Distribution of Pullovers to the students of Learning Center at Dhanushadham

247 students of the Learning Center run by Mithila Wildlife Trust at Dhanushadham received pullovers/sweaters at Dhanushadham. For the last 8 years, we have been providing free tuition to the students of Kotha Tol, Bichla Tol, Jungle Tol, Sundarpur, and Makhanpur at Dhanushadham Municipality, Dhanusha. They are the regular students of Community schools in Dhanushadham municipality. Free tuition is supported by Chora Chori UK, Little Feet UK, WDAC Nepal, and several individuals. Most of the students who benefited are from highly marginalized communities. Pullover/sweaters have been supported by Little Feet UK, Chora Chori UK, and Dr. Michael Hiss and Bettina Handy from Germany. Being from financially marginalized communities, most of the students were lacking warm cloth during this winter season which was forcing students to leave class. We expect that the distribution of sweaters will support continued education in the early morning and late evening. We are thankful to all the supporters and well-wishers. सिकाई केन्द्र, धनुषाधामका विद्यार्थीहरुले स्वेटर प्राप्त गरेका छन् । विगत ८ बर्षदेखि धनुषाधाम नगरपालिकाका कोठा टोल, बिचला टोल, जंगल टोल, सुन्दरपुर र मखनपुरका गरिब, दलित तथा बिपन्न बच्चाहरुलाई मिथिला वाईल्डलाईफ ट्रष्टले छोरा छोरी यूके, लिटल फिट यूके, महिला विकास जनवकालत केन्द्र, नेपाल र केही व्यक्तिहरुको सहयोगमा निःशूल्क ट्यूसन सञ्चालन गर्दै आईरहेका छन् । सबै विद्यार्थीहरु धनुषाधाममा अबस्थित सामुदायिक विद्यालयका विद्यार्थीहरु हुन् । नियमित कक्षा पश्चात उनीहरुलाई अलग अलग समयमा निःशूल्क ट्यूसन पढाईन्छ । हाल जम्मा २४७ जना आर्थीक रुपले बिपन्न परिवारका विद्यार्थीहरुलाई स्वेयटर वितरण गरिएको हो । अधिकांश बच्चाहरुलाई न्यानो कपडाको अभावमा विहान र बेलुका ट्यूसन आउन समस्या हुने गरेकोले स्वेयटर वितरण गरिएको हो । स्वेयटर वितरण गर्नाले न्यानो कपडाकै अभाबमा पढाई छोड्नुपर्ने समस्याबाट केही छुटकारा दिलाउने आशा राखेका छौं । यस स्वेयटर वितरणका लागि छोरा छोरी यूके, लिटल फिट यूके र जर्मनीका दम्पत्ति डा. माईकल हिस र बेटिना हेन्डीले आर्थीक सहयोग गरेका छन् । हामी सम्पूर्ण सहयोगी हातहरु प्रति आभारी छौँ ।

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Participation in Winter Waterbird Count 2021

Winter Waterbird Count 2021 has been started at Dhanushadham and the surrounding area. Team members from Mithila Wildlife Trust (MWT), Sub-Division Forest Office, and some volunteers have joined together in this count. MWT has been participating in the annual waterbird count event since 2019. A forestry student, Hitendra Jha from KAFCOL has also joined us this year. Every year hundreds of Citizen Scientists/Volunteers internationally participate in this annual event. The host institution for Nepal is Himalayan Nature and the national coordinator is Dr. Hem Sagar Baral. In 2021, it’ll be conducted from 2nd January to 18th January. We started today counting the birds at the wetland of Dhanushadham Protected Forest (DPF). DPF is having an 18-hectare Natural Wetland area including the origination point of Ban Ganga river inside the forest. 250+ species of birds have been recorded so far from the small patches of Sal forest in the Terai region of Nepal. We are trying to include Kamal River, Parshuram Talao, and Janakpurdham from this year onwards. We trust that this will create birding opportunities in this area as well. One can contact Mithila Wildlife Trust if available around Janakpur, the capital city of Province No.-2, and want to participate in this event.

