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for a living planet ®

EcoCircularVOL 40 NO. 7 APRIL-JUNE 2006 N E W S L E T T E R - S U M M E R

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Winds of ChangeThere have been important changes in Nepal during thepast few months. The will of the people rose to thechallenge and succeeded in making history. Thecessation of hostilities has given us a hope for apermanent peace. This peace will, we are sure, usher inlong-term benefits for Nepal.

WWF has been in Nepal since the 1960s but thisMay WWF Nepal Programme Office celebrated thecompletion of 13 wonderful years. Through the goodtimes and bad, we have been able to continue ourwork because of the tremendous support we receivedfrom the very grassroots up.

It has been an incredible journey for us–beginningwith rhino and tiger conservation projects four decadesago to the present where we work closely with localcommunities, other partners, and the Government ofNepal in landscapes where biodiversity, together withculture and sustainable livelihoods go hand in hand.

As the winds of change blow through Nepal Iwould like to thank all our supporters. Your faith andgoodwill keep us true to our goals. Together we will tostrive for a better Nepal and a living planet.

Chandra Gurung, PhDCountry RepresentativeWWF Nepal Program

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This May, WWF Nepal sounded the alarmKANCHAN THAPA , Research Officer

Alarming signs of the decline in rhino populations and possibly tigernumbers, indicating widespread poaching, were revealed in asweeping operation led by Bardia National Park staff, supported byWWF Nepal, in the previously inaccessible Babai valley between21-24 May 2006. The recent political changes in Nepal that led tothe ceasefire allowed park staff to return to the area after atwo-year gap.

A 40-member team on elephants led by Bardia National Parkwas accompanied by Dr Tirtha Man Maskey, Co-Chair of the AsianRhino Specialist Group, and Kanchan Thapa, Research Officer atWWF Nepal. Evidence of only three rhinos was observed in thefavourable rhino habitat in the southern part of the valley. Since 1986,83 rhinos have been translocated to Bardia, of which 72 werereleased in the Babai floodplain.

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InsideLucky 13 3Notes 5Beauty with the Beasts 9Ground Realities 10Diary of an Intern 11

Bardia's Rhinos andTigers in DangerBardia's Rhinos andTigers in Danger

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From page 1 The team apprehended two persons, oneeach from two different groups of poacherswho were armed with locally made muzzleguns. Four weapons and a large cache ofammunition was seized along with more than300kgs of smoked Sambar, spotted deer,barking deer, and four-horned antelope meat–all important prey species of the tiger and othercarnivores. This could have serious implicationsfor the tiger population in Bardia National Park.In addition, all the guard posts inside the Babaivalley were destroyed during the conflict.

During the 1998-2001 survey, 13 tigerswere reported in the Babai Valley but the teamobserved signs of only 3 tigers during theoperation. Furthermore, fewer than estimatedtigers were confirmed in a preliminary cameratrap survey in the Karnali floodplain of BardiaNational Park. The camera trap survey, whichbegan in January 2006, camera trapped only 3in the national park and 2 in the Khata corridorout of a recorded tiger population of 18 in2000-01.

The Department of National Parks andWildlife Conservation (DNPWC), supported byWWF, has already initiated a number ofimmediate steps: joint patrols by the park staffand protection unit have been planned focusingon areas not covered by the first sweepingoperation and the buffer zone to verify thefindings. The continuing community-based anti-poaching operations are being mobilized.

In areas where the conflict had less impacton conservation work, rhino and tigerpopulations are stable or growing. An August

2005 survey found that the 11 rhinos releasedin 1986 in the Karnali River floodplain, alsowithin Bardia National Park, had increased tomore than 30. Tiger presence has beenrecorded in the Khata corridor. The populationof rhinos in the nearby Shuklaphanta WildlifeReserve is 7. None have been lost to poachingsince the translocation in 2000 and there hasbeen an increase of three. The ongoing tigermonitoring at Shuklaphanta estimates thepopulation to be around 27 adult breeding tigers.

