on training by Umesh Maurya on how to use binoculars, as participants looked forward to contributing to a four-day dedicated bird counting effort and conservation activity.
