GUWAHATI, 18 Jan: Research-based biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak facilitated a three-day exposure trip on indigenous community-managed eco-tourism and natural resource management for a group of community leaders, including members of Eco Development Committee (EDC) from the fringe of Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary (DEWS) near Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh.
The team which also included DEWS DFO T Taga, was hosted by Aaranyak in Kohora River Basin in Karbi Anglong in the proximity of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) to help them experience first-hand the community-driven eco-tourism as well as natural resources management as part of larger biodiversity conservation efforts.
The exposure trip was organized under the ‘Journey for Learning’ initiative of Aaranyak to enable the visiting delegates learn from the experiences of the indigenous forest fringe communities in establishing community-based eco-tourism ventures at the fringe of the famous rhino abode of KNP.
The team from Arunachal Pradesh was sponsored by Aaranyak under the combined aegis of its Natural Resource Management Programme and Legal and Advocacy Division (LAD).
The team attended an LAD-organised sensitization workshop on January 9 at Aaranyak Research office here on formation of community surveillance and monitoring teams (CSMTs) in fringe area of DEWS with the objective to facilitate community role in mitigation of wildlife crime.
They were then led by LAD officials Dr. Jimmy Borah and Ivy Farheen Hussain to Aaranyak’s community-based Natural Resources Management Programme in Kohora River Basin so that they experience the eco-tourism model that is thriving there and later utilize their experience to replicate the same to sustain the CSMTs that are being formed near DEWS.
An orientation on ‘Geo-Ecology of Kohora River Basin, People and Culture’ followed by discussions was conducted for the visiting team by Aaranyak’s resource persons Dr. Jayanta Kr Roy and Sarlongjon Teron to set the tone for the exposure trip.
The ‘Ingnam Kengkam’ (walking in the forest) – in Karbi was also conducted for the visiting team to allow them to experience the richness of the natural ambience. The trekking exercise through community forests was led by Aaranyak’s senior scientist Dr. M Firoz Ahmed and local expert Sanjit Bey.
Bey sensitized the visitors on wild edibles and medicinal plants spicing the talk with folk stories.
Dr. Ahmed complemented Bey’s efforts with scientific inputs and by anchoring of isolated discussions on how to build eco-tourism using local natural resources without any investments.
A small exhibition of products of Pirbi, a community-owned enterprise that sells farm and non-farm produce, was also showcased.
The visitors were also guided through Phumen Engti village by an Aaranyak’s team member.
Laki Beypi, a backstrap loom weaver, demonstrated her weaving process and enlightened the guests on Karbi motifs and their significances.
In the evening, the team visited Engle Pathar village, where Meena Tokbipi, a local, guided them through her homestead tea garden, explaining tea plucking and hand-rolled tea making process and served a handmade tea (Smoked tea) variety to the guests.
An interactive session on ‘Working with forest fringe villages’ took place at the Community Resource Centre in Chondrosing Rongpi village in the evening.
KNP DFO Ramesh Kumar Gogoi also attended the session and shared his experience and management techniques with the team.
The exposure visit from January 10 to 12 was organized under Aaranyak’s Natural Resource Management Programme.
