Bird enthusiasts, conservationists and photographers came together in Golaghat for a two-day initiative aimed at documenting Assam’s avian biodiversity and making information about its birdlife freely accessible through digital platforms.
Titled “Birds, People & Open-Knowledge”, the programme was organised by Wiki Loves Birds – Avian Archive of Assam in collaboration with Golaghat Nature Connect, Avian Society and the Department of Zoology at Debraj Roy College. It began at the college on November 6 and concluded with a birdwalk at Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary on November 7.
Around 50 people attended the sessions at Debraj Roy College, while 30 participants registered for the initiative. Discussions covered bird documentation, wildlife photography, conservation awareness and the use of Wikimedia platforms to build an open-access digital archive.
Resource persons spoke about the biodiversity of Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary, threatened bird species in Assam and the importance of making verified biodiversity information available to the public. Participants also received practical guidance on wildlife photography, covering lighting, exposure and framing.
On the second day, 18 bird enthusiasts joined the walk at Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary, where they spotted 30 bird species and photographed 10 of them.
The initiative demonstrated how local knowledge, photography, scientific interest and open-access platforms could help document Assam’s natural heritage and make information available to researchers, conservationists and the wider public.
Organisers said photographs and verified observations could contribute to a wider biodiversity record. They encouraged more people, particularly young nature enthusiasts, to observe and document wildlife.
