2. Mongabay (international) article in the series Indigenous Peoples and Conservation
by Shreya Dasgupta, 18th December, 2018
Bird Business – The man who taught his tribe to profit from conservation
Indi Glow, a revered member of the Bugun indigenous group in Arunachal Pradesh, India, has been instrumental in making conservation community-friendly. When astronomer-turned-ecologist Ramana Athreya approached the Buguns in 2003 with an idea for a community bird ecotourism venture, Indi agreed to give it a go, taking on the management of the business over the next few years. Today, the bird tourism venture is profitable and has sparked other conservation initiatives on the Bugun community lands.
From a new bird to a new community reserve: India’s tribe sets example
In 2006, the discovery of the Bugun liocichla, a new species of bird, near Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, India, brought the area’s small tribe of Buguns into the international spotlight. It prompted both a community bird ecotourism business, and a series of small conservation actions to protect the forest that harbors the rare bird. In 2013, the idea to protect the Bugun liocichla’s home took a more definitive shape, culminating in a community reserve. The reserve was formally created in 2017 after several rounds of discussions between the Buguns, researchers working in the area, and the local forest department. Today, the community reserve is more effectively patrolled by a Bugun team than the sanctuary it abuts. A few teething troubles remain to be worked out, but the researchers hope to streamline the running of the reserve in the coming years, so that the community takes center stage in the reserve’s management, while others step back.
3. Miscellaneous
Sentinels of Eaglenest
documentary by Mr. Karma Paljor (founding employee CNN-IBN; co-founder Atvi Infotainment)
The Bugun & the Liocichla
documentary by Ms. Shaleen Phinya (a member of the Bugun tribe who was trained in documentary film-making as part of the alternative skilling programme)