Hornbill Nest Adoption Program gets Biodiversity Awards

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, May 27: The Intertiol Day of Biological Diversity celebrations brought cheers to Pakke Tiger Reserve in the state as it received “India Biodiversity Awards 2016”, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, tiol Biodiversity Authority and United tions Development Program, India.

This year the theme was “Mainstreaming Biodiversity: sustaining people and their livelihood” and prizes were given to awardees at a glittering ceremony held in Mumbai. The Hornbill Nest Adoption Program was awarded a prize under “conservation of threatened species”. The other categories were: sustaible use of biological resources, successful mechanism/models for access and benefit sharing and biodiversity magement committees.

The Hornbill Nest Adoption Program is collaboration between Ghora-Aabhe Society, ture Conservation Foundation and the Forest Department of Pakke Tiger Reserve, informed Range Forest officer Kime Rambia.

“Conservation can only happen with the support of local communities”, said Ta Tapi, the Divisiol Forest Officer of Pakke Tiger Reserve.

The nest adoption program has been a milestone towards the conservation of the four hornbill species that are found in the adjoining areas of Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district of Aruchal Pradesh.

Under this program urban citizens contribute a monetary sum to protect hornbill nests around Pakke Tiger Reserve. The Ghora-Aabhe Society members have been conducting awareness meetings and various other activities towards safeguarding the hornbill species and its habitat.

At the award ceremony the conservation team was represented by Takam bam, Chairperson of Ghora-Aabhe Society and Chandan Ri, representative of the forest department, official sources informed.

They received the memento and certificate of appreciation from Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment & Forest and Climate Change and C H Vidyasagar Rao, the Governor of Maharashtra. “Our team faces stiff challenges on the ground and sometimes it can be tiring, but recognition like this gives us renewed energy”, said Takam bam.