"The Babai case clearly shows the impactof conflict on conservation and WWF is readyto increase its support in the efforts to addressthis threat," says Dr Chandra Gurung, CountryRepresentative of WWF Nepal. "We call uponall stakeholders to join hands at this criticaljuncture."

WWF Nepal strongly urges the enactmentof an immediate short- and long-term plan foraction on the ground.

[email protected]

Muzzle guns confiscated by the team.

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Sweeping operationon elephants

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WWF Nepal completed 13 years of itsexistence as a Programme Office on19 May 2006 and it was a special dayfor everyone! This year the theme was"TEAM WWF" with a focus on theimportance and strength of workingtogether and healthy competition.

Bandana Y Lepcha, HumanResources Officer, led the plans for theday with the support of a core group,of which I was privileged to be amember. We came up with the idea ofhaving two teams with captains andvice-captains. It wasn't long before thetwo teams emerged–The OrangePiranhas led by Gokarna J Thapa withAng Phuri Sherpa and The MightyUnicorns led by Ritesh Shrestha andShubash Lohani. Team competitionswere sorted out ranging from gamesthat we played as children to seriousmatches. To keep enthusiasm high,team t-shirts and caps weredistributed to all staff.

The anniversary was organized at ahotel that had extensive sports facilitiesand began with a short speech fromthe Country Representative followed bya big breakfast. From a relatively easystart with the Sack Race, Spoon Raceand Three Legged Race, we moved toBadminton and Table Tennis whereSwadeepa, an intern, wowed us all.As the day progressed with events likethe walkathon and swimming, fatiguecrept in till dancing before lunchrevived our spirits. A jet-lagged AnilManandhar and Tara Gnyawali camestraight from the UK to the event wherethe latter shared his experiences in apoem titled "Pappu mobile wale Londonmein" (Pappu of the mobile [phone] inLondon). The final competitions werebowling and tug-of-war that alsohighlighted the team spirit. ConservationAmbassador Ms Sugarika KC, MissNepal 2005, attended the final eventsand supported the staff.

Celebrating Team WWF on our anniversaryPRAJANA W PRADHAN, Asst. to Country Representative, WWF Nepal

Spoon Race

Three Legged Race

Mighty Unicorns Orange Piranhas

Lucky 13Lucky 13


The day ended with the Staff Awards for 2006 and the announcementof the winning team. Two categories carried over from last year–Employeeof the Year and Best Team Player–but other creative awards were givenbased on email peer voting (see box for winners). The Orange Piranhastallied up the most points and took the overall team prize, winning by fourpoints. The celebrations finally came to an end with tea and someinspirational remarks by Dr. Gurung. It was a day filled with fun, laughter,and games but more importantly it brought out the team spirit of our staff.It made us realize that even though we are busy in our own departmentsor out in the field, we all belong to one team–TEAM WWF!!!

[email protected]

Award

Never Say No

Go-Getter

Know-it-all

Indispensable

Best Team Player

Employee of the Year

Walked the Extra Mile

Winner

Gokarna Jung Thapa

Shubash Lohani

Prashant Singh

Corona G Ranjit

Bandana Y Lepcha

Parag Bijukchhe

Gautam Poudyal

Parag Bijukchhe

Designation

GIS Officer

TAL Programme Officer

Director, Finance & Admin.

Senior Admin. Assistant

Human Resource Officer

KCAP Field Project Officer

NMCP Field Project Officer

KCP Field Project OfficerBest Team Player-2006, Bandana Yonzan Lepcha

Pappu mobile waleLondon mein

Gokarna Jung Thapa (right),leader of the winning team

Working with the local communities has paid rich dividends inraising awareness on the importance and sustainable use ofwetlands. For the first time, local youth formed a community-based anti-poaching operation (CBAPO) group to protectwetlands and its resources with support from the TAL Program. Itis actively involved in preventing poaching and encroachmentwithin and around Ghodaghodi. A turning point came during theWorld Wetlands Day 2005 celebrations when communitiesresolved to stop illegal activities and poaching at GhodaghodiLake and several local poachers voluntarily surrendered theirweapons like spears and dugout canoes. The CBAPO hasconfiscated over 800 fish hooks, three boats, and nearly 200 gillnets, which has a tremendous positive impact on the biodiversityof the lake.

