ButterflyIndia & IndianMoths Meet 2017 : Garo Hills, Meghalaya 15-22 Oct 2017

Destination: Butterfly and Moth India Meet at Garo Hills, Meghalaya

Dates: 15 to 22 October 2017 (8 Days/7 Nights)

Minimum/Maximum number of people: 5/10 people

Meet cost per person: Rs. 18,000/-.

Special rate of Rs 16,000/- for students based on production of valid ID. Limited seats for students.

Areas being visited: Balpakram National Park, Siju Wildlife Sanctuary, Baghmara and Rewak Reserved Forest.

Specialties: Currently recorded 350 species of butterflies and 448 species of moths.

Organised by: DiversityIndia, Indian Foundation for Butterflies, Titli Trust and NatureMates supported by Siju Ecotourism and Conservation Society (SECOS) and Karawani Ecotourism and Conservation Society (KECOS).

• Focused on butterfly watching during the day, moth watching during the night.

• Theory sessions on butterfly and moth identification.

• Sessions on butterfly and moth data recording through BOI/MOI websites.

• Visit to Siju Caves.

• Presentation by local community conservation organisations, SECOS/KECOS.

• Meet being led by Sanjay Sondhi, Titli Trust.

For more information, write in to: Sanjay Sondhi at sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.com, or Arjan Basu Roy at naturemates@gmail.com or visit http://www.titlitrust.org/About_Garo.html

Literature on the area: Book titled “Butterflies of the Garo Hills”. More information at http://www.titlitrust.org/Garo_Hills_Book.html

And a paper on the Butterflies of the Garo Hills at http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/bibliography/publications-butterflies-of-the-garo-hills

Inclusions & exclusions:

The cost includes

-Accommodation on twin sharing basis.
-Three vegetarian meals and tea per day.
-Pick up and drop off at Guwahati (Non-AC sumo).
-Transfers to camp sites and field visits.
-Local guide costs.
-Community fee, park entry fee and cave entry fee.

The cost excludes:
- Any kinds of personal expenses such as: tips, telephones bills, laundry and beverages
-Domestic and international airfare and train fare to and from Guwahati
- Insurance and Medical claims
- Food during the drive from Guwahati to Baghmara & return to Guwahati.
- Camera charges at Balpakram National Park.

Accommodation:

Accommodation at the Siju Tourist lodge will be on twin sharing basis, consisting of  mix of tents and cottages. Siju Tourist lodge has electricity facilities for charging cameras batteries only.

Accommodation at Karwani will be at home-stay/guest houses on twin sharing basis (with Indian commode).

The accommodation at Balpakram National Park Forest IB/FRH on twin sharing basis. Be prepared to rough it out!

Meals:

Three meals will be providing you during your entire trip- breakfast, lunch and dinner and morning and evening tea. Packaged lunch in the field, wherever necessary.

Meal timing: Meal timing on all days (tentative). Morning tea: 6:00 am, Breakfast: 6:30 am. Lunch: 1:00 pm (packed lunch, if in the field). Evening tea: 4:00 pm and Dinner: 7:00 pm.

Payment Schedule:

A 50% advance payment for booking your place and the balance 50% to be paid one month before the actual meet. A 15% of the total cost will be deducted if you cancel your visit after making payment. 100% refund will be made if the organizers cancel the tour on account of unforeseeable reasons.

Payment:

Payment to be made to
Bank account name: Vikash D. Sangma
Bank account number: 20306697108
Bank: State Bank of India, Baghmara Branch
IFSC Code: SBIN0004885

Send confirmatory email after payment to Sanjay Sondhi (sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.cm) or Arjan Basu Roy (naturemates@gmail.com)

Detailed Schedule:

15 October 2017 (Sunday): Depart from Guwahati by noontime. Proceed to Baghmara via Siju. Night halt at Karwani. 8 hour drive. Pick up at Guwahati airport.

16 October 2017 (Monday): Butterfly watching at Karawani stream of Baghmara Reserve Forest. Night stay at Karwani. Moth watching in the night at Karwani.

17 October 2017 (Tuesday): Butterfly watching at Panda or Halwa Ambeng. Night halt at Balpakram National Park. Moth watching in the night at BNP.

18 October 2017 (Wednesday): Butterfly watching at Moheshkola stream. Night halt at Balpakram National Park. Moth watching in the night at BNP.

