SHILLONG, July 24: The Desert Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Jodhpur, organised an awareness programme on the conservation of Himalayan wild pollinators at Shillong Jail Road Boys’ Higher Secondary School and Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School here.
According to a statement here, the initiative focused on the essential role of bumblebees in maintaining healthy ecosystems and enhancing agricultural productivity.
The programme was conducted as part of a research project supported by the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) to monitor and protect these pollinators against threats such as climate change, habitat loss and land-use alterations. During the sessions, the ZSI research team highlighted the project’s core objectives, which include documenting the geographical distribution of bumblebees, investigating their habitat requirements and developing DNA reference libraries for accurate species identification. The resulting scientific data will be used to support evidence-based conservation planning.
The programme also promoted ‘Mission LiFE’ (Lifestyle for Environment), encouraging students and teachers to adopt sustainable habits and participate in community-led environmental protection.
The research team, led by Dr. Ishfaq Majeed Shah under the supervision of Scientist-E Dr. RH Raina, expressed gratitude to ZSI Director Dr. Dhriti Banerjee for her support.
The organisers also thanked the principals of both schools—Jibananda Pal and Charity Najiar—for facilitating the outreach.
The event concluded with an interactive session where participants discussed biodiversity and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting pollinators to sustain the ecological integrity of the Eastern Himalayas.