A sand bank improves crocodile habitat at Ghodaghodi©

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Banking forcrocodilesInhabitants of an importantRamsar site get a helping hand

Ghodaghodi Lake, one of four Ramsar sites in Nepal, is rich inbiodiversity. Various important wildlife species and people rely onthe wetland resources. This lake used to be a good habitat forendangered species of crocodile and turtles, but because of heavyexploitation and poaching, the survival of these important specieswas in danger.

Recognizing the threat, the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL)Program, supported by the Government of Nepal and WWFNepal, initiated a project to improve this wetland habitat andprotect aquatic biodiversity by involving local people inconservation.

The marsh mugger crocodile (crocodiles palustris) is are notamong the most endearing species but they are an important partof wetland biodiversity. In order to improve their habitat aroundGhodaghodi Lake, the TAL Program together with localcommunities built a suitable sand bank in early June for baskingand nesting. Recently, a local monitoring team found a number offootprints at the site, proving that the sand bank is used bymuggers frequently for basking and will probably be suitable alsoas a nesting site.

Banking forcrocodiles


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NOTES

Nepali Climate Witness goesinternationalNorbu Sherpa, the WWF's Climate Witnessfrom Nepal, will be features extensively in animportant new documentary. The documentaryis being produced by Television Trust for theEnvironment (TVE) for the news-channel AlZajeera International. Tanya Peterson, Head ofTelevision, WWF International, Nick Turner ofTelevision Trust for the Environment and AaratiGurung, Climate Change Programme went toGhat to film Norbu from 21-26 May 2006.Scientific input was provided by Dr Arun BShrestha from the Department of Hydrologyand Meteorology. The show will be broadcastto a global audience in September 2006 and bea tool to raise the issues of climate changeimpacts.

To the mountainsDonald Clark, Mission Director, USAID visitedthe Northern Mountain Conservation Project(NMCP) to observe ongoing project work inDolpa in May 2006. The NMCP staff providedvaluable briefings and accompanied him. YeshiChoden Lama, Senior Program Officer-Mountain, was deputized from Kathmandu.

River dolphins under threatSix months of field research conducted byWWF along Nepal's longer river, the Karnali,shows that river dolphin populations arestagnant and remain more endangered thanever. River dolphins are some of the mostendangered of all the world's cetaceans andat risk of extinction from habitat loss, huntingby humans, and naturally low numbers.Formerly quite abundant, the overallpopulation of Ganges river dolphins (Platanistagangetica) is now probably fewer than 100dolphins in Nepal, with thegroup of about 20 in theKarnali River. The WWFNepal study Status,distribution andconservation threats ofGanges River dolphins inthe Karnali River, Nepal isbased on researchconducted on riverdolphins in the KarnaliRiver system in thewestern lowland of Nepal fromJuly 2005 to February 2006. The study wasdiscussed at a two-day regional meeting onthe conservation and management of riverdolphins in Asia, held in Kathmandu from26-27 May.

CBAPO orientation in SCAFPA team of resource persons for CBAPO fromthe TAL Programme and participants fromKangchenjunga Conservation Area Project(KCA) traveled to Sagarmatha for anorientation and training in Lukla. The trainingwas also attended by CBAPO members fromSagarmatha National Park.


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SConservation Ambassador visitsChitwan for World Environment DayOn the occasion of World Environment Day2006 on 5 June 2006, a team from WWFincluding Sugarika KC, ConservationAmbassador and Miss Nepal 2006, went toChitwan National Park to promote an anti-poaching street theatre programme. The teamwas accompanied by a Kathmandu-basedjournalist and received coverage in the localand national media. It was the first field trip forthe Conservation Ambassador who had theopportunity to not only observe our work on theground but also meet local communitiesinvolved in conservation activities from 4-7June 2006.

