The Tokhü Emong Bird Count is a community-driven conservation initiative in Nagaland that brings people together to celebrate, appreciate and protect our rich biodiversity. Organized annually from 4th to7th November every year alongside the vibrant Tokhü Emong Festival, this initiative provides an opportunity to reconnect with nature, appreciate our natural heritage, and strengthen our collective responsibility towards conservation.
Eco Warriors Nagaland has been actively engaging communities across all districts of Nagaland through the Tokhü Emong Bird Count. The initiative aims to promote bird watching, create awareness about biodiversity conservation and encourage meaningful participation among local communities, youth and students. Through community participation, bird documentation and awareness activities, seek to develop a deeper understanding of our natural surroundings and inspire people to become responsible guardians of nature.
Nagaland is blessed with extraordinary biodiversity, including diverse bird species, wildlife, forests and natural ecosystems. Our rich natural heritage is not merely a gift of nature; it is also a responsibility that we must collectively protect and preserve for future generations. However, increasing threats such as deforestation, habitat destruction, hunting and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources remind us of the urgent need to strengthen our conservation efforts.
Our Naga traditions and cultural identity have always been deeply connected with nature. Birds, animals, forests, rivers and mountains hold significant places in our traditional knowledge, stories, beliefs and everyday lives. Our ancestors understood the importance of living in harmony with nature, respecting its resources and maintaining a balance between human activities and the environment. This traditional relationship is a valuable legacy that we must continue to uphold.
However, as our lifestyles change and development continues, our connection with nature is gradually weakening, we must make conscious efforts to reconnect with the natural world. We are already deeply connected with nature through our traditions, but today, we need to rediscover, recognize and strengthen that connection through awareness and action.
On this special occasion of the Tokhü Emong Bird Count, I earnestly appeal to youth, students, village leaders and community across Nagaland to come forward and become active participants in conservation. Let us step out of our homes, explore our forests, observe our birds and take pride in the incredible biodiversity that surrounds us.
We must understand that conservation is not the responsibility of a few individuals or an organizationit is a collective responsibility of every citizen. Let us transform our traditional connection with nature into meaningful action. Let us replace indiscriminate hunting with awareness, destruction with protection and indifference with responsibility. Every bird we observe every tree we protect and every voice we raise for nature is a step towards a more sustainable future.
Let this festival be more than a celebration of our culture; let it also become a celebration of our biodiversity and our commitment to conservation.
(The writer is Coordinator, Eco Warriors Nagaland)
