In March, Uttarakhand organised the fifth edition of its three-day Spring Bird Festival at Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve and Thano Reserve Forest areas. Around 1,000 bird lovers participated in the event, which was supported by the Union environment ministry, the state’s Pollution Control Board, Eco-tourism Department and several wildlife NGOs.
With bird tourism already on a roll, butterfly tourism is also catching up slowly but steadily. Websites such as ifoundbutterflies.com provide handy tips on how to identify almost 1,000 different types. The bird and butterfly tourism of today is the saviour of communities living on the edge of forests across India. Uttarakhand alone boasts more than 500 different types of butterflies.
The hilly state is hoping to become one of the capitals for travellers in search of the planet’s most beautiful winged insects. Besides, the state is also home to 710 of India’s 1,263 bird species. The bird and butterfly tourism initiative formally took shape at the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) when it was selected for implementing the India Eco-development Project. Set up in 1996, PTR has a mantra: Biodiversity conservation through people’s participation.
Sensitively planned and patiently implemented, their processes ensured that the communities living at the periphery of the reserve become its guardians. The Adivasi guide, who showed us the nesting Frogmouth way back in 2005, is a witness to the success of the programme. More importantly, the Periyar model was instrumental in starting a new kind of tourism in India—nature tourism. And the first baby step was bird tourism.
What started with birds, soon graduated to butterfly tourism too. The Periyar Foundation regularly facilitated survey and documentation with an eye on the ever-expanding nature tourism. Butterflies can be seen across most of the Western Ghats. As many as 246 species were recorded in 2014, among which were species such as the rare Pale Green Awlet, Broad Tail Royal, and Travancore Evening Brown.
This number saw a marked improvement from the previous survey in 1992, which recorded only 162 species. This proves that the sanctuary’s efforts in conserving biodiversity have been successful. Thanks to such efforts, experts are getting the opportunity to identify more butterflies. And the administration should also pat itself on the back for managing to balance tourism and conservation imaginatively.
The process here soon caught the attention of many and Madhuvana at Gudalur in west Tamil Nadu was one of them. Madhuvana is a forested land that was acquired for the tribal communities residing in the Nilgiri Hills. It was a place for their children—growing up in urban environs—to stay in touch with their roots, and learn survival skills. Completely managed by the tribal community, the 175 sq km estate with its hills, jungles and plantations has recently started a programme called Ecoscape—with caretaker Arun Dhawan. It works towards their empowerment and protects the environment. The butterfly and bird tourism is a popular activity here generating the much-needed income for taking care of the land.
Approximately, 1,400 species of birds and butterflies are found in India. Of these, almost 900-plus species are seen in the Northeast alone. The success of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary hotspot in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh for these winged creatures is widely known. Globally-known butterfly-watchers come here to see the 210 species, especially the Ludlow’s Bhutan Glory and the Tibetan brimstone. After Prof Ramana Athreya, a birdwatcher and an astronomer at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, discovered the bird Bugun Liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum) in the community forests of the Buguns, he along with the Sherdukpen tribes is now actively involved in conservation of their lands.
A similar community involvement may be seen at the Pakhui Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district. Nine villages, populated largely by Nyishis and to a lesser extent by the Akas and Mijis, lie in the periphery of the reserve. The local youths are trained as nature guides who also assist researchers and scientists studying birds and butterflies.
Redtail Marquis, Jewelled Nawab and Red Caliph—these are just some of the exotic species that can be seen on a visit to the Siju Wildlife Sanctuary in the South Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. Between Balpakram National Park, Siju WLS, Nokrek National Park and Baghmara Reserve Forest, South Garo Hills is a haven for butterfly-watchers.
For the community, rampant coal mining is a worrisome activity; one they are trying to stop. In an effort to wean people away from this destructive work, members of Karwani and Siju Ecotourism and Conservation societies have set up butterfly and bird tourism initiatives. Homestays, guides, transport and chauffeuring are alternative livelihood options for additional sustenance. Their efforts are now supported by Titli Trust, an NGO run by Sanjay and Anchal Sondhi, from Dehradun. A guide to butterflies of Garo Hills has been published to bring some revenue.
