Eaglenest @ Ramana Athreya @ IISER-Pune

It took 14 years from the start of the project in 2003 for the Bugun community of Singchung village to decide that conservation of the biodiversity in their backyard was a good thing

The project brought them livelihoods ... and
       ... international fame
       ... a sense of the global value of their biodiversity
       ... a sense of pride in its ownership

SBVCR Meeting

Impressed by the benefits from tourism, ... and
... nudged by the Forest Officer, Mr. Millo Tasser
... funded by a project of Dr. Umesh Srinivasan and Dr. Nandini Velho

the Singchung village council debated and dissected and argued (sometimes heatedly) but finally decided that it was in their interest to protect the biodiversity in their community forest.

The village of Singchung is in a picturesque landscape of houses, farms and managed woodland. The region between the village and the Eaglenest boundary to its south is clothed in pristine forest between 1200 m and 3000 m. In 2017, the Buguns declared 17 km2 of this forest as a legally protected community reserve (gree-hatched area on the map). This act of generosity is without parallel in recent times when land-grabbing is more the norm.

The Buguns wish to use this community reserve as dual-use land - for conservation of biodiversity and sustainable and ecofriendly utilisation for local livelihoods.

It also forms a buffer zone between the densely populated military cantonments of Tenga valley and the northern border of Eaglenest.

In 2021, the Buguns initiated steps to add another 14 km2 to the reserve (yellow-hatched area on the map).

click on the map to view full-size

31 August 2023, Ramana Athreya