The Forest department in the state is conducting a science-based bird survey in Pench in Maharashtra from January 13 to 15, 2023. It is for the first time that it is involving citizens in the survey from eleven states across India.
The project is being organized in collaboration with TINSA Ecological Foundation, an NGO involved in ecological research. It is the first such initiative wherein 125 volunteers will be participating including 33 women.
The participants belong to the age group of 18 to 74 years. The participants have been selected meticulously after screening about 200 applicants. The team includes young students as well as wildlife enthusiasts. They will be supported by the forest staff.
The survey aims at generating the baseline data on bird diversity and density using Citizen Science Model. Such surveys are quite common in developed countries.
The persons involved in the survey will be staying in a group of 2-3 in Forest Protection Camps. These teams will be covering 78 beats of the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR).
The Adaptive Line Transect and Point Count methods will be used to record bird diversity during 13-15 January 2023. The data will be collected on the “Kobo Collect” App, a free offline App that will record each bird sighting with its name, number of individuals, and its geo-location. A base Survey online checklist of 310 species in Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra has already been created by CIBA (Central India Bird Academy), a Nagpur-based NGO.
During the launch of the event, the Pench Field Director, A Shreelakshmi, Deputy Director Prabhu Nath Shukla, team members of TINSA, and other forest officers and staff were present along with participants.
On the occasion, RFO Pravin Lele welcomed all participants, and RFO Mangesh Tate explained the dos and Don’ts to be followed in PTR during the survey. Deputy Director Prabhu Nath Shukla briefed about PTR. Ajinkya Patil explained the need for such surveys and how citizen science-based surveys can be important for conservation initiatives.
Dr. Anil Pimpalapure explained the baseline bird data collection by CIBA. Dr. Ankit Sinha, from TINSA, explained the methodology and design of the survey. The concluding ceremony will be organized on 15th January at Sillari to share experiences and other aspects.
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