SHL Workshop in TaplejungSabita Thapa and Arati Shrestha from themountain unit together with two consultantsfrom National Environmental Coalition ofIndigenous Nationalities (NECIN) visitedTaplejung District from 31 May to 7 June 2006.The objective of the visit was to organize andparticipate in two workshops: 1) SacredHimalayan Landscape Strategic Planconsultation workshop and 2) Awarenessraising workshop on relationship betweenIndigenous Peoples (IPs) and Convention onBiological Diversity (CBD).

The first workshop was held on 3 June andparticipated by more than 45 stakeholdersincluding local NGOs, political leaders,journalists, and key individuals in the field ofnatural resources management. The SHLworkshop was third on the line feeding intoSacred Himalayan Landscape StrategicFormulation process.

The workshop on IPs on 4 June was heldjointly by WWF and NECIN with managementsupport provided by a local NGO, Kirant

Yakthum Chumlung. More than 50 participantswere present on the day. In addition tofamiliarizing the participants about CBD and itsrelevant clauses regarding the rights ofindigenous nationalities, four groups ofparticipants worked to strategize future stepsfor ensuring rights of indigenous peoples innatural resource management. On 5 June, theteam participated in various programmesorganized jointly by KangchenjungaConservation Area Project (KCAP), Tourism forRural Poverty Alleviation Programme (TRPAP),and District Soil Conservation Office tocelebrate the Environment Day.

Media TrainingA half-day media training workshop featuringtips on how to handle the different forms ofmedia and being a good communicator wasorganized by the Communications & EducationUnit on 9 June 2006. Staff were briefed on theRapid Response Kit and handed t-shirts withthe WWF logo for field/interview usage. Theworkshop also included an on-camerapresentation skills training by the Institute ofTelevision Films and the Performing Arts.

WWF Nepal success stories in leadingnational dailyOn World Environment Day, 5 June 2006, a fullpage special featuring conservation articles andsuccess stories was published in Kantipur,Nepal's no. 1 vernacular daily. The articlescovered climate change, success stories fromthe TAL and NMCP, an interview withConservation ambassador Sugarika KC, MissNepal 2006, and news about the decliningGangetic dolphins in the Karnali.

Reaching outAs part of World Environment Day celebrations,WWF Nepal participated in a 3-day exhibition.Recent editions of the newsletter were



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Sdistributed along with handouts on WWF Nepal.Ritesh Shrestha, Database & DocumentationAssistant, Jeny Shrestha, intern - FreshwaterProgramme, and Swadeepa Bohara,Communications Volunteer, carried out aninformal survey of visitors to test theirawareness on WWF and its work. Out of about144 students surveyed, 89 had some ideaabout WWF and its work while 116 werefamiliar with the logo. Most visitors comprisedcollege students followed by intermediateschool students. Two thematic research briefson the SHL, which draws on work in progresson the SHL Strategic Plan - Nepal were alsoreleased on the occasion.

Dolphin AwarenessA Dolphin Awareness Programme wasconducted to share findings of the researchcarried out by WWF Nepal on river dolphins andraise awareness among locals between 12-16June at Thakurdwara, Kothaighat, Khata andBhajani of the lower Karnali River basin.Presentations on the research result weremade, discussions were generated throughlocal consultations and group work andawareness raising materials like informativeposters, pamphlets, and booklets on riverdolphin were distributed. The audiencerepresented various stakeholders such asBardia National Park, local NGOs, touristguides from Bardia National Park, lodgemanagers, Eco Club students, CBAPOs,CFUGs, teachers, local fishermen, andcommunity members. The key message of theawareness program was to save dolphins andconserve its habitat.

Asia Pacific Climate Change TeamWWF Nepal's Climate Change Team ofSandeep Chamling Rai and Aarati Gurungparticipated in the Asia Pacific Climate Change

Team Meeting from 5-10 June 2006 in Bali,Indonesia. The meeting was participated by 10other CC teams across the Asia Pacific region.The major objectives were to brainstorm,analyze, and discuss the key components andIntegrated Vision of the Asia Pacific Climate andEnergy Program, to link the Integrated Visionwith detailed input into the ongoing process ofdeveloping our 2007+ Energy related milestones,to review and evaluate progress on operationalgoals form the previous year, plans for FY07 andthe operational requirements, to discussmanagement and leadership transition issues.