This place with its fantastic diversity needs a lot more assistance to ensure that the native forests are not lost to mining and rubber plantation. For the uninitiated, bird and butterfly tourism is often mistaken with ecotourism. But to do that is to belittle its significance. Ecotourism was launched to involve citizens in the process of conservation. Its intent is good but has remained rather poorly defined—often an umbrella for a generic outing. Bird and butterfly tourism has a foundation—it has risen out of and continues to facilitate research and documentation of biodiversity. People concerned about the environment look at this venture with hope. Nothing can highlight this better than three efforts in Uttarakhand—similar in ideology but differing in operational strategies—each designed to meet the needs of their community, habitat and species.
Everyone dreams but some actually work hard to realise their dreams. Manohar Singh Manral belongs to the latter category. He witnessed the formation of Uttarakhand. Even before the statehood was conferred, he knew villagers had to be made aware of the importance of preserving their forests—else the 54 sq km of lush green and dense forest would be lost in the milieu to ‘development’. He worried that unless people are exposed to alternatives, they might continue to either clear the forests for agriculture or abandon and migrate.
With this in mind, he started cultivating ‘amla’ organically in his backyard in 2000. He managed to till the hard land and forced it to bear fruit. By the time Uttarakhand was declared a state in 2005, some members of his community had begun to see sense in his words. He remembers, “Logon ki soch mein badlee chahiye (people’s thinking need to change).” Along with eight others drawn from the 24 villages that lie in the periphery of the beautiful tropical terrain, the Pawalgarh Prakrati Prahari was born. Its bird and butterfly tourism is now four years old and successfully run by the youth from the villages. Manohar is its patron and guiding beacon.
The activities serve to supplement the income of the villagers through homestays and as trained nature guides, etc. Made famous by Jim Corbett’s stories, Pawalgarh—at the foothills of Nainital—hosts 365 species of birds. It’s a paradise for the exotic White-rumped Needletail, Hooded Pitta, Long-tailed Broadbill, or the 16 species of woodpeckers. No less is the diversity of butterflies: Spangled Plushblue, Peacock Royal, and Copper Flash are among the 125 species recorded so far. Uttarakhand’s first annual bird festival was held here in 2015. The public-private-partnership model has been studied by policy makers from the state and has been represented in seminars.
Munsiari in Uttarakhand is a picturesque mountainous region with several villages tucked away above the river Gori Ganga. The emergence of this region as a place to see the Himalayan Monal, Tragopan, Khaleej pheasant, or for that matter, any of the 10 game species, is all due to the efforts of the local people. Hunting is banned and non-timber forest products are collected carefully. Every village has forest commons to take care of in addition to their own lands—in the case of Sarmoli village, it is 34 hectares.
There is a Vanpanchayat to ensure democratic governance. The sarpanch of Sarmoli is Malika Virdi, a mountaineer, who through her landscape-conservation approach has put the village on the map of international bird and butterfly tourism. The Vanpachayat sarpanch is not a responsibility most people want. It’s a tough post since the sarpanch has to not only generate funds but also get disparate groups of people to work together. As Malika says, “The jungles are needed for their existence, yet it is too small to meet the needs of all.” The area of 34 hectares is the source for fuel wood, fodder for cattle and leaf-litter for agriculture. How does one create a balance between conservation and basic needs?
Malika turned to tourism to generate money. In 2004, they managed only 100 visitors. By early March 2018, the footfall had crossed 570. Skeptic villagers are now her allies. What this tourism has achieved is remarkable. Rekha Rautela, a 37-year-old mother of four, is one of the most sought-after bird guides. She may be just a Class X pass, but can identify 250 species of birds. She is not the only one. Several others are equally competent. Munsiari makes you believe in the miracle of change.
The Blue-tailed Jester, Fawn Hairstreak, Whiskered Yuhina or the Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon welcome you to Deodar Tourism and Research Centre—an arm of the Devalsari Environment Protection and Technology Development Society in Uttarakhand. It was formed by 25-year-old Arun Prasad and his friends. Their goal is to conserve the jungle and arrest urban migration of the people. The jungle is second home to these youngsters.