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First record of leucism in Kraits Bungarus walli and B. niger by Mithila Wildlife Trust

It is our immense pleasure to share the news that long awaited article on “First report of leucism for the kraits Bungarus walli Wall, 1907 and B. niger Wall, 1908, with updates on their geographic distribution in Nepal (Serpentes, Elapidae)” has been published by Herpetology Notes. Being the First record of leucism for the Kraits Bungarus walli and B. niger, it is equally important to entire team. Read full article at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344570034. Both snakes were rescued by Mr. Ganesh Sah (also co author to this article). You will be amazed to know that Ganesh Sah connected to Mithila Wildlife Trust (MWT) when he was in Class-8 in the village school. Awareness raising painting competition in the schools surrounding Dhanushadham Protected Forest connected him with us in 2015. Since then, Ganesh is active in rescue, relocation and rehabilitation of wildlife in Dhanusha district. He has rescued hundreds of reptiles personally and is assisting in day to day activities of MWT. He has keen interest in wildlife photography, birding and research in the field. Being a citizen scientist, he knows a lot about wildlife and is a leading nature guide in the area. MWT team is fond of him being passionate and dedicated towards nature and wildlife conservation since his childhood. The snake was released into natural habitat by Ganesh Sah after capturing images for record. A huge thanks to Kamal Devkota ji, Mark O Shea and Hinrich Kaisar for shaping the information into article and we all are grateful to Herpetology Notes for publishing our effort. As always, support of Divisional Forest Office, Dhanusha and staff of Dhanushadham Sub-Division Forest Office, Dhanushadham Protected Forest is always motivating factor for our conservation activities. Thank you all helping hands!

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Save food for Natural Disaster Caused by Heavy Rainfall in Nepal

People had already endured from this COVID-19 Pandemic and simultaneously the raining season has started with heavy rainfall. Every year, many villages are filled with rain-water and thousands of houses are flooded displacing thousands of individuals in Nepal due to monsoon caused flood. We request everyone to be safe and keep storage of food for at least 15 days in your home. Natural disasters mostly affect poor and marginalized communities. In mid of the period, where all markets, industries, factories are closed since the day Government of Nepal announce lockdown due to Covid-19, poor people were already in scarce of the food. But, as the lockdown has loosened up at some extent, and people are allowed to work in limited areas by following precautionary measures, it will be essential to save some food to survive during flood. Mithila Wildlife Trust with financial support from Chora Chori foundation, Gandy’s Foundation and Last Night a DJ Saved My Life distributed food relief materials to above 2500 households of Dalit and untouchable communities in 15 districts of Nepal. Above 25,000 individuals were benefited. During distribution of the food relief materials and nutritional supplements, we noticed that most of these communities are at risk of flood. So, it is very much important for all helping hands and human with good heart to support the needy families in their surroundings.

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Painting-Competition Organized During Lockdown by Mithila Wildlife Trust

Mithila Wildlife Trust conducted a painting competition in Dhanushadham for the students of Tuition Center run with support of Chora Chori, Little Feet and Women Development Advocacy Center (WDAC) for the marginalized students of Red Cross Tol, Bichla Tol, Jungle Tol, Sundarpur, Makhanpur and Mangalpur Mushari.  We provided painting materials to them for taking part in this competition. The motive behind this painting competition was to keep students engaged during lockdown caused by Covid-19. Competition has been organized carefully by following the crucial steps needed to be followed in this pandemic. Teachers from the same community who also teach on the tution center, distributed materials reaching to the doorstep of each student. Students spent their time painting at their own home.  The competition ran very smoothly and the whole programme became interesting for everyone. Theme of the competition was to draw the painting of their own surroundings, the culture, the living style, the ups and down noticed by their mind while staying at home during Covid-19 Pandemic. Wonderful and mesmerising painting related to their community and environment were noticed. Many children were enthusiastic in taking participation in the programme due to the interesting theme and the materials provided to them for painting which they can’t afford in this pandemic time. They found it more accessible for assembling their work in the canvas due to the familiar painting. Children were very curious about the programme to show their work and talent and for winning the prizes. A copy, dot pen, rular, pencil, cutter, eraser and scissor were given as reward to all the participants where prizes will be distributed after the pandemic is over in the presence of their guardian in their tuition center. All students from Free tuition center participated in the competition which was an encouragement to us as well. This painting competition was fully supported by Little Feet, a UK based charity working for dalit education in Nepal.

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Large Indian Civet, recorded by Mithila Wildlife Trust (MWT) in Dhanusha, Province-2, Nepal

