K Rotoli Sumi from Eco-warriors Team is a Civil Engineering Graduate spreading conservation awareness through birding in Zunheboto District.

Growing up in a village surrounded by forest and mountains, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the ecosystem and one of our morning alarm would often be the chirping sound of birds heard from our windows. However, with advancing development, our environment has degraded. In the past, hunting was a common practice, even among children, for food and recreation. Now inspite having introduced the importance of wildlife protection and conservation, many couldn’t adhere to it. But now with the introduction of TEBC in our society, things have changed drastically.

Transformation through TEBC: 

Since 2022, the Tokhu Emong Bird Count (TEBC) has introduced and educated school-going children and community to the importance of bird conservation. They now understand the vital roles birds play in our ecosystem, from pollination of flowers to scavenging birds removing decomposed carcasses and insectivorous birds controlling insect populations, thus avoiding plagues, etc.

TEBC 2024 Bird Count Activity: 

As part of TEBC 2024(4-7 Nov) our team, Eco Warriors, collaborated with Merry Vale School, Satakha, for a thrilling Bird Count activity in Zunheboto District on 31st Oct, 2024 as a pre- event of TEBC.

Despite having initial limited knowledge about avian conservation, a total of 10 enthusiastic students from classes 3-9 eagerly participated. The early morning hours provided an ideal condition for us in spotting various bird species. A total 12 distinct species including: Black Drongo (majestic, with distinctive tail) and an Asian Barred Owlet (dozing on a tree branch). Notably, many male students demonstrated impressive knowledge of local bird names (over 30 species) which amazed and surprised me.

Student Response: 

Students displayed immense zeal and excitement, expressing hopes for future bird count activities and looking forward to acquiring more knowledge and equipment to get a closer view of birds surrounding us.

This TEBC initiative have successfully sparked interest in bird conservation among many schools and community across Nagaland, inspiring a new generation of “eco-warriors” promoting bird conservation awareness.

– K Rotoli Sumi