As a lad of 11, Arun planted trees and carried water and food to those busy putting off forest fires. The urban migration and the untilled lands turning barren sadden and anger him. As a trained beekeeper, he believes that with adequate support, apiculture can help generate revenue to address the problem of migration. He is determined to save the stunning deodars, oaks, and rhododendrons. Now, he has turned to nature tourism. The Titli Trust is his margdarshak. The NGO helped survey and generate data on butterflies and birds, and also trained young people to be guides.
On sale are pamphlets produced by the Trust, to serve as field guides and generate income for this fledgling activity. Arun’s passion for the welfare of both the forests and people and his never-give-up attitude are his strongest support in an area where there are no government funds. But it was the bird and butterfly tourism that helped turn the tide in his favour. The young members of his village, like Keshav, see the tourism project, as well as the treks as a possibility. “My generation may not believe in this work, may still migrate, but the next one is certainly beginning to see the potential, and will remain to save the forests,” says Arun.
Uttarakhand is blessed with 65 percent forest cover, say Sanjay Sondhi and Krushnamegh Kunte in their book Butterflies of Uttarakhand. While communities in pockets of this state are striving to retain it, the bird and butterfly tourism seems to be helping them. The Uttarakhand Bird Festival held annually is a step in this direction. It helps showcase bird and butterfly hotspots. Although called bird festival, it includes watching butterflies and moths—the latter being another emerging initiative. This year it was held in Thano Reserve Forest.
It’s tourism with a focus on specific groups of biodiversity. Birds and butterflies are not creatures found only in forests. To see a rare species like a Monal or Trogopan, you do not need to be in a national park or wildlife sanctuary. Beautiful butterflies can be seen in any area that is green and has good plant/tree cover. For communities that own forested lands, who live at the periphery of forests, this becomes an incentive to conserve and supplement their income. In turn, protected habitats will allow for biodiversity beyond birds and butterflies to prosper.
Besides, it is a safe and entertaining form of outing that holds enormous potential to develop sensitivity towards environmental issues. A farmer who has the daunting task of making ends meet could seriously consider hosting guests to watch birds during the ploughing, sowing and harvesting times and increase his income. Some out-of-the-box thinking like the PTR teams did is needed, for this to happen
Rather than taking away community lands—forests or otherwise—in the name of protecting it, allowing communities to take care of them is a far more productive method for conservation. Communities will find a way, just like the elderly Manohar Singh of Pawalgarh, courageous Malika Virdi of Munsiari, young Arun and his team from Devalsari, and Vikas Sangma and others of Garo Hills have done and continue to do so. Both young and old have managed to convince their communities that conserving habitats takes care of their health and generates wealth.
But this is not enough. The bird and butterfly tourism with community involvement still has a long distance to travel. It still has to take giant steps towards aiding biodiversity, and reviving flora and fauna. It has to become a reality in not just pockets, but across the country.
Butterflies can be seen across the Western Ghats. As many as 246 species were recorded in 2014. The number saw a marked improvement from the 1992 survey, which recorded only 162 species.
ARUN PRASAD, Devalsari Project, Uttarakhand
A trained beekeeper, the bird and butterfly tourism helped turn the tide in his favour. The young members of his village see the tourism project, as well as the treks as a possibility.
Sensitively planned and patiently implemented, their processes ensured that the communities living at the periphery of the reserve become its guardians. The Adivasi guide, who showed us the nesting Frogmouth way back in 2005, is a witness to the success of the programme. More importantly, the Periyar model was instrumental in starting a new kind of tourism in India—nature tourism. And the first baby step was bird tourism.
What started with birds, soon graduated to butterfly tourism too. The Periyar Foundation regularly facilitated survey and documentation with an eye on the ever-expanding nature tourism. Butterflies can be seen across most of the Western Ghats. As many as 246 species were recorded in 2014, among which were species such as the rare Pale Green Awlet, Broad Tail Royal, and Travancore Evening Brown.
