Community Based Conservation Programme

2. Manas Biosphere Conservation Forum- A coalition working for conservation

MBCF (Manas Biosphere Conservation Forum) is a coalition of 5 active conservation NGOs namely - Aaranyak of Guwahati, Natures Foster of Bongaigaon, New Horizon of Koila Moila, Green Heart Nature Club of Kokrajhar and Green Forest Conservation of Kachugaon which geographically cover most of the range of the golden langur and three quarters of the Manas Biosphere Reserve from the Sankosh River to the western boundary of the Manas Tiger Reserve (Manas National Park). Community Conservation, a US-based organization functions as an advisor to the Forum. A brief operational role of the six NGOs involved in the Manas Biosphere Conservation Forum has been summarized below.

The logos forum member organizations

The efforts of the coalition is to compliment conservation initiatives of the Assam Forest Department and the Bodoland Territorial Council, but the main thrust area of the forum is the conservation of Golden Langur in the Manas Biosphere Reserve involving communities and other stakeholders.  

Quarterly meeting of the collaborators to  formulate programme implementation strategies	Illegal logging is still out of control further dwindling the habitat of Golden Langur

Some of the activities of the Forum are listed below:

A. Community Reforestation and Joint Forest Management (JFM)

1. Kachugaon Area - The Nabinagar tree nursery is a major success which has been going for five years since 2000 and is currently four times its original size. It has been used to replant 400 hectares of disturbed forest around Nabinagar and Bharatnagar.  The forest is about 15 feet tall now.  The nursery is also used in reforestation of their areas including the Raimona and Saraibil area. These areas are actively protected by the villagers.  There is evidence of protective clearing around some of the young trees.  This good model nursery has been favorably commented upon by the former DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) of Kachugaon, Mr. B.N. Patiri and current DFO, Mr. C.R. Bhobora.

Awareness about the Joint Forest Management with villages within the western Reserve Forests with the encouragement of the Forest Department staff is another objective of this program.  Approximately 80 villages and have signed up and had the areas surveyed by the Forest Department Surveyor for over 17 villages in Kokrajhar and Dhubri Districts for Joint Forest Management programs.  

2. Nayekgaon and Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary - The Green Heart Nature Club has set up a nursery at Lalkura in 2003 and has initiated discussions on Joint Forest Management with a number of  villages  in the Nayekgaon area on the eastern side of Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary and areas on the western side as well.  They are attempting to a create buffer zone corridors to link golden langur and rhesus macaque populations between the Nayekgaon area and Chakrashila.  The goal of their program will be to eventually connect forests fragments with golden langur populations at Nayekgaon, the rubber plantation and at Nadangiri to the main Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary.

Interaction with the villagers	Golden Langur food plant nursery for plantation in the degraded forest areas

3. Kakoijana Reserve Forest - Nature’s Foster has had continued meetings with villagers from around the Kakoijana Reserve Forest. They have created tree nurseries at Ravapara and Garopara.  Although the area has suffered major deforestation which continues due to a nearby refugee camp the villages of Ravapara and Garopara have reforested areas away from this camp.  Near these villages is a small protected forest surrounding a temple and regrowth of adjacent areas has begun.  

4. Butterfly Conservation - Arnab Bose, a member of Nature’s Foster is a very talented self-taught butterfly expert.  He was able to connect with Birjhora Mahavidyala (Science College) who helped him to set up a facility to breed mainly endangered members of the family, Papillionidae (swallowtail butterflies).  He is working with villagers to plant host plants and release the species in village areas.  This butterfly interest has dovetailed with Nature Foster’s work with golden langurs in Kakoijana and some of the villagers of Garopara were hired to work in the butterfly center and the college herbal garden.

5. New Horizon – New Horizon has initiated a small nursery at Koila Moila with 2000 seedlings which they have transplanted.  They have also initiated 10 self-help groups and supported them for pig and goat farming. The NGO has also established a weaving center for wives of the surrendered poachers of the locality.

B. Village Development

1. Kakoijana Village Self-help Groups - Nature’s Foster has been working with the villages of Garopara and Ravapara on Joint Forest Management, village tree nurseries and reforestation.  Unfortunately due to a misplaced decree to move illegal villages from the Reserve Forests, these villages and nurseries were destroyed despite their having been there for over sixty years. NF has helped to set up over 20 self-help groups of 10-20 members each for income generation activities. 

2. Farming experiments at Kakoijana and Saraibil - Discussions were held at Borobadha and Saraibil about planting spices, especially black pepper vines, on existing sal trees in the Raimona area as a forest crop for villagers to grow.  Some pepper vines have been planted at Saraibil.  There is proposal for microplan development involving forest compatible crops such as jack fruit, ginger, tumeric, bananas and pineapple which can be grown with the regenerating forest in degraded forest land in Kachugaon and Dhubri Forest Divisions.

3. Weaving Industry in Koila Moila- New Horizons has built a building to house a handloom weaving factory for women of 12 families who were involved in wildlife hunting.  This is an experiment of alternative livelihood to curtail hunting within the Koila Moila area.

C. Public Awareness:

Awareness programmes for childrens and villagers	Villagers puts their points in consultation meeting while senior policy makers listening carefully

All the NGOs are involved in small scale public awareness within their areas of activities. This includes small village meetings, consultation with village and forest department officials and nature orientation for school and college students.

The forum organized the first Manas Biosphere Celebration-2005 from 4-5 April 2005 which was led by Natures Foster and Green Heart Nature Club at Ultapani village. The celebration programme was attended by thousands of villagers from the biosphere area. It was graced by representative from the BTC, namely Mr. Kampa Borgoyari, Executive Member, Mr Bishiram Narzary, EM, Mr. U G Brahma, Member of Parliament, and others. The celebration was helpful to create large scale awareness among the villagers living within the forests.

Future Plans:

• Create awareness in the people on the fringe of the Manas National Park and within the Manas Biosphere Reserve thus increasing Peoples Participation in the conservation process.

• Map and identify habitat of the Golden Langur and a thorough population census.

• Encourage community development in the villages to minimize the dependence of the people on the forest.

• Implement Forest based micro plans for the larger benefit of the fringe villagers as alternative livelihood.

• Bringing together the management of the Manas Biosphere Reserve and the local community through motivation and consultation.