Targets and milestones based on Energy,Impacts & Adaptation and InternationalNegotiation; management and leadershiptransition issues were finalized to forward to theGlobal Climate Change Programme. A regionalUnited Nations Framework Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC) project that is beingimplemented by South Pacific, Indonesia andNepal was also discussed.

Working with peopleIndigenous peoples and their relationship toconservation was in focus during a two-dayworkshop organized by WWF Nepal and theNational Federation of Indigenous Nationalities(NEFIN) on 29-30 June 2006. "Raising IndigenousPeoples' Awareness about Implementation of theCBD and Framing WWF Nepal's Working Areasand Approaches on IPs" was attended byrepresentatives of indigenous communities andorganizations from across the country,representative government agencies, I/NGOs,intellectuals and academicians, and individualsworking in environment and natural resourcesmanagement.

The objective of this workshop was toprovide clarity on WWF Nepal's position andapproach to working with indigenous and localcommunities to enhance biodiversity


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Across Nepal, ideas ofwell-being differaccording to differentparameters like culturalgroups, ethnicities, andlinguistics. The contextalso varies from that ofdeveloped countries.

A household mayscore on well-being evenwithout a regular cashincome source orproperty. It depends

largely on how people define themselves to theirsociety and community. From a conservationperspective, a chairman or secretary of a council orcoordination committee has more value than asubsistence economy status. Similarly, having alarge private jungle may be a symbol of being well-being compared to being a college graduate withoutany static property. This makes it very difficult todefine and generalize standard definitions to apply todifferent communities in diverse ecological zonesin Nepal.

WWF Nepal has considerable experience inscaling-up and profiling different diverse householdsthrough the well-being ranking process tool. A

Sustainable Livelihoods Orientation training wasorganized for mid-level committee members thatplay key roles in planning, designing, allocating, andimplementing conservation and livelihoodsinterventions. By targeting the benefits of aprogramme, we updated and defined the criteriawith changing perspectives. The well-being rankingpractices were one of the key tools for Socialinclusion and Targeted Programmes foridentification of deprived households, especially forincomes based on natural resource management.

Significant differences and similarities werefound in well-being understanding in the two diverseecoregions in the same Eastern Himalaya EcoregionComplex, where local prestige and property are twointerlinking entities. But at the same time people whoare economically deprived but have representationin politics and other socio-cultural institution havesocial recognition were placed in the 'moderate well-being' section.

This leads us to conclude that we cannotgeneralize similar indicators from one ecologicalzone to another with regard to conservationinterventions. Our exercises show us that differencesoccur not only in one landscape but even in a villageif there are ethnic and cultural differences.

[email protected]

TARA PRASAD GNYAWALI, Sustainable Livelihoods Specialist

Exploring the perceptionof well-being throughvisual illustrations

conservation and local livelihoods. It also aimedto communicate some of the ongoingconservation approaches and gains made byWWF vis-à-vis indigenous and local communitiesand also to refine our working strategies.

During the workshop, 'Beyond Belief', areport by WWF and ARC (Alliance of Religionsand Conservation) was released. It exploreshow faiths - from the large mainstream faiths tosmall traditional faiths - interact with one of themain tools of conservation, protected areas. Italso includes a survey of a hundred protectedareas around the world which containimportant values to one or more faiths and 14detailed case studies, including Nepal. On thefirst day of the workshop, distinguishedpresenters from various organizations/institutions presented technical papers on the

main issues. On the second day, group workhelped streamline various views and opinionsregarding issues relevant to the indigenouspeople, including their rights and governanceover the natural resource management.

With Different Eyes:Perceptions of well-beingWith Different Eyes:Perceptions of well-being


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On the occasion of World Environment Day 2006, theConservation Ambassador accompanied by a WWF Nepalteam and a journalist traveled to Nepal's first protectedarea, Chitwan National Park between 4-7 June.

