Assam: Conservation workshop on golden langur held at Raimona National Park

In a commendable move, Primate Research Centre NE India in collaboration with Conservation Himalayas organised a three-day "Train The Trainers: Educator Training Workshop" on conservation education with special reference to the "Golden Langur" at Raimona National Park.

The event was held 21st March to 23rd March 2024. Altogether 21 numbers of teachers and members of ABSU Anchalik from 19 different schools of Chakrashila WLS-Nayekgaon-Nadangiri region took part in the workshop. Notably, around 1100 individuals Golden Langur is found in these region which is classified as a Schedule-l species under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

The main objective of the workshop was to train teachers and community leaders in various participatory conservation education methods to empower them as a steward of Golden Langur conservation education. The workshop was led by senior scientists Dr. Jihosuo Biswas, Dr. Joydeep Shil, and Kanmaina Ray of PRCNE/Conservation Himalayas.

The workshop aligned with the International Day of Forests on March 21st. Dr. Jihosuo Biswas, highlighted the significance of this event, noting that it was the first of its kind for teachers and community leaders from the fringe areas of Chakrashila WLS-Nayekgaon-Nadangiri areas. He emphasized that educating teachers and community leaders on conservation would empower them to spread conservation messages of Golden langur within their communities, thereby promoting stewardship and fostering a culture of conservation in fringe areas.

During the icebreaker introductory session, participants were introduced themselves by animal calls, followed different participatory activities like observation game, biodiversity in culture, role play, dramas, field visit to Raimona NP,  slide presentation on the Golden Langur, and its behavioral and distributional range.

On the second day, teachers had the opportunity to explore the woodland area of Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar, where they encountered various flora and fauna, including the endemic Golden Langur, during the early morning hours.

Later, in the event, conservation biologist Dr. Joydeep Shil emphasized the importance of protected areas, photo journalist and wildlife researcher Mehtab Uddin Ahmed highlighted on bird watching and conservation and Kanmaina Ray presented on biodiversity conservation.

The teachers participate in a brainstorming session on biodiversity protection and play a variety of activities to inspire them to take an active role in conservation of animals and in preparing the next generation for a better life. Dr. Biswas spoke on the final day on risks involved, challenges, rapid and widespread disease spread, and devastation of natural habitat in the Nayekgaon area of Kokrajhar district.