KATHMANDU, Jan 29: WWF Nepal has been promoting citizen science and training local people to be citizen scientists since 1998. In the 14 years since its introduction in Nepal, citizen scientists have been engaged in surveys and providing data to the authorities.
Citizen Science is a term that shatters the notion that science can only be navigated by professional scientists. Through training, normal people are empowered with a sense of responsibility to their community and will be knowledgeable enough to collect important and useful data.
Ghana Shyam Gurung, Conservation Program Director at WWF Nepal, says, “We started with big projects in 1997, and it was then we realized that we simply couldn’t do everything ourselves. Also, in the mountain region we have limited presence and we need the help of the local community.”
Training was of utmost importance because without proper and systematic instructions it didn’t look like it would be a sustainable plan. The first project was centered on Snow Leopard monitoring. “Dr Rodney Jackson, who holds a high level of experience with the species, took care of the first training. It was held at Dolpo for a month. These days in the Terai Region, they monitor Rhinos, Tigers and other animals. Recently, a baby Rhino was born and they celebrated the birth with a feast. This type of training gives people a sense of responsibility and brings them closer to nature. It is also cost effective,” shares Gurung.
After WWF Nepal started climate change conservation and monitoring, it established weather stations in village schools. Students were taught to check the humidity, temperature and precipitation everyday and keep a record. They would spread the information to their families and other members of their community. This was a big help in the agriculture sector too.
A resident of Bardia, Sarada Jha is waiting to join high school. In the mean time, she has been training to become a citizen scientist and hopes that she can continue to be one for a long time. “The first training was only for two days, but it was an eye opener for me. On the first day, we were taken to the forest to see who could identify the different trees, plants and herbs. There were some amongst us who could identify the animal from its excrement, some who had knowledge about herbal plants and some who had a good idea about the varieties of birds in the forest. On the second day, the training was more focused on teaching us about the many kinds of forests, how they are misused and the effect it can have on a society.”
Sarada also participated in the training organized by the Hariyo Ban Project of WWF Nepal in November. The week long forest inventory training started from November 4 and ended on the November 10 in Dalla Homestay, Bardia.
She shares of the training, “We were taught more extensively about the things we learnt during the first training and it was a technical training too. For instance, I had only vaguely heard about Global Positioning System (GPS). I managed to learn the basic things about its uses and also how to use it.”
Sarada has been busy GPS since the training. Along with four other people, she’s already completed the inventory of four community forest in Bardiya. Taking the inventory of a forest is hard work, she says, but a satisfying one.
Tula Ram Ghimire, Facilitator during the training, puts, “What we are trying to do is invest on the skills of the local people. After the training, the citizen scientists will be the ones in charge of everything. We found 70 different types of herbal medicinal plants during the training and now they’re trying to farm the plants. To those who’re interested in monitoring of endangered species, we provide binoculars, cameras, diaries and pens. Those in charge of the community forest inventory will be analyzing how many types of trees and plants they have in the forest. Even the length and breadth of the trees will be measured and they will also try to find out how many they can cut down annually.”
The Hariyo Ban Program will be training in the various corridors of the country. Budding citizen scientists will be trained in bio diversity monitoring, eco system monitoring and monitoring of endangered species, and then developed and mobilized in those areas. Participants will be trained in every aspect, from the technical side to field work. They will be provided with data sheets and taught how to use it. They will then go to the field and gather information, which will be collected by the authorities.
In his fifties now, Bhadai Tharu, a resident of Khata Corridor in Bardia also joined the training in Dalla. He says that it was a completely new thing for him. “We learnt about herbal medicinal plants, community forests, tracking the sightings of birds. In fact, we learnt many important things. Recently, I trained young people for two days in Palpa and Butwal.” It’s important to conserve nature, says Tharu who will be taking his daughter-in-law to the next training.
Related story
Citizen engagement in public finance management in Nepal