19 October 2017 (Thursday): Butterfly watching at Balpakram National Park. Proceed to Siju Wildlife Sanctuary by 1:00 PM. Night halt at Siju.

20 October 2017 (Friday): Butterfly watching at Siju WLS. Visit to Siju Cave. Moth watching in the night. Night halt at Siju.

21 October 2017 (Saturday). Butterfly watching at Rewak RF and Siju WLS. Moth watching in the night. Night halt at Siju.

22 October 2017 (Sunday Butterfly watching at Rewak RF. Proceed to Guwahati after lunch at 12 AM. Arrive at Guwahati by 8 pm.

DiversityIndia Meet 2016 : Moths and Butterflies : Devalsari Uttarakhand

Place: Devalsari (Deolsari), Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand 
Proposed Dates: 2-5 June 2016 (4D/3N) 
Costs Rs.7500/- per person including food, stay and local transport (ex Dehradun), guide fees, community fees and a butterfly brochure. (Small scholarships available for deserving candidates.)
Maximum capacity: 15 people 

We propose to organize a DiversityIndia meet to learn and document biodiversity of Devalsari region with special focus on Moths and Butterflies. We will set Moth Screens every night to attract moths and nature trails to document Butterflies and other biodiversity during daytime. Sanjay Sondhi a moth expert, who has done extensive research in the region will be conducting training on moth identification. The main focus is going to be systematic documentation of biodiversity, especially Moths and Butterflies. Devalsari, tucked away in the Aglar Valley, in Tehri Garhwal District, the home of the Jaunpuri's. The snow-capped peaks of the Mahabharat range in the Middle Himalayas, looming in the distance, marvelous deodar, oak and rhododendron forest, surrounded by terrace fields of Bangsil, Mauldhar, Udarsu and Naogaon villages.

The Pali Gad stream flows through Bangsil into the Aglar River, winding its way through a forest landscape with altitudes varying from 1,200 m at Thatyur up to 3,048 m at Nag Tibba, the highest peak in the area. The Shiva Temple at Devalsari, is said to have been built in the 1800's, is surround by tall deodar trees.
The local partner for this DiversityIndia meet is the Devalsari Environment Protection and Technology Development Society, a local youth group that is committed to promote nature-based livelihoods and promote nature conservation. More about them can be seen at www.devalsari.org. Devalsari is home to an array of biodiversity.

Mammals: Leopard, Barking Deer, Giant Red Flying Squirrel, Himalayan Water Shrew, Goral, Wild Pig, Black Bear, Otters...all this and more can be seen here.

Birds: Special birds that can be seen here include Chukar Partridge, Striated Laughingthrush, Spot-winged Grosbeak, Black-faced Warbler, Whiskered Yuhina, Golden Bush Robin, Mrs Gould's Sunbird, Fire-tailed Sunbird and lots more...

Butterflies: Some of butterfly specialties are Common Punch, Siren, Brown Argus, Jewel Fivering, Stately Nawab, Western Courtier, Fawn Hairstreak, Silver Hairstreak and Albocerulean amongst many other West Himalayan Specialties.

Contact Sanjay Sondhi (or Arjan Basuroy) for registration.

Butterflies and Moths of Pakke Tiger Reserve

by Sanjay Sondhi, and Krushnamegh Kunte. 

2014. 

Full citation of the book:

Sondhi, S., and K. Kunte. 2014. Butterflies and Moths of Pakke Tiger Reserve. Titli Trust (Dehradun) and Indian Foundation for Butterflies (Bengaluru). vi+202pp, all in full color.

Download sample pages here.

This book covers 379 butterfly species and 83 moth species from northeastern India. This is the second book in the Northeast India Natural History Series (the first being the Butterflies of the Garo Hills). This series seeks to popularise the biodiversity of northeastern India with a view to promote community-based eco-tourism, and thereby incentivize local communities to protect their forest habitats and to support conservation action. Since 2007 we have been surveying butterflies and moths of Pakke Tiger Reserve in western Arunachal Pradesh, which is part of the globally recognized Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot. This book is a product of intensive surveys in and around this protected area. It has been published with generous and full funding from the Forest Department, Government of Arunachal Pradesh. This book is published on a not-for-profit basis, and the publishers and authors will not receive any commercial benefit from its proceeds. The contributory proceeds from this book will go entirely to the Pakke Tiger Conservation Foundation for the welfare of the forest department staff and local communities involved in the conservation efforts at Pakke. You can find out more about the conservation efforts and community-based eco-tourism initiatives at Pakke by visiting http://www.pakketigerreserve.org/ or by emailing Sanjay Sondhi.

