Big Butterfly Month of India
September 1-30, 2020
In September 2020, the Big Butterfly Month of India (BBMI), was used as an anchor for teaching and learning about butterflies in our trainee group. BBMI is an India-wide event wherein people watch and record butterflies within their own regions and upload data and photographs to a citizen science portal.
Field activities around butterfly watching and identification were carried out by the trainees throughout September in the Mukteshwar Landscape. As many as 123 species of butterflies were listed for the area, and three of the trainees were among the top ten identifiers of butterflies at the all-India level, among more than 650 participants across India Further, the discovery of several rare species of butterflies in this landscape, gave a fillip to the enthusiasm of the local trainees.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/cedar-bbmi
Big Bird Day
October 17-18, 2020
October 17-18, 2020
Our trainee guides in Mukteshwar area participated in Big Bird Day 2020 which is an annual event coordinated by Bird Count - India to inculcate awareness of birds and their natural habitats. Our trainees used this day both to showcase their newly developed skills in bird identification and to create awareness of the potential for nature tourism in and around the town of Mukteshwar. Using trails of 3-4 km, which had earlier been explored thoroughly, 16 tourists were taken in groups of four on the two different days, adopting all anti-Covid precautions. Online response forms were later filled by tourists. Tourist feedback showed that they had enjoyed the experience of birdwatching with the local guides. This successful birding event has given much confidence to the local trainees in organising and implementing nature trails for tourists.
60-Day Nature Challenge for Trainees
June 6-July 7, 2020
A 60-day Nature Observation Challenge was organised from June 1-July 7 2020, when Covid-19 pandemic did not allow in-person interactions. Each trainee was required to explore his/her surroundings and take a picture of a plant or animal each day. He/she was then required to upload it both to the WhatsApp group, as well as the online portal iNaturalist for identification. Every uploaded picture was identified, and discussed on the WhatsApp group, providing useful learning to the entire group of trainees. At the end of the 60-day Challenge, the best performing trainees were awarded prizes, in the form of field guides for various animal groups. As many as 360 species of plants and animals were documented from 798 uploaded photographs during the 60-day Nature Challenge, an exercise which greatly enhances our knowledge of Himalayan ecology. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=79052
First Residential Camp at Maheshkhan Forest Reserve
December 3-6, 2019
The First Residential Camp for 26 trainees from Mukteshwar landscape included introductory lectures, discussions and field training in identification and natural history. The trainees were also taught how to use binoculars to observe and identify birds, to use field guides and take field-notes for self-learning. Trainees were also introduced to other taxa such as insects and plants. At the end of the Residential Camp, a WhatsApp group was formed of the trainees who formally signed up for the two-year long programme, to allow frequent interactions and exchanges.
