Grassroots Community Wildlife Conservation in Nepal

November 21, 2021

Since 2020, Women for Conservation has been partnering with Birds Nepal in a community conservation initiative centered around promoting environmental education, eco-job training, and supporting a sustainable ecotourism economy. This project  provides resources to support wildlife conservation in Nepal, focusing on rural areas suffering from high illiteracy and poverty rates and communities which rely heavily on forest and river resources, including the Bote and Tharu indigenous communities.

Our partner from the field, Shanta, sent us an update on the environmental Awareness Programs happening at local schools through our partnership.

Promoting Environmental Education and Ecotourism Infrastructure

Women for Conservation and Birds Nepal seek to provide engaging, hands-on, educational experiences to get students excited about protecting nature, and to prepare them for sustainable economic futures. Generous funding from donors supported a safari field trip for students in The Chitwan Park. The safari was an entirely new experience for the students and they were beyond excited to see 12 rare Indian One-horned Rhinos and many other wild animals during the 3.5 hour safari. To ensure access for all, the jeeps even went to the school and picked up the students and their teachers. The youth were amazed by all the incredible animals they saw, and many now say they want to be a park ranger like Seejan when they grow up. We are now planning to do a safari every month to include all the 30 schools in the area.

Educational birdwatching trips get kids excited about the majesty of nature, while also setting the stage for future employment in environmental careers. In these recent photos, Shanta with our partner Birds Nepal leads students on birdwatching trips and teaches students the names of birds in English. Teaching English in tandem with environmental science prepares these youth with the skills needed to promote ecotourism and sustainable economic futures.

Supporting Access to Education for All

The International World Bank reports that the adult literacy rate for people in Nepal is only 68% and that only 74% of children complete their primary education. Women for Conservation believes that providing access to education is an essential first step to empowering future generations. That is why we provided money for shoes and books to nine students who would not have been able to access these resources otherwise. In the photos you can see that many students have only thong sandals. The red mark on the forehead indicates an award.

>>> Read more about W4C’s Wildlife Conservation Programs in Nepal