Students and stakeholders participated in wetland education program in Buli

RSPN Field Office in Buli village, Nangkor Gewog, Zhemgang, with the assistance of stakeholders under project area conducted mass awareness on wetland outdoor education program on July 31, 2016, with the students of Buli central School. More than 200 participants mostly comprising of students from classes IX-X took part in the day long wetland education program. The program was also observed by the principal, teachers, Gewog officials and other stakeholders of Buli.

The program basically involved wetland specific education activity, which included botany (plant identification) and stream hydrology lessons, aquatic macroinvertebrate survey, bird watching, wetland water monitoring, wetland sensing and soil testing.

Demographically Buli is a small community of approximately 600 people living in a sound environmental state. The environment conservation ethics of the locals is strengthened by powerful spiritual beliefs associated with age old tradition and custom. Thus the customary practice on conservation has led to present day beautiful environment that surrounds the village. Buli village also has beautiful natural and man-made wetlands which adds beauty to the already exquisite landscape of Buli. The wetlands which are of national and international importance is absolutely in pristine state without much anthropogenic pressure. However, the constant upscale on development has been an inevitable factor causing loss of wetland to infrastructure development.

In realization and in an effort to safeguard the rich wetlands of Buli, the wetland conservation and sustainable management project was initiated in Buli under Zhemgang Dzongkhag. The current project funded by GEF/Small Grants Program, UNDP, and implemented by RSPN comes as an effort to protect and conserve the vulnerable wetlands by developing a sound management plan for sustainable utilization of wetlands. To achieve the goal of conservation, the project implementing agency is constantly involved in imparting education on importance of wetlands and aims to achieve 100% wetland education to all the project beneficiaries.

These activities facilitated students to not only experience the wetland related educational activities but also helped them gain better understanding of wetlands, what it provides, and how it benefits the community and biodiversity. It was encouraging to see the students express their satisfaction on being provided a rich learning experience.