The nature never fails to amaze us by its infinite beauty. Another IUCN Red Listed animal since 2008, the Large Indian civet is also captured by Mithila Wildlife Trust at the Bhatighadi Community Forest by a camera trap.   Video footage of Camera Trap by Mithila Wildlife Trust The Large Indian civet is scientifically known as (Viverra zibethanative). It is native to South and Southeast Asia. The large Indian civet inhabits scrub, grasslands, and densely forested areas in (India, Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, and Bangladesh). There are black spots on its body and stripes of black and white on the sides of which have a large body with gray or brown color. Its tail has several black rings around it. Breeding takes place at any time of the year. Litters are born in very dense vegetation or in a hole in the ground. Young are able to open their eyes within ten days. Mothers raise their young on their own. The males are slightly bigger than the females. This species uses a wide variety of wooded habitats, both evergreen and deciduous, as well as grasslands, scrub-land, and plantations. It is often found near human habitation. large Indian civets are carnivorous, preying on birds, frogs, snakes, chickens, hens, and small mammals. They also eat fruit, eggs, roots, fish, and crabs. It lives in a hole in the ground that another animal has dug.  They travel extensively, average daily and monthly distances estimated as being from 1.7 km to 5.4 s. The Large Indian civet is also captured by Mithila Wildlife Trust at the Bhatighadi Community Forest by a camera trap.    

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Asian Palm Civet, recorded in Dhanusha, Province No.-2, Nepal

  Asian Palm Civet The Asian palm civet lives throughout the jungles of Asia and its scientific name is (Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus). It is also called a toddy cat, but it’s not a cat. The Asian palm civet prefers tropical Asian rain-forests, but these animals are extremely adaptable and can flourish near human settlements as easily as in dense forests. Adult Asian palm civets weigh around 7 pounds and are a little under 2 feet long, with a tail nearly as long as their bodies. These civets have coarse, shaggy gray hair and raccoon-like black facial markings. The sharp claws on their front and rear paws enable them to climb trees quickly and efficiently. These nocturnal creatures choose the largest, tallest trees in their habitat to rest in during the day after a night’s foraging. Palm civets are opportunistic omnivores, and although most of their diet is fruit, they also eat insects, eggs, and small reptiles. Recently, Mithila Wildlife Trust captured The Asian Palm Civet in the camera trap set up at Bhatighadi Community Forest, Dhanusha. The Asian Palm Civet is  IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern as it accommodates a broad range of habitats since 2008.  

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Turn Janakpur Green, the First campaign to introduce Miyawaki Method in Nepal

Mithila Wildlife Trust, with support of its’ supporting organization ChoraChori, had recently launched a 10 year programme of urban reforestation. MWT is planning to make dense forest in the urban open space of Janakpurdham through Miyawaki method. Through its ten-year strategy, ChoraChori and MWT will make a meaningful response to the climate emergency through prevention of release of greenhouse gases and carbon sequestration in its Nepal projects. The approach includes through large-scale rewilding and reforestation alongside small-scale rewilding using the Miyawaki Method. The Miyawaki method of reconstitution of “indigenous forests by indigenous trees” produces a rich, dense and efficient protective pioneer forest in 20 to 30 years, where natural succession would need 200 years in temperate Japan and 300 to 500 years in the tropics. The later will be used primarily in urban environments and will have the additional benefits of being linked to an environmental education programme for schools and engagement with young people, girls and women. The programme will be conducted in phases as funds become available, with the first phase being conducted at a secure site- the department of forestry office in Janakpur, the capital of province 2 in southeast Nepal. We will achieve our Aim through a range of activities that will include major reforestation alongside small-scale deforestation using the Miyawaki method. By planting in this method it grows ten times faster- a mature forest develops in 20 years rather than in 200 year. It is 20 times more bio diverse and it absorbs thirty times the CO2 of a green field site. If we combine the reforestation with the planting of native bamboo species and fast growing Neem trees, the carbon sequestration is even greater. As part of the overall programme we will “Turn Janakpur Green”, Janakpur being the capital of province 2. There are a good number of potential reforestation sites on waste land within the surrounding area. In the first phase we will reforest the perimeter of the Division Forest Office (DFO) in Janakpur itself. This covers an area of 1,575m2 (six tennis courts equivalent) perimeter of its headquarter office site in Janakpur. The site offers the benefit of being a secure location as it lies within a compound. Also, it can act as a showcase for others who are interested in using the Miyawaki method elsewhere. The project will be implemented by MWT with the support of local labour and volunteers. The volunteers will be young people and school children, most of whom are girls. The site will require considerable excavation works (in line with the Miyawaki method) and land levelling as some of it lies below the level of the road and is prone to flooding. This will be the first initiation to implement Miyawaki method in Nepal by Mithila Wildlife Trust with the collaboration of Chora Chori and it’s aiming to give their best for the welfare of the environment.

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Breeding of Cattle egret in Janakpurdham (RRM Campus)

  Photo Credit: MWT Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a bird of heron family, Which is cosmopolitan in distribution and found mainly in tropics, subtropics, and warm temperate zone. Compared to other egrets, the cattle egret is thick-necked and