Sugarika visited the Gharial Breeding Centre and wasbriefed about WWF Nepal's various conservation activitiesinside the protected area by Purna Kunwar, SectorManager - Terai Arc Landscape Programme. During thejungle drive to the Centre, two female rhinos were seencooling off in the shallow waters of Kamal Tal. Some trailsinside the park were closed as they were deemedtreacherous following the monsoon rains.

WWF Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape Programme hadorganized a street theatre to raise community supportagainst rhino poaching in the buffer zone area around thepark. The drama was performed by famous Nepali TVpersonalities and drew enormous crowds on all 16performances held at various villages in Nepal. Theinaugural show was at the grounds of Bhimoday HighSchool in New Padampur. The show attracted more than2,000 people. Sugarika addressed the crowd, stressing onthe importance of being vigilant against poaching and tomaintain the rich biodiversity in the Terai. She met severalchildren of the school's Eco Club as well as other youthwho were delighted to meet a well known public figure.

WWF Nepal has made considerable investments inNew Padampur. This community was relocated from insideChitwan National Park and resettled at New Padampur.Sugarika met local women who proudly showed her toilet-attached biogas and improved cooking stoves.

"We don't rely on wood as much as before and ourhealth has improved because there is less smoke inside thehouse," shared Kamala Bhattarai of the local women'sgroup.

The group runs a micro-finance credit scheme andother activities that have improved incomes and the statusof women. She also met a recently instituted anti-poachingyouth awareness group who were successful inapprehending a group of timber smugglers on their first nightpatrol. For lunch, the Conservation Ambassador, along withthe team, had the opportunity of sampling a traditionalTharu meal at New Padampur. Sugarika, a vegetarian,politely declined the culinary highlight-curried snails called"ghunghi".

This visit to Chitwan National Park was a first for theConservation Ambassador who enjoyed birdwatching, anelephant safari, and a visit to the Elephant Breeding Centre.

"My trip to Chitwan was adventurous, fun and mostimportantly, I learned a lot about conservation-things I couldnever get from a book," said Sugarika.

Planting a sapling with Eco Club students fromBhimoday High School

Sugarika, WWF-Nepal Conservation Ambassadorgives biogas a helping hand

Sugarika holds up an elephant tusk, Armed ForestGuard Training Centre, Tikauli

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Beauty with the BeastsBeauty with the BeastsSugarika KC, WWF Nepal Conservation Ambassador and Miss Nepal2005, is not nervous about speaking to thousands of people orsqueamish about holding a freshly caught fish.HANIF MOHAMMED, Communications Intern


Although it's a pleasure to live and work in theTerai, the hardest season to weather issummer. I have worked with the TALProgramme in Bardia and Chitwan for threeyears but before that I worked in themountains.

In some ways, I think of myself as thepublic face for WWF Nepal and TAL in the fieldwhen I meet communities, eco clubs, CBOs,conservation partners, and governmentofficials. My work covers a wide range ofactivities from monitoring of TAL-supportedactivities inside the protected areas and thebuffer zone to community mobilization. Thelatter is very important to the success of ourwork-if we can't convince the local people tojoin us in biodiversity conservation then we arefighting a losing battle. In my opinion, the bestpart about working in Chitwan is the highconservation awareness and motivationamong people.

Although I have a background in forestry,working in TAL allows me to grow in newdirections. I am part of new conservationinitiatives that are challenging and therefore,enjoyable. The downside of working in the field

is that I see very little of family. My wife, EakMaya, and two beautiful children, Annapurna(13) and Anil (10), and the rest of my family livein Pokhara. I usually get to visit them once intwo months and only for a weekend. Of courseI miss them. Some of my friends say that Ihave committed a crime against my wife anddo not do justice to my family.

This is a hard choice I had to make. Beinga grassroots conservationist means working inthe field and if the Terai is where I am needed,then that is where I must put my time and effort!

