Arunachal: Naturalist training workshop for community youth held in Shergaon
30 participants from Shergaon and neighbouring villages including Chug, Morshing, Tenzing, Jigaon and Thonglei took part in the workshop.
SHERGAON- The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), in partnership with Garung Thuk NGO, initiated a three-day naturalist training program with local homestay owners, naturalists and youth from the Sherdukpen community in Shergaon, Arunachal Pradesh.
The workshop is a part of WTI’s ‘Forgotten Cats of Shergaon Project’ supported by the Royal Enfield Social Mission and Felis. Held between the 26th and 28th of March 2025, the workshop hosted by WTI and Garung Thuk aimed to equip participants with the skills to identify and document the regional biodiversity, understand potential eco-tourism models and develop strategies to promote sustainable tourism and link it to the local economy.
The training included modules on basic communication strategies, the use of nature interpretation tools (field guides, kits, binoculars etc.), fundamentals of documentation and storytelling, local culture and traditions, community-based ecotourism models and key principles of hospitality and waste management.
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30 participants from Shergaon and neighbouring villages including Chug, Morshing, Tenzing, Jigaon and Thonglei took part in the workshop.
The group comprised students, homestay owners, representatives from civic bodies and eco-entrepreneurs. The Sherdhukpen community residing in this region have already reported sightings of species like golden cats and clouded leopards in this landscape.
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WTI along with Garung Thuk has been conducting camera trapping exercises to document such unique species and the team hopes that this can help boost nature-based tourism models.
A team from the Royal Enfield Social Mission including Vigyat Singh (Director, Operations) and Shibani Chaudhury (Lead – NE CSR & Strategy) were also present throughout the event.
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Vivek Menon, ED and founder, WTI said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for all participants to transform their love for nature into livelihoods that intertwine with the conservation of their natural heritage. I congratulate the participants and hope each one of them carve a name for themselves. My sincere gratitude goes to the community for their unwavering support.”
Dorjee Khandu Thungon, Vice Chairman, Garung Thuk said, “Shergaon has been a haven for artists and those seeking peace in nature. We are thankful to the Wildlife Trust of India and Royal Enfield for helping us revive the curiosity and awareness about our local biodiversity through this workshop and for also guiding us in a direction towards sustainable livelihood models around ecotourism”.
Bidisha Dey, Executive Director, Eicher Group Foundation, the CSR arm of Royal Enfield, expressed her organisation’s support, saying, “The Forgotten Cats Project focuses on reviving and protecting these lesser-known species, along with the rich natural heritage of the Sherdukpen people. We are proud to support WTI and Garung Thuk in this special initiative, as it aligns with the core values of the Royal Enfield Social Mission – conserving nature, empowering communities, and protecting the Himalayan landscape.”
Jose Louies, CEO, WTI said, “Shergaon has immense potential for nature tourism and this training is an opportunity for budding naturalists and eco-entrepreneurs to work towards building sustainable eco-tourism models that put conservation at the forefront while putting Shergaon and the neighbouring villages on the tourism map.”