ORDERING COPIES OF THE BOOK: Copies of the book may be ordered from the Divisional Forest Officer, Pakke Tiger Reserve, or from the authors:

Sanjay Sondhi, Dehradun: Ph: +91 9412-052-189.

Krushnamegh Kunte, Bengaluru (=Bangalore): Ph: +91 80 2366-6085 (office), -6086 (lab), +91 9483-525-925 (mobile).

Contributory amount: Rs. 500 (Rs. five hundred), plus shipping costs. 20% discount on orders of six copies or more.

You may pay for the books by bank transfer in Pakke Tiger Conservation Foundation's bank account:

Account holder name: CM, Pakke Tiger Conservation Foundation
Savings Bank Account Number: 31273268569
Bank Name: State Bank of India
IFSC code: SBIN0007840

More details

Butterflies of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary

The Eaglenest Wildilife Sanctuary in West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh is one of India's hotspots of biodiversity. Since the discovery of the bird, the Bugun Liocichla by Dr. Ramana Athreya, a host of other new species, range extensions and new records of amphibians, reptiles, butterflies and moths have been discovered from Eaglenest. The Bugun Welfare Society (http://bugunwelfaresociety.webs.com/) runs eco-tourism in the area, providing employment to the local communities and an incentive to conserve the area. 

Since 2009, Sanjay Sondhi has been surveying lepidoptera fauna at Eaglenest. These surveys have revealed close to 200 species of butterflies and close to a 1,000 species of moths, many of them being range extensions and a few, new records for India such as the Bhutan's national butterfly-the Ludlow's Bhutan Glory Bhutanitis ludlowi. 

These butterfly and moth brochures are intended to promote eco-tourism at Eaglenest. Each brochure covers 85 species of butterflies and 85 species of moths. The contributions from sales from these brochures will go to the community fund of the Bugun Welfare Society. 

The brochures can be ordered as under by depositing a cheque/electronic transfer to

Bugun Welfare Society

a/c no.11775243383

Code.SBIN00003594

State Bank of India Tenga Valley Branch

West Kameng Dist.Arunachal Pradesh-790 115

Rs 100 for one brochure (butterflies or moths) (Rs 75 for the brochure plus Rs 25 for shipment)

Rs 185 for two brochures (butterflies and moths) (Rs 150 for the brochures plus Rs 35 for shipment)

with intimation to 

Sanjay Sondhi, sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.com 

and

Indi Glow, phuarung@gmail.com

Moths of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary

The Eaglenest Wildilife Sanctuary in West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh is one of India's hotspots of biodiversity. Since the discovery of the bird, the Bugun Liocichla by Dr. Ramana Athreya, a host of other new species, range extensions and new records of amphibians, reptiles, butterflies and moths have been discovered from Eaglenest. The Bugun Welfare Society (http://bugunwelfaresociety.webs.com/) runs eco-tourism in the area, providing employment to the local communities and an incentive to conserve the area. 

Since 2009, Sanjay Sondhi has been surveying lepidoptera fauna at Eaglenest. These surveys have revealed close to 200 species of butterflies and close to a 1,000 species of moths, many of them being range extensions and a few, new records for India such as the Bhutan's national butterfly-the Ludlow's Bhutan Glory Bhutanitis ludlowi. 

These butterfly and moth brochures are intended to promote eco-tourism at Eaglenest. Each brochure covers 85 species of butterflies and 85 species of moths. The contributions from sales from these brochures will go to the community fund of the Bugun Welfare Society. 

