The Role of NGO's in Citizen Science

The Role of NGO’s in Citizen Science

Sanjay Sondhi, Titli Trust 8 Feb 2021 Citizen Science: Important tenets • Public & community participation • Identify research questions • Collect & analyze data • Interpret results, make & report new discoveries • Using multiple platforms & mechanisms

Citizen Science: Why • Public participation. Pride & involvement • Awaken, appreciate, awareness, action • Ownership of development decisions • Pressure group • Benefits to citizens, researchers & society: Increased knowledge. Case studies • Doon nature Walks: citizen’s group

• Indian Foundation for Butterflies

• Local community organisations: -Devalsari, Uttarakhand -Zunheboto, Nagaland -Eaglenest & Tale, Arunachal Pradesh Doon Nature Walks Case study: citizen’s group Doon Nature Walks • Who we are: • Citizens group in Dehradun. Started in 2014. 215 WhatsApp members, >1,200 Facebook members. • Activities: Monthly nature walks, birds, butterflies, moths, spiders, other taxa, talks, capacity building • Started & supported by Titli Trust/NSI Doon Nature Walks • Objectives: Awaken, Appreciation, Awareness, Action

• Activities: walks & talks, biodiversity documentation, local awareness programs, local protection, training

• Outcomes: awareness; biodiversity data: species, seasons, spot localities Case studies: Doon Nature Walks Case studies: Doon Nature Walks Case studies: Local community organisations • Objectives: Conservation & livelihood

• Activities: biodiversity documentation, biodiversity meets, local awareness programs, local protection

• Outcomes: new species descriptions, biodiversity data: species, seasons, spot localities, livelihoods & conservation Case study: Indian Foundation of Butterflies

Supported by Titli Trust, NatureMates, numerous other NGO’s Butterflies of India and Moths of India websites

BOI website launched in 2010. MOI website launched in 2015. Butterfly of India and Moths of India websites in numbers

Butterflies

Moths

Butterfly species exceeded >1000 in 8 years ~75% of Indian butterfly fauna. Moth species exceeded >1500 in 5 years. Butterfly of India and Moths of India websites in numbers

Entirely voluntary team effort; more than a 1,000 contributors to BOI website and 180 contributors to MOI website and growing... New butterfly species from India New moth species from India New butterfly records & rediscoveries from India

• More than 15 new Indian records and 10 re-discoveries New moth species, records and range extensions

• More than 25 new Indian records

Contribution of citizen science to biodiversity conservation & conservation education 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.

Citizen science playing a crucial role in biodiversity documentation and

CE in India Case studies: local community organisations 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 Dilipa morgiana

The rural society conducts an annual butterfly & moth festival & has established a butterfly park in order to protect butterfly habitat. Applied for Biodiversity Heritage Site status. Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

Acheleura bifasciata. Arun Gaur recorded mass emergence of a moth. First record from Garhwal. Devalsari, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

Publication in Indian Birds about Fire-capped Tit at Devalsari, Jul 2020. Kesar Singh: local nature guide Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh ©Tarun Karmakar

Bhutanitis ludlowi © 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.

A 5 year study revealed 463 butterfly species in the Kameng Protected Area complex including Eaglenest & Pakke Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh

Butterfly & moth tourism generates income & livelihood for the local community Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh

The Bugun tribe conducts butterfly tourism with Bhutanitis lidderdalii & Bhutanitis ludlowi as the star attractions Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh

The Bugun tribe actively supports habitat protection & guards against butterfly poaching through a 10 member patrolling team. 17 sq. km CCA. Tizu Valley, Nagaland

Araschnia dohertyi © 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. Tizu Valley, Nagaland

Vihoto Kiba, Khivikhu, Zunhebo- to. Known as Mr. Moth. The Butterfly Man of Nagaland Naro & Sondhi, 2014

Tshetsholo Naro: 25 year old Naga youth from the Chakhesang tribe. Known as butterfly man of Nagaland.

Monograph published in JOTT.

Re-discoveries..Chitoria ulupi, Arhopala comica. ©

Talle WLS, Arunachal

Elcysma ziroensis

© 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 Bhutanitis lidderdalii moth species-Elcysma ziroensis. Talle WLS, Arunachal ©Reddy Bei

The Apatani tribe actively documents butterfly diversity; protects local Ziro Butterfly & moth habitat .Local CE programs meet, 2019 Butterflies of Ziro with 186 species.

Produced by NgunoZiro, local NGO.

Released on 4 Sep 2019 at 6th Ziro Butterfly & moth meet.

Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education

Indian Foundation for Butterflies: -Butterflies -Moths -Birds -Amphibians -Reptiles -Odonates -Mammals Peer-reviewed, robust, Indian platform for multiple taxa. Mobile app under development. Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org) Multiple taxa Option of Intelligent ID Peer-review process not as robust Good for site based documentation

Global platform. Multiple taxa. Site specific data. Mechanisms & models for citizen science and conservation education eBird (https://ebird.org) Global platform Widely used: mobile and computer-based Easy to access data, BUT data resides overseas.

Global platform. Wide usage. Easy to use.

Role of NGO’s in citizen science

Involve all constituents…Citizens, students, local communities, researchers…

Support the many different platforms and mechanisms. Capacity building to use these.

Organise events…biodiversity meets, Big Bird Day, Great Backyard Bird Count, Big Butterfly Count, Moth Week NGO’s can stimulate citizens to contribute conservation and protection

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