Garo Hills, Meghalaya, November 26^th-28^th, 2019: A three-day Nature Guide training for watchers appointed to monitor Village Reserve Forests (VRFs) in and around Nokrek National Park was conducted from 26^th-28^th November, 2019 under the Garo Green Spine Conservation Project. The project is run by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and World Land Trust (WLT) with support from the Meghalaya Forest Department and Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). The training was organized in Daribokgre village in the Garo Green Spine region, where WTI-WLT has been working with local communities to secure Village Reserve Forests (VRFs).

The training was organised by Dr. Jaydev Kumar Mandal, Asst Professor, Guwahati University and was inaugurated by Northern Nokrek Range Officer, Ms. Multilina Ch. Marak, State Forest Dept., who appreciated the initiative for introducing a green livelihood opportunity and encouraged the trainees to further develop their communication skills and use the training as a platform to explore a career as a conservation professional.

Divided into theory sessions, practical sessions and documentary viewings, the training covered the following topics –

• Birds of India,
• Essentials of bird-watching,
• Conservation status of birds,
• North-east India as a hub for birdwatchers,
• Preferred birding destinations of north-east,
• Birds in Indian culture & mythology,
• Need for promoting birding tourism.

Of the 19 watchers who underwent the training, six were identified with the potential of being groomed into good nature guides, they were advised to continue their birding practice throughout the year. In practical sessions the team sighted winter migrants like the Siberian stonechat (Saxicola maurus), Siberian rubythroat (Luscinia calliope), also some rare species like the mountain bamboo partridge (Bambusicola fytchii) and the flavescent bulbul (Pycnonotus flavescens).

Bakking R. Marak, Nokma (village head) of Daribokgre Village, commended the training programme for raising biodiversity awareness in the local community in the region. “We are very happy that migratory birds visit our place, and I hope that these birds attract the birding community from within and around the country to visit and experience the natural heritage of this place”, said Mr. Marak. He thanked the WLT-WTI team on behalf of Daribokgre and all the training attendees, and gave an assurance of extending his support for any future conservation efforts.

Such initiatives go a long way in getting continued support from the people of Garo Hills for conservation interventions in the region. The Garo hill have strongly owned conservation efforts in the region.