The brochures can be ordered as under by depositing a cheque/electronic transfer to

Bugun Welfare Society

a/c no.11775243383

Code.SBIN00003594

State Bank of India Tenga Valley Branch

West Kameng Dist.Arunachal Pradesh-790 115

Rs 100 for one brochure (butterflies or moths) (Rs 75 for the brochure plus Rs 25 for shipment)

Rs 185 for two brochures (butterflies and moths) (Rs 150 for the brochures plus Rs 35 for shipment)

with intimation to 

Sanjay Sondhi, sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.com 

and

Indi Glow, phuarung@gmail.com

Butterflies of the Garo Hills

Title: Butterflies of the Garo Hills
Authors: Sanjay Sondhi, Krushnamegh Kunte, Gaurav Agavekar, Rohan Lovalekar, and Kedar Tokekar
Publishers: Samrakshan Trust, Title Trust, and Indian Foundation for Butterflies.
Number of pages: 200
Number of species accounts: 324. This is out of the 339 species that had been recorded from the Garo Hills at the time of finalizing the book in March 2013. The missing species are certain Swifts and other Hesperiids that cannot be easily identified in the field.
Number of color images: 521
Token price: Rs. 500 (Rs. five hundred), plus shipping costs. 20% discount on orders of six copies or more.

Copies of the book can be ordered from any one of the following four local distributors/stockers:

Samrakshan Trust, Baghmara (Meghalaya): Kamal Medhi (balpakram@gmail.com, 8974-986-223) and Yaranajit Deka (yaranajit.samrakshan@gmail.com, 9402-396-570). Their phones often do not work, so it is best to contact them by email.

Sanjay Sondhi, Dehradun: sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.com, 9412-052-189.

Kedar Tokekar, Pune: tokekark@yahoo.co.in, 9970-167-351.

Krushnamegh Kunte, Bengaluru (=Bangalore): krushnamegh@ncbs.res.in, krushnamegh@ifoundbutterflies.org, (080) 2366-6085 (office), -6086 (lab), 9483-525-925 (mobile).

You can pay for the book by a bank transfer in Samrakshan's bank account (preferred method) or by cash to one of the above distributors:

Account holder name: Samrakshan Charitable Trust ET
Savings Bank Account Number: 32928955983
Bank Name: State Bank of India, Baghmara Branch
IFSC code: SBIN0004885
CIF Number: 86682627876

Please note that the book has been published with generous and full funding from the India Foundation and the Forests and Environment Department, Government of Meghalaya. The authors have decided not to take any royalty and the publishers have decided not to make any money on this book. However, we are selling this book for the token price of Rs. 500, with the understanding that all the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Garo tribes in the South Garo Hills District of Meghalaya, where we have worked in the past and continue our research. Through the sale of this book we are trying to help Samrakshan Trust generate alternative source of revenue for the Garos from the very biodiverse forests that they hold. Samrakshan Trust has been doing this for several years in various ways to encourage the Garos to keep their forests rather than turn them over to illegal coal miners. Part of this effort is butterfly tourism in the Garo Hills, about which Yaranajit, Kamal or Sanjay can tell you more.

There was also a paper published
Kunte, K., Sondhi, S., Sangma, B. M., Lovalekar, R., Tokekar, K., & Agavekar, G. (2012). Butterflies of the Garo Hills of Meghalaya , northeastern India : their diversity and conservation. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 4(10), 2933–2992. Retrieved from http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2012/September/o294512ix122933-2992.pdf

And a very interesting and educating discussion about identifications in this book in Journal of Threatened Taxa:

• Gogoi, M. (2013). Butterflies of the Garo Hills by S. Sondhi., K. Kunte, G. Agavekar, R. Lovalekar, K. Tokekar.(2013). Samrakshan Trust (New Delhi), Titli Trust (Dehradun) and Indian Foundation for Butterflies (Bengaluru), xvi+200pp. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 5(June), 4527–4528. Retrieved from http://threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2013/June/Book_review.pdf
• Kunte, K., Agavekar, G., Sondhi, S., Lovalekar, R., & Tokekar, K. (2013). On the identification and misidentification of butterflies of the Garo Hills. … of Threatened Taxa, 5(July), 4616–4620. Retrieved from http://threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2013/July/o371026vii134616-4620.pdf
• Gogoi, M. J. (2013). On the identification of Indian butterflies in the book on Butterflies of the Garo Hills. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 5(November), 5016–5018. Retrieved from http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2013/November/o385526xi135016-5018.pdf
• Kunte, K., Sondhi, S., Agavekar, G., Lovalekar, R., & Tokekar, K. (2013). Final notes on the identification and misidentification of butterflies of the Garo Hills, 5(November), 5019–5020. Retrieved from http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2013/November/o385626xi135019-5020.pdf