SHERGAON, 29 Mar: The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), in collaboration with NGO Garung Thuk and the Royal Enfield Social Mission, organised a three-day naturalist training programme here in West Kameng district.
The training, which concluded on 28 March, engaged local homestay owners, naturalists and youths from the Sherdukpen community. It aimed to equip the participants with the skills to identify and document the regional biodiversity, understand potential ecotourism models and develop strategies to promote sustainable tourism and link it to the local economy.
The workshop was a part of the WTI’s ‘Forgotten Cats of Shergaon Project’, supported by the Royal Enfield Social Mission and Felis.
The training covered essential topics, such as communication strategies, use of nature interpretation tools (field guides, kits, binoculars etc), fundamentals of documentation and storytelling, local culture and traditions, community-based ecotourism models, and principles of hospitality and waste management.
Thirty participants from Shergaon and neighbouring villages, including Chug, Morshing, Tenzing, Jigaon and Thonglei, attended the workshop. The group included students, homestay owners, representatives of civic bodies, and eco-entrepreneurs.
The Sherdukpen community has reported sightings of rare species like golden cats and clouded leopards in the region.
The WTI and Garung Thuk have been using camera traps to document these unique species and hope that this can enhance nature-based tourism.
Representatives from the Royal Enfield Social Mission, including its operations director Vigyat Singh and NE CSR & strategy lead Shibani Chaudhury, attended the event.
WTI ED and founder Vivek Menon said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for all participants to transform their love for nature into livelihoods that intertwine with the conservation of their natural heritage. I congratulate the participants and thank the community for their steadfast support.”
Garung Thuk vice chairman Dorjee Khandu Thungonsaid, “Shergaon has long been a haven for artists and nature lovers. We are grateful to the Wildlife Trust of India and Royal Enfield for helping us reigniting curiosity about our biodiversity and guiding us towards sustainable ecotourism-based livelihood.”
Bidisha Dey, executive director of Eicher Group Foundation, the CSR arm of Royal Enfield, said that “‘The Forgotten Cats Project’ aims to protect lesser-known species and rich natural heritage of the Sherdukpen people. We are proud to support WTI and Garung Thuk in this initiative, which aligns with the core values of the Royal Enfield Social Mission – conserving nature, empowering communities, and protecting the Himalayan landscape.”
Jose Louies, CEO, WTI said, “Shergaon has immense potential for nature tourism and this training is an opportunity for budding naturalists and eco-entrepreneurs to work towards building sustainable eco-tourism models that put conservation at the forefront while putting Shergaon and the neighbouring villages on the tourism map.”