This number saw a marked improvement from the previous survey in 1992, which recorded only 162 species. This proves that the sanctuary’s efforts in conserving biodiversity have been successful. Thanks to such efforts, experts are getting the opportunity to identify more butterflies. And the administration should also pat itself on the back for managing to balance tourism and conservation imaginatively.
The process here soon caught the attention of many and Madhuvana at Gudalur in west Tamil Nadu was one of them. Madhuvana is a forested land that was acquired for the tribal communities residing in the Nilgiri Hills. It was a place for their children—growing up in urban environs—to stay in touch with their roots, and learn survival skills. Completely managed by the tribal community, the 175 sq km estate with its hills, jungles and plantations has recently started a programme called Ecoscape—with caretaker Arun Dhawan. It works towards their empowerment and protects the environment. The butterfly and bird tourism is a popular activity here generating the much-needed income for taking care of the land.
Approximately, 1,400 species of birds and butterflies are found in India. Of these, almost 900-plus species are seen in the Northeast alone. The success of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary hotspot in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh for these winged creatures is widely known. Globally-known butterfly-watchers come here to see the 210 species, especially the Ludlow’s Bhutan Glory and the Tibetan brimstone. After Prof Ramana Athreya, a birdwatcher and an astronomer at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, discovered the bird Bugun Liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum) in the community forests of the Buguns, he along with the Sherdukpen tribes is now actively involved in conservation of their lands.
A similar community involvement may be seen at the Pakhui Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district. Nine villages, populated largely by Nyishis and to a lesser extent by the Akas and Mijis, lie in the periphery of the reserve. The local youths are trained as nature guides who also assist researchers and scientists studying birds and butterflies.
Redtail Marquis, Jewelled Nawab and Red Caliph—these are just some of the exotic species that can be seen on a visit to the Siju Wildlife Sanctuary in the South Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. Between Balpakram National Park, Siju WLS, Nokrek National Park and Baghmara Reserve Forest, South Garo Hills is a haven for butterfly-watchers.
For the community, rampant coal mining is a worrisome activity; one they are trying to stop. In an effort to wean people away from this destructive work, members of Karwani and Siju Ecotourism and Conservation societies have set up butterfly and bird tourism initiatives. Homestays, guides, transport and chauffeuring are alternative livelihood options for additional sustenance. Their efforts are now supported by Titli Trust, an NGO run by Sanjay and Anchal Sondhi, from Dehradun. A guide to butterflies of Garo Hills has been published to bring some revenue.
This place with its fantastic diversity needs a lot more assistance to ensure that the native forests are not lost to mining and rubber plantation. For the uninitiated, bird and butterfly tourism is often mistaken with ecotourism. But to do that is to belittle its significance. Ecotourism was launched to involve citizens in the process of conservation. Its intent is good but has remained rather poorly defined—often an umbrella for a generic outing. Bird and butterfly tourism has a foundation—it has risen out of and continues to facilitate research and documentation of biodiversity. People concerned about the environment look at this venture with hope. Nothing can highlight this better than three efforts in Uttarakhand—similar in ideology but differing in operational strategies—each designed to meet the needs of their community, habitat and species.
Everyone dreams but some actually work hard to realise their dreams. Manohar Singh Manral belongs to the latter category. He witnessed the formation of Uttarakhand. Even before the statehood was conferred, he knew villagers had to be made aware of the importance of preserving their forests—else the 54 sq km of lush green and dense forest would be lost in the milieu to ‘development’. He worried that unless people are exposed to alternatives, they might continue to either clear the forests for agriculture or abandon and migrate.
With this in mind, he started cultivating ‘amla’ organically in his backyard in 2000. He managed to till the hard land and forced it to bear fruit. By the time Uttarakhand was declared a state in 2005, some members of his community had begun to see sense in his words. He remembers, “Logon ki soch mein badlee chahiye (people’s thinking need to change).” Along with eight others drawn from the 24 villages that lie in the periphery of the beautiful tropical terrain, the Pawalgarh Prakrati Prahari was born. Its bird and butterfly tourism is now four years old and successfully run by the youth from the villages. Manohar is its patron and guiding beacon.
