WAKRO, 27 Oct: The 2nd Wakro Butterfly Meet, celebrating the 8th Northeast Butterfly Meet, was held from 23-26 October at the Kamlang Tiger Reserve & Wildlife Sanctuary in Lohit district.
The event was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, in the presence of PCCF Ngilyang Tam, Lohit ZPC Dasula Krisikro, SP Anurag Dwivedi, Conservator of Forests Millo Tasser, and others.
The meet was organised by the Kamlang Valley Nature Club, in collaboration with the Butterflies of North Eastern India Group and the Kamlang Tiger Reserve & Wildlife Sanctuary. It was guided by naturalists Nawang Gyatso Bhutia (BAMOS NCS, Sikkim), Kamal Azad (Assam), Roshan Upadhaya (Arunachal Pradesh), Atanu Bose (Assam), and organiser Lokesh Mam.
Around 85 participants attended the meet, including 35 butterfly enthusiasts from across India, representing Arunachal, Assam, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and West Bengal, and one participant from France. Local students from Government Higher Secondary School Wakro, Don Bosco School Wakro, and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Wakro also joined enthusiastically.
The event received support from Aaranyak, the WTI, WWF, Durgi Bhumiji Foundation, BAMOS-Nature Conservation Society, Arun Shakti Energy Pvt Ltd, Genesis 4 Production, Wiki Loves Butterfly, Glaw Enterprise, Divinity Jaagran, and News for You.
Over three days, the participants took part in activities such as butterfly and bird walks, nature walks, awareness talks, interactive games, stone painting, and quizzes for students. Field excursions in and around Wakro valley and the Kamlang Tiger Reserve recorded 235 species of butterflies, including 35 rare and uncommon species, such as Swinhoe’s flat, white dragontail, green dragontail, Columbine, Nagatree brown, gray commodore, sergeant major, and dusky diadem.
The closing ceremony was attended by Lohit DC Kesang Ngurup Damo, Wakro ADC AJ Longphi, and freelance event organiser Jambey Dondup, along with senior public leaders.
The evening featured a vibrant traditional Mishmi dance performance that offered participants a glimpse into the region’s cultural richness. The event concluded on a joyous note with the announcement that the 9th Northeast Butterfly Meet will be hosted at the Ultapani rainforest in the Bodoland Territorial Council area next year.
The 2nd Wakro Butterfly Meet successfully combined conservation awareness, youth participation, and cultural celebration, showcasing Arunachal’s growing reputation as the ‘Butterfly Capital of the Northeast’. (DIPRO)
