the role of ngo’s in citizen science

TheRoleofNGO’sinCitizenScience

SanjaySondhi,TitliTrust8Feb2021

CitizenScience:Importanttenets

•  Public&communityparticipation•  Identifyresearchquestions•  Collect&analyzedata•  Interpretresults,make&reportnewdiscoveries

•  Usingmultipleplatforms&mechanisms

CitizenScience:Why•  Publicparticipation.Pride&

involvement•  Awaken,appreciate,awareness,

action•  Ownershipofdevelopment

decisions•  Pressuregroup•  Benefitstocitizens,researchers&

society:Increasedknowledge.

Casestudies

•  DoonnatureWalks:citizen’sgroup

•  IndianFoundationforButterflies

•  Localcommunityorganisations:-Devalsari,Uttarakhand-Zunheboto,Nagaland-Eaglenest&Tale,ArunachalPradesh

DoonNatureWalksCasestudy:citizen’sgroup

DoonNatureWalks

•  Whoweare:•  CitizensgroupinDehradun.Startedin

2014.215WhatsAppmembers,>1,200Facebookmembers.

•  Activities:Monthlynaturewalks,birds,butterflies,moths,spiders,othertaxa,talks,capacitybuilding

•  Started&supportedbyTitliTrust/NSI

DoonNatureWalks•  Objectives:Awaken,Appreciation,

Awareness,Action

•  Activities:walks&talks,biodiversitydocumentation,localawarenessprograms,localprotection,training

•  Outcomes:awareness;biodiversitydata:species,seasons,spotlocalities

Casestudies:DoonNatureWalks

Casestudies:DoonNatureWalks

Casestudies:Localcommunityorganisations•  Objectives:Conservation&livelihood

•  Activities:biodiversitydocumentation,biodiversitymeets,localawarenessprograms,localprotection

•  Outcomes:newspeciesdescriptions,biodiversitydata:species,seasons,spotlocalities,livelihoods&conservation

Casestudy:IndianFoundationofButterflies

SupportedbyTitliTrust,NatureMates,numerousotherNGO’s

ButterfliesofIndiaandMothsofIndiawebsites

BOIwebsitelaunchedin2010.MOIwebsitelaunchedin2015.

Butterflyspeciesexceeded>1000in8years~75%ofIndianbutterflyfauna.Mothspeciesexceeded>1500in5years.

ButterflyofIndiaandMothsofIndiawebsitesinnumbers

Butterflies

Moths

Entirelyvoluntaryteameffort;morethana1,000contributorstoBOIwebsiteand180contributorstoMOIwebsiteandgrowing...

ButterflyofIndiaandMothsofIndiawebsitesinnumbers

NewbutterflyspeciesfromIndia

NewmothspeciesfromIndia

•  Morethan15 newIndianrecordsand10re-d iscover ies

Newbutterflyrecords&rediscoveriesfromIndia

Newmothspecies,recordsandrangeextensions

•  Morethan25 newIndianrecords

Butterflies of India and Moths of India are increasingly the “go to” websites for butterflies and moth records in India. MOI is repository for National Moth Week, held in July, annually. Numerous new species, re-discoveries, range extensions and records for India on the websites. Significant resource for biodiversity documentation for local communities, naturalists, researchers and nature lovers. Crucial data set and image galleries for documentation of early stages, larval host plants, geographical distributions flight periods, bibliography, etc.

Contributionofcitizensciencetobiodiversityconservation&conservationeducation

CitizenscienceplayingacrucialroleinbiodiversitydocumentationandCEinIndia

Casestudies:localcommunityorganisations

Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

©©©

Reserved forest. 900-2,000 m alt.

3 hrs, 80 km from Dehradun, State capital

Local youth group Devalsari Environment Protection & Technology Development Society

Checklist of 180+ butterfly & 300 + moth species

Conducts annual Titli Utsav

Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

©©©

Theruralsocietyconductsanannualbutterfly&mothfestival&hasestablishedabutterflyparkinordertoprotectbutterflyhabitat.AppliedforBiodiversityHeritageSitestatus.

Dilipamorgiana

Acheleurabifasciata.ArunGaurrecordedmassemergenceofamoth.FirstrecordfromGarhwal.

Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

PublicationinIndianBirdsaboutFire-cappedTitatDevalsari,Jul2020.KesarSingh:localnatureguide

Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh

©©©Bugun & Sherdukpen tribes conducts bird & butterfly tourism.

Only known location in India where two species of Bhutanitis are seen. >230 butterfly species.

Bugun tribe have declared 17 sq. km. of Community Conserved Reserve. Prime Bhutanitis habitat.

Protecting Bhutanitis habitat from road building threat, poaching. Awareness.

Bhutanitisludlowi

©TarunKarmakar

A5yearstudyrevealed463butterflyspeciesintheKamengProtectedAreacomplexincludingEaglenest&Pakke

©©©

Butterfly&mothtourismgeneratesincome&livelihoodforthelocalcommunity

Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh

©©©

TheBuguntribeconductsbutterflytourismwithBhutanitislidderdalii&Bhutanitisludlowiasthestarattractions

Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh

©©©

TheBuguntribeactivelysupportshabitatprotection&guardsagainstbutterflypoachingthrougha10memberpatrollingteam.17sq.kmCCA.

Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh

Tizu Valley, Nagaland

©©©Villages of Sukhai, Khivekhu & Ghukheyi have declared their community forests as Community Conserved Areas.

Checklist of 200+ butterfly & 300+ moth species.

Local NGO-Tizu Valley Biodiversity Conservation & Livelihood Network.

Documenting local biodiversity & protecting butterfly habitat. Banned hunting.

Araschniadohertyi

Tizu Valley, Nagaland

©©©

Tizu Valley, Nagaland

©©©

VihotoKiba,

Khivikhu,Zunhebo-

to.KnownasMr.Moth.

The Butterfly Man of Nagaland

©©©

Naro&Sondhi,2014TshetsholoNaro:25yearoldNagayouthfromtheChakhesangtribe.KnownasbutterflymanofNagaland.MonographpublishedinJOTT.Re-discoveries..Chitoriaulupi,Arhopalacomica.

©©©

Talle WLS, Central Arunachal Pradesh

Checklist of 200+ butterfly & 500+ moth species.

NgunoZiro..NGO conducting annual butterfly meet for six years. This year, introduced moths as well.

Documenting local biodiversity & protecting butterfly habitat. Stayed black topping of road. Chadha et al 2018-new moth species-Elcysma ziroensis.

Talle WLS, Arunachal

Bhutanitislidderdalii

Elcysmaziroensis

Talle WLS, Arunachal

©©©

©ReddyBei

Teinopalpusimperialis

TheApatanitribeactivelydocumentsbutterfly

diversity;protectslocalhabitat.LocalCEprogramsZiroButterfly&moth

meet,2019

ButterfliesofZirowith186

species.

ProducedbyNgunoZiro,localNGO.

Releasedon4Sep2019at6thZiroButterfly&mothmeet.

Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education

IndianFoundationforButterflies:-Butterflies-Moths-Birds-Amphibians-Reptiles-Odonates-MammalsPeer-reviewed,robust,Indianplatformformultiple

taxa.Mobileappunderdevelopment.

Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education

iNaturalist(https://www.inaturalist.org)MultipletaxaOptionofIntelligentIDPeer-reviewprocessnotasrobustGoodforsitebaseddocumentation

Globalplatform.Multipletaxa.Sitespecificdata.

Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education

eBird(https://ebird.org)GlobalplatformWidelyused:mobileandcomputer-basedEasytoaccessdata,BUTdataresidesoverseas.

Globalplatform.Wideusage.Easytouse.

Role of NGO’s in citizen science

Involveallconstituents…Citizens,students,localcommunities,researchers…Supportthemanydifferentplatformsandmechanisms.Capacitybuildingtousethese.Organiseevents…biodiversitymeets,BigBirdDay,GreatBackyardBirdCount,BigButterflyCount,MothWeek

NGO’scanstimulatecitizenstocontributeconservationandprotection

TITLI TRUST # 49, Rajpur Road Enclave,

Dhoran Khas, Dehradun, 248001

Uttarakhand

+91 9412052189 sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.com

www.titlitrust.org

sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.com