The park headquarters of Chitwan NationalPark is where I am based. My room on the topof the vet clinic in Kasara has a great view oftrees and has the luxury of an attachedbathroom too. While the room is pleasant in thecooler season, during summer we bake in theheat. It gets very hot as temperatures soar andhumidity rises that we literally drip with sweat.We are lucky to have electricity and fans are alifesaver. Evenings are the hardest because ofmosquitoes that descend like a black cloud.Luckily, I never had malaria or been seriously ill.

Communications in Kasara is difficult. WWFNepal invested in a new radio system for the

A personal account by Purna Bahadur Kunwar,Sector Manager, TAL Programme

Ground realitiesSummer Summer Summer Summer Summer 22222000000606060606


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park but that is used exclusively for anti-poaching patrols. There are notelephones in the middle of the jungle and all of us have to rely on rathermobile services. The mobile signal is not always strong and at any giventime, you can see at least one person wandering around with a mobile inhand looking to get a spot with a strong enough signal. We have to goto Bharatpur, district headquarters of Chitwan, for all other needs likeemail and photocopy. It takes one hour on rough roads to get fromKasara to Bharatpur. I take my chances on whatever transportation isheaded in my direction from rickshaws and motorbikes to cars. Themonsoon rains makes travel even more difficult because roads get verymuddy and wash out.

Despite the Terai heat in the summer, I enjoy what I do because Ibelieve that my work is bettering the lives of people while ensuringconservation success. I like working for WWF Nepal. On one hand, Ihave the flexibility to work independently and on the other, it is veryencouraging to know that although I am the only one in Chitwan, I havethe backing of an entire global organization to push forward our goals.

[email protected]

It has been a short and sweet journey forme at WWF as I leave with many fondmemories, vast knowledge, and greatinspiration. On my first day, I was appointedas an intern to the SHL and TAL programmesand Bandana at Human Resources set meup at the office and introduced me to myguide Dr. Sabita Thapa. During the next twodays, I read up about the programmes andgot to know the staff. I was placed at theResource Centre with Ritesh Shrestha,Documentation and Database Assistant,Anil Poudel, Intern-TAL, and SwodeepaBohara, Communications Volunteer.

My first challenge was to overcome myrestlessness since this was my first experienceat a 9-to-5 job. Although I was a littledisappointed by my first task of documentingall the paperwork in the mountain unit, I felt asense of accomplishment and also gainedvaluable knowledge about the activities.After this, I assisted in the publication of thefirst two issues of thematic research forSHL. It was great to be entrusted with thisresponsibility and I learned a lot about layoutand design from Format Printing Press.

I also visited the Ministry of Forest and

Soil Conservation (MFSC) with Dr Thapa toget feedback on the strategic plans of theSHL and approval of the thematic briefs wewere about to publish. It was a goodopportunity to meet Dr Mohan P Wagle,Chief of Planning and Human Resources. Iwas struck by how few women work in theministry and most other organizations. I aminspired by Sabitaji who is among thequalified, confident, and capable professionalworking women in Nepal.

I enjoyed the staff orientation on 16 Maywhere I learnt a lot. It made me proud tobelong to an organization that was socommitted to conserving the naturalresources of this planet as well as directlylooking out for the interests of the peoplethus making the world a better place to livein. On 19 May, WWF celebrated its 13anniversary in Nepal with a sports day. Itwas a wonderful day of games, fun,laughter, and excitement. It was great tosee interns and seniors all interacting sofreely. Such equality is rare these days inany organization. I believe that what I learntat WWF Nepal will help me reach my highergoals in my life.

Arati ShresthaIntern, Terai Arc Landscape and

Sacred Himalayan Landscape

Thank you WWFNepal for this

wonderful journey!

Diary of an InternDiary of an Intern


Demographic Analysis Terai ArcLandscape - Nepal,2006, 135 ppThis is a macro-level analysis of demographics inthe most populated area of Nepal in the context ofbiodiversity conservation and sustainablelivelihoods. The analysis undertaken clearlyshows the increasing impact of populationpressure on natural resources that willincreasingly threaten the survival of flora and fauna.