The activities serve to supplement the income of the villagers through homestays and as trained nature guides, etc. Made famous by Jim Corbett’s stories, Pawalgarh—at the foothills of Nainital—hosts 365 species of birds. It’s a paradise for the exotic White-rumped Needletail, Hooded Pitta, Long-tailed Broadbill, or the 16 species of woodpeckers. No less is the diversity of butterflies: Spangled Plushblue, Peacock Royal, and Copper Flash are among the 125 species recorded so far. Uttarakhand’s first annual bird festival was held here in 2015. The public-private-partnership model has been studied by policy makers from the state and has been represented in seminars.
Munsiari in Uttarakhand is a picturesque mountainous region with several villages tucked away above the river Gori Ganga. The emergence of this region as a place to see the Himalayan Monal, Tragopan, Khaleej pheasant, or for that matter, any of the 10 game species, is all due to the efforts of the local people. Hunting is banned and non-timber forest products are collected carefully. Every village has forest commons to take care of in addition to their own lands—in the case of Sarmoli village, it is 34 hectares.
There is a Vanpanchayat to ensure democratic governance. The sarpanch of Sarmoli is Malika Virdi, a mountaineer, who through her landscape-conservation approach has put the village on the map of international bird and butterfly tourism. The Vanpachayat sarpanch is not a responsibility most people want. It’s a tough post since the sarpanch has to not only generate funds but also get disparate groups of people to work together. As Malika says, “The jungles are needed for their existence, yet it is too small to meet the needs of all.” The area of 34 hectares is the source for fuel wood, fodder for cattle and leaf-litter for agriculture. How does one create a balance between conservation and basic needs?
Malika turned to tourism to generate money. In 2004, they managed only 100 visitors. By early March 2018, the footfall had crossed 570. Skeptic villagers are now her allies. What this tourism has achieved is remarkable. Rekha Rautela, a 37-year-old mother of four, is one of the most sought-after bird guides. She may be just a Class X pass, but can identify 250 species of birds. She is not the only one. Several others are equally competent. Munsiari makes you believe in the miracle of change.
The Blue-tailed Jester, Fawn Hairstreak, Whiskered Yuhina or the Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon welcome you to Deodar Tourism and Research Centre—an arm of the Devalsari Environment Protection and Technology Development Society in Uttarakhand. It was formed by 25-year-old Arun Prasad and his friends. Their goal is to conserve the jungle and arrest urban migration of the people. The jungle is second home to these youngsters.
As a lad of 11, Arun planted trees and carried water and food to those busy putting off forest fires. The urban migration and the untilled lands turning barren sadden and anger him. As a trained beekeeper, he believes that with adequate support, apiculture can help generate revenue to address the problem of migration. He is determined to save the stunning deodars, oaks, and rhododendrons. Now, he has turned to nature tourism. The Titli Trust is his margdarshak. The NGO helped survey and generate data on butterflies and birds, and also trained young people to be guides.
On sale are pamphlets produced by the Trust, to serve as field guides and generate income for this fledgling activity. Arun’s passion for the welfare of both the forests and people and his never-give-up attitude are his strongest support in an area where there are no government funds. But it was the bird and butterfly tourism that helped turn the tide in his favour. The young members of his village, like Keshav, see the tourism project, as well as the treks as a possibility. “My generation may not believe in this work, may still migrate, but the next one is certainly beginning to see the potential, and will remain to save the forests,” says Arun.
Uttarakhand is blessed with 65 percent forest cover, say Sanjay Sondhi and Krushnamegh Kunte in their book Butterflies of Uttarakhand. While communities in pockets of this state are striving to retain it, the bird and butterfly tourism seems to be helping them. The Uttarakhand Bird Festival held annually is a step in this direction. It helps showcase bird and butterfly hotspots. Although called bird festival, it includes watching butterflies and moths—the latter being another emerging initiative. This year it was held in Thano Reserve Forest.
