17th Annual Field Course in Conservation Biology and Global Health

I was informed about the training from Mr. Sijan Acharya. He is one of my close mate. I immediately prepared my CV and sent it to the official Gmail address of the training program. The program was field course in conservation Biology and Global Health organized by the Washington University and Nepal Biodiversity research Society. Some days later I got the reply stating that I got selected for the training. I was pretty excited to learn new stuffs from the training.

So on the first day, I got there a little earlier. Befriended with couple of people. There were people from journalism as well. The first person I got introduced to was Mr. Prakash Devkota from RR college. We registered our names, got the card containing our name and seated in the lecture room.

So we got introduced to our lecturers: Laxman Sir, Deepak Gajurel Sir, Koju Sir, Randall C. Kyes Sir, and Mukesh Chalise Sir. The program was finally inaugurated. Not only University students but journalists were included for the better media coverage because general public must be known about all the research and scientific stuffs that is going around, so they must be trained as well.

Group Photo taken during Program initiation day

Dr. Mukesh Sir giving speech on the occasion of program inaguration

Dr. Randall sir introducing learners about the training contents

Then we got involved in series of lectures from Randall Sir. He initiated lectures interconnecting the links between biodiversity conservation and global health. How our biodiversity getting degraded with increasing misuse and how global health been affected by that process. He basically highlighted the importance of these kinds of trainings in global scale for better conservation of nature. Mr. Sher Singh Thagunna also took one lecture on the state of wildlife in Nepal. Taught us on number of conservation approaches that have been conducted, introducing the importance of wild life Reserves and National parks for better biodiversity protection. He focused on ecotourism promotion for country like Nepal. We have in Nepal 23.29% of the total land as protected area.

I can’t miss to write the assistance provided by Mr. Mukesh Sir and number of extra fun stuffs he added on every subject of discussion. He elaborated every tiny topics and contents in so systematic and understandable way. So the first day ended with general introduction to our training program with series of lectures and interactive training.

On our second day Randall sir first elaborated about the causative factors of Biodiversity loss – Habitat loss, over exploitation of natural resources, Invasive species, Climate change and many more. Mrs. Kyes (Aal) lectured us about lotic ecosystem in the context of Thailand and Nepal. How flowing rivers getting polluted and how that is affecting our microflora plus Fauna and ultimately us. Mukesh sir boosted our interest talking about the wild faunas of Nepal. Our nation is really filled with plenty of biodiversity. And after lunch we practiced to use some of the field instruments. We learned to handle them with care, to use them in precise way. First we mastered to use Range finder, it basically tells how far your focused object is. Then we learned the art of Pneumatic Darting, it’s about targeting the animals back region (from hip to Thai) and forcefully expiring your breath so that the force generated propels the dart to hit the target with enough momentum to pierce through the animals skin. Well it was great fun to practice with friends. We placed balloons as our target.

Pneumatic darting

Can I make it?

Oh I missed it by an inch....

On our third Day we needed to study animal behavior, and Randall sir introduced us on the methods to record data of animal behavior. We learned about different Behavior sampling methods like Ad libitum, Focal animal sampling, and Instantaneous sampling methods. For practically doing the work we went to the near temple at Thapathali. Obviously Monkeys were preferred for our study because of their crazy and wild activities. We learned to place camera traps as well. Basically it was group work so we divided all the members into five separate groups. We filled data sheets recording the animal behavior, particularly Focal animal sampling and instantaneous sampling. Then we learned to handle and use Radio tellimetry, this device is used to track the animal, by adhering the collard in some way to the animal so that we can follow it and trace it whenever it gets out of sight. Our senior, Mr. Gautam taught us some of the instrument to use in snake catching and told us lots of interesting stuffs on snake, from poison nature to biting mechanism. And day three was pretty awesome as well.

Group photo at the Thapathali temple.

Snake catch model demonstration using snake tong By Mr. Gautam

Classroom moment

A moment during data recording

Data discussion at classroom

Lecture time

Time to study primates

A moment with Mukesh sir

Radio tellimetry: An instrument to detect animals' position

On our Fourth day of the training, we got chance to learn about different primates. The prosimians, Anthropoids and Tarsiers. Mr. Kyes conducted the class very smoothly, Mr. Mukesh sir added so many fun stuffs and additional materials to the topic. Kyes sir even conducted a little bit of exercise to identify the type of primate, I specially found it so amusing and fascinating. From Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Orangutans, Gibbons, Bonobos to lemurs and Tarsiers of Madagaskar. It was fun getting enough information about our (Human’s) close associates on the evolutionary scale. We further more studied about human monkey’s interaction, their behavior, the relationship they tend to show in their community. We got insight on some particular peculiar cases of behavior; some monkeys with unusual sexual behavior, some Japanese Macaque living up in the mountains in cold, Gibbons and lemurs playing with dogs and dollies.

A moment to smile

Group discussion and data calculation

So on the final day of the training Dr. Randall sir basically highlighted the importance of conservation strategies in the local level. He mentioned the important strategies for management of Human- Primate conflict as : Relocation, Sanctuary Housing, Contraception, Sterilization ( Vasectomy) or killing in extreme situation. All the options are really applicable but with the proper co-ordination with governmental bodies, local people and experts in the Primate management, because its really a sensitive issue and for the case of Nepal, because of no proper management, there is conflict in between local people and primate management bodies and that is hampering the biodiversity and animal itself. Dr. Mukesh sir further more elaborated in that topic for the case of Nepal. He gave examples from places like Chitwan, where people have been killed by the attack of Elephants and Rhinos. Randall sir showed us a video from Assam showing the Animal- Human Conflict. Later on with the end of lectures, we were awarded with the certificate of the training. We took group photo with the participants including all teachers. And finally the training session was ended.