SHILLONG, July 9: The inaugural Biodiversity Awareness and Eco-Tourism Training pro-gramme was held at Sa-I-Mika Park & Resort in Sohra, aimed at empowering local commu-nities through conservation and sustainable tourism.
Organised by Sa-I-Mika Park in collaboration with Dr. Biswajit De—a member of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) and Founder-Director of the Wild Roots Nature Conservation Foundation (WNCF)—the initiative focused on sensitising local youth to Meghalaya’s unique flora and fauna.
Participants received hands-on training in biodiversity surveying, birding, photography, and nature documentation. The programme was supported by Sa-I-Mika Park Managing Direc-tor Ainamé HR Phanbuh and funded by WNCF, IUCN-CEC, and the resort.
A major component of the event was a river clean-up drive conducted by the Sa-I-Mika team and local guides, including Tenny Kynta, Mebakordor Nongkynrih, Mebanshanbor Dohling, and Labianglang Sawian. The team collected approximately 147 kilograms of waste from a two-kilometre stretch of the river, highlighting the urgent need for improved waste man-agement to protect local ecosystems and public health.
Organisers expressed hope that the initiative would encourage young people to take an ac-tive role in preserving Meghalaya’s natural heritage while developing sustainable liveli-hoods. The programme concluded with the distribution of certificates curated by Sa-I-Mika, WNCF, and IUCN-CEC, under the IUCN #NatureForAll initiative.
