TheRoleofNGO’sinCitizenScience
SanjaySondhi,TitliTrust8Feb2021
CitizenScience:Importanttenets
• Public&communityparticipation• Identifyresearchquestions• Collect&analyzedata• Interpretresults,make&reportnewdiscoveries
• Usingmultipleplatforms&mechanisms
CitizenScience:Why• Publicparticipation.Pride&
involvement• Awaken,appreciate,awareness,
action• Ownershipofdevelopment
decisions• Pressuregroup• Benefitstocitizens,researchers&
society:Increasedknowledge.
Casestudies
• DoonnatureWalks:citizen’sgroup
• IndianFoundationforButterflies
• Localcommunityorganisations:-Devalsari,Uttarakhand-Zunheboto,Nagaland-Eaglenest&Tale,ArunachalPradesh
DoonNatureWalksCasestudy:citizen’sgroup
DoonNatureWalks
• Whoweare:• CitizensgroupinDehradun.Startedin
2014.215WhatsAppmembers,>1,200Facebookmembers.
• Activities:Monthlynaturewalks,birds,butterflies,moths,spiders,othertaxa,talks,capacitybuilding
• Started&supportedbyTitliTrust/NSI
DoonNatureWalks• Objectives:Awaken,Appreciation,
Awareness,Action
• Activities:walks&talks,biodiversitydocumentation,localawarenessprograms,localprotection,training
• Outcomes:awareness;biodiversitydata:species,seasons,spotlocalities
Casestudies:DoonNatureWalks
Casestudies:DoonNatureWalks
Casestudies:Localcommunityorganisations• Objectives:Conservation&livelihood
• Activities:biodiversitydocumentation,biodiversitymeets,localawarenessprograms,localprotection
• Outcomes:newspeciesdescriptions,biodiversitydata:species,seasons,spotlocalities,livelihoods&conservation
Casestudy:IndianFoundationofButterflies
SupportedbyTitliTrust,NatureMates,numerousotherNGO’s
ButterfliesofIndiaandMothsofIndiawebsites
BOIwebsitelaunchedin2010.MOIwebsitelaunchedin2015.
Butterflyspeciesexceeded>1000in8years~75%ofIndianbutterflyfauna.Mothspeciesexceeded>1500in5years.
ButterflyofIndiaandMothsofIndiawebsitesinnumbers
Butterflies
Moths
Entirelyvoluntaryteameffort;morethana1,000contributorstoBOIwebsiteand180contributorstoMOIwebsiteandgrowing...
ButterflyofIndiaandMothsofIndiawebsitesinnumbers
NewbutterflyspeciesfromIndia
NewmothspeciesfromIndia
• Morethan15 newIndianrecordsand10re-d iscover ies
Newbutterflyrecords&rediscoveriesfromIndia
Newmothspecies,recordsandrangeextensions
• Morethan25 newIndianrecords
Butterflies of India and Moths of India are increasingly the “go to” websites for butterflies and moth records in India. MOI is repository for National Moth Week, held in July, annually. Numerous new species, re-discoveries, range extensions and records for India on the websites. Significant resource for biodiversity documentation for local communities, naturalists, researchers and nature lovers. Crucial data set and image galleries for documentation of early stages, larval host plants, geographical distributions flight periods, bibliography, etc.
Contributionofcitizensciencetobiodiversityconservation&conservationeducation
CitizenscienceplayingacrucialroleinbiodiversitydocumentationandCEinIndia
Casestudies:localcommunityorganisations
Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand
©©©
Reserved forest. 900-2,000 m alt.
3 hrs, 80 km from Dehradun, State capital
Local youth group Devalsari Environment Protection & Technology Development Society
Checklist of 180+ butterfly & 300 + moth species
Conducts annual Titli Utsav
Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand
©©©
Theruralsocietyconductsanannualbutterfly&mothfestival&hasestablishedabutterflyparkinordertoprotectbutterflyhabitat.AppliedforBiodiversityHeritageSitestatus.
Dilipamorgiana
Acheleurabifasciata.ArunGaurrecordedmassemergenceofamoth.FirstrecordfromGarhwal.
Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand
PublicationinIndianBirdsaboutFire-cappedTitatDevalsari,Jul2020.KesarSingh:localnatureguide
Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand
Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh
©©©Bugun & Sherdukpen tribes conducts bird & butterfly tourism.
Only known location in India where two species of Bhutanitis are seen. >230 butterfly species.
Bugun tribe have declared 17 sq. km. of Community Conserved Reserve. Prime Bhutanitis habitat.
Protecting Bhutanitis habitat from road building threat, poaching. Awareness.
Bhutanitisludlowi
©TarunKarmakar
A5yearstudyrevealed463butterflyspeciesintheKamengProtectedAreacomplexincludingEaglenest&Pakke
©©©
Butterfly&mothtourismgeneratesincome&livelihoodforthelocalcommunity
Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh
©©©
TheBuguntribeconductsbutterflytourismwithBhutanitislidderdalii&Bhutanitisludlowiasthestarattractions
Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh
©©©
TheBuguntribeactivelysupportshabitatprotection&guardsagainstbutterflypoachingthrougha10memberpatrollingteam.17sq.kmCCA.
Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh
Tizu Valley, Nagaland
©©©Villages of Sukhai, Khivekhu & Ghukheyi have declared their community forests as Community Conserved Areas.
Checklist of 200+ butterfly & 300+ moth species.
Local NGO-Tizu Valley Biodiversity Conservation & Livelihood Network.
Documenting local biodiversity & protecting butterfly habitat. Banned hunting.
Araschniadohertyi
Tizu Valley, Nagaland
©©©
Tizu Valley, Nagaland
©©©
VihotoKiba,
Khivikhu,Zunhebo-
to.KnownasMr.Moth.
The Butterfly Man of Nagaland
©©©
Naro&Sondhi,2014TshetsholoNaro:25yearoldNagayouthfromtheChakhesangtribe.KnownasbutterflymanofNagaland.MonographpublishedinJOTT.Re-discoveries..Chitoriaulupi,Arhopalacomica.
©©©
Talle WLS, Central Arunachal Pradesh
Checklist of 200+ butterfly & 500+ moth species.
NgunoZiro..NGO conducting annual butterfly meet for six years. This year, introduced moths as well.
Documenting local biodiversity & protecting butterfly habitat. Stayed black topping of road. Chadha et al 2018-new moth species-Elcysma ziroensis.
Talle WLS, Arunachal
Bhutanitislidderdalii
Elcysmaziroensis
Talle WLS, Arunachal
©©©
©ReddyBei
Teinopalpusimperialis
TheApatanitribeactivelydocumentsbutterfly
diversity;protectslocalhabitat.LocalCEprogramsZiroButterfly&moth
meet,2019
ButterfliesofZirowith186
species.
ProducedbyNgunoZiro,localNGO.
Releasedon4Sep2019at6thZiroButterfly&mothmeet.
Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education
IndianFoundationforButterflies:-Butterflies-Moths-Birds-Amphibians-Reptiles-Odonates-MammalsPeer-reviewed,robust,Indianplatformformultiple
taxa.Mobileappunderdevelopment.
Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education
iNaturalist(https://www.inaturalist.org)MultipletaxaOptionofIntelligentIDPeer-reviewprocessnotasrobustGoodforsitebaseddocumentation
Globalplatform.Multipletaxa.Sitespecificdata.
Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education
eBird(https://ebird.org)GlobalplatformWidelyused:mobileandcomputer-basedEasytoaccessdata,BUTdataresidesoverseas.
Globalplatform.Wideusage.Easytouse.
Role of NGO’s in citizen science
Involveallconstituents…Citizens,students,localcommunities,researchers…Supportthemanydifferentplatformsandmechanisms.Capacitybuildingtousethese.Organiseevents…biodiversitymeets,BigBirdDay,GreatBackyardBirdCount,BigButterflyCount,MothWeek
NGO’scanstimulatecitizenstocontributeconservationandprotection
TITLI TRUST # 49, Rajpur Road Enclave,
Dhoran Khas, Dehradun, 248001
Uttarakhand
+91 9412052189 [email protected]
www.titlitrust.org
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