Status, Distribution and conservationthreats of ganges River Dolphins inKarnali River, Nepal,2006, 29ppThis report is an important milestone in WWFNepal's commitment not only to conservationof flagship species but also to the needs ofthe people, who like river dolphins, aredependant on freshwater sources. This is thefirst research undertaken in the Karnali Riverfor aquatic fauna by WWF Nepal.

Sacred Himalayan Landscape:Thematic Research Working Briefs 1&2,2006, pp 16&16These briefs draw on work in progress inthe Sacred Himalayan LandscapeStrategic Plan-Nepal to disseminate andexchange the research issues and ideas asthey evolve. The first working brief "Nature,Culture & Conservation" includes a section on belief andfaith systems as a tool for conservation, a case studyand recommends priority actions.

Factsheets: Wetlands of NepalThis collection of factsheets on the wetlandsof Nepal provides a wealth of information onseveral lakes, reservoir, national parks andconservation areas. Wetland areas ofBeeshazar, Ghodaghodi, Jagadishpur, KoshiTappu, Phoksundo, Gosaikunda, Singjemaand Gokyo are covered and include a generaloverview, its values, threats and differentconservation measures.

EcoCircularCommunications & Marketing UnitWWF Nepal Programme OfficePO Box 7660, Baluwatar,Kathmandu, Nepal

Email: [email protected]: www.wwfnepal.org,

www.panda.org/nepal

WWF ON YOUR RADIO!

We are the world: xfd|f] ;+;f/ xfd|} xftdf is a one-hour showevery Thursday from 5-6 PM on the Kathmandu-based Hits FM91.2. If you'd like a free sticker (pic, right), write to us.

Bhuparidhi is a joint radio presentation of the Ministry of Forestand Soil Conservation and WWF Nepal broadcast in the Terai through:• Kalika FM, Bharatpur. Saturday 7:15 - 7:30 PM• Bageshwori FM, Nepalganj. Sunday 7:45 - 8 AM (2nd and 4th weeks in Tharu)

• Tinau FM, Rupandehi. Sunday 8 - 8:15 PM• Radio Nepal RBS, Surkhet. Sunday 8:30 - 8:45 PM

HOT OFFTHE PRESS

Samrakshan Dohari GeetA two-CD set of the songs recorded at theDohari competition at the Save the RhinoCampaign 2006 in Chitwan was digitallyremastered for distribution among conservationpartners especially in the field.

Climate change postcardsThe two winning entries for the poster competition nthe school level climate change AwarenessProgramme 2006 were made into postcards that willbe used to raise awareness. The first prize wasawarded to Sabin Shrestha of Bal Sewa SecondarySchool, the second prize winner was SunstarShrestha, Ideal Model School, Lalitpur.

If you would like a copy of any of these please contactRitesh Shrestha, Documentation and DatabaseAssistant. [email protected]

Asian Rhino Specialist Group Workshop at Kaziranga NationalPark for members of South Asia from 14-16 October 2006. Theobjectives are to encourage networking, share experiences, highlightsuccesses and discuss effective strategies for transboundary rhinoconservation. The workshop is jointly organized by AsRSG, WWFAREAS, IUCN Nepal, Kaziranga National Park and WWF Nepal.

International Conference on Conservation in Conflict inKathmandu, Nepal from 5-7 September 2006. The objective ofconference is to identify and raise awareness about the negativeimpacts of armed conflict on the environment, and to developstrategies to mitigate impacts during and after conflict. It is jointlyorganized by Wildlife Watch Group with Embassy of Finland, WWFNepal and The Mountain Institute.

Landscape Coordinators Meeting for the Eastern HimalayanEcoregion Complex in Kathmandu, Nepal from 8-10 September. Thekey objectives are a review FY06 outcomes, accomplishments, andprogress against EHEC targets and milestones and to discuss keychallenges and opportunities for landscape coordinators. There willspecial sessions for networking and media handling.

COMING UP

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