It’s tourism with a focus on specific groups of biodiversity. Birds and butterflies are not creatures found only in forests. To see a rare species like a Monal or Trogopan, you do not need to be in a national park or wildlife sanctuary. Beautiful butterflies can be seen in any area that is green and has good plant/tree cover. For communities that own forested lands, who live at the periphery of forests, this becomes an incentive to conserve and supplement their income. In turn, protected habitats will allow for biodiversity beyond birds and butterflies to prosper.
Besides, it is a safe and entertaining form of outing that holds enormous potential to develop sensitivity towards environmental issues. A farmer who has the daunting task of making ends meet could seriously consider hosting guests to watch birds during the ploughing, sowing and harvesting times and increase his income. Some out-of-the-box thinking like the PTR teams did is needed, for this to happen
Rather than taking away community lands—forests or otherwise—in the name of protecting it, allowing communities to take care of them is a far more productive method for conservation. Communities will find a way, just like the elderly Manohar Singh of Pawalgarh, courageous Malika Virdi of Munsiari, young Arun and his team from Devalsari, and Vikas Sangma and others of Garo Hills have done and continue to do so. Both young and old have managed to convince their communities that conserving habitats takes care of their health and generates wealth.
But this is not enough. The bird and butterfly tourism with community involvement still has a long distance to travel. It still has to take giant steps towards aiding biodiversity, and reviving flora and fauna. It has to become a reality in not just pockets, but across the country.
Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh
Of the approximately 1,400 species of birds and butterflies found in India, almost 900 are seen in the Northeast. The success of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary hotspot for these winged creatures is widely known. Globally known butterfly-watchers come here to see the 210 species, especially the Ludlow’s Bhutan Glory and the Tibetan brimstone.
Manohar Singh Manral, Pawalgarh Prakrati Prahari, Uttarakhand
Along with eight others drawn from the 24 villages that lie in the periphery of the beautiful tropical terrain, the Pawalgarh Prakrati Prahari was born. Its bird and butterfly tourism is now four years old and run by the youth from the villages. The activities serve to supplement the income of the villagers through homestays and as trained nature guides.
Sanjay sondhi,
Titli Trust, Dehradun
An IIT-Kanpur graduate, Sanjay is a naturalist with an interest in writing and photography. He spent 20 successful years in the corporate world, before he quit his job in 2008 to devote himself to nature conservation and environmental protection. He is involved in numerous conservation and livelihood projects in western and eastern Himalayas and has published numerous books.
MALIKA VIRDI, Sarmoli Village, Munsiari, Uttarakhand
A mountaineer, who through her landscape-conservation approach has put her village on the map of international bird and butterfly tourism. There is a Vanpanchayat to ensure democratic governance and Virdi doubles as the sarpanch.
Bird-watching Sites
Keoladeo National Park
Rajasthan
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Karnataka
Mangalajodi Ecotourism
Odisha
Rann of Kutch
Gujarat
Bhigwan
Maharashtra
Catch ’em flying
Butterfly Tour Sikkim
Blessed with evergreen and exotic range of flora and fauna, Sikkim is home to several endangered species of birds and butterflies. The state alone contributes a large percentage to bird’s population in the entire country. It also houses more than 700 different species of butterflies in India. As Sikkim is jotted with evergreen forests and also boasts a wide and diverse range of vegetation and exotic flowers, they attract a large number of butterflies to the state.
Butterfly Park Bannerghatta, Karnataka
The park covers an area of 7.5 acres which has a butterfly trail of about 1 km. A transparent polycarbonate roof was designed as the ‘butterfly conservatory’ with a landscaped garden. The huge dome-shaped structure with 10,500 sq ft of landscaped garden provides all possible habitat requirements including host plants and house butterflies throughout the year. A study reported 48 species of butterflies in various seasons at the park. Thirty species belong to five families—Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae. They were breeding in different seasons under captive conditions and released into the conservatory dome.
Uttarakhand is blessed with 65 percent forest cover. For communities living at the periphery of forests, bird and butterfly tourism becomes an incentive to conserve and supplement their income.