MIAO, Nov 30: The three-day 8th Namdapha Butterfly Festival concluded on Saturday with organisers reporting strong community participation and the sighting of more than 100 butterfly species in and around Khachang village of Changlang district.
The festival, facilitated this year with active support from the Khachang Maithingpum Youth Forum and the New Yumchum Youth Association, drew more than 300 participants, including students from NALC, PMKV School Miao, Rajiv Gandhi University and NERIST, as well as visitors from Maharashtra, Kolkata, Dehradun, Assam and other states.
Biri Karba, Range Forest Officer, Miao, said the festival was steadily emerging as a platform connecting conservation with people. “Moving the technical sessions to the village strengthened community involvement. Conservation succeeds when local people become partners in protecting Namdapha,” he said.
Festival organisers said the nature trails inside Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve were a major draw. Guided by resource persons, participants spotted dozens of butterfly species and encountered the great hornbill, hoolock gibbons, spiders, insects and other wildlife.
Resource person Aditya Das said the trails helped participants understand the sheer ecological depth of Namdapha. “Many were seeing these species for the first time. Such field experiences ignite curiosity and build long-term interest in conservation,” he noted.
Sarika Baidya, another resource person, said the reserve’s biodiversity remained unparalleled in the Eastern Himalayas. “Namdapha is a living classroom. Every trail reveals something new, and involving young people is crucial for sustaining this knowledge,” she said.
Experts added that the sessions underscored Namdapha’s status as one of the largest protected areas in the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot, home to four big cat species, the Mishmi takin, red panda and several rare fauna.
Local residents said the festival helped them better appreciate the landscape they live in. “We were unaware of the rich biodiversity of Namdapha, but this festival helped us learn. We hope future editions continue to involve the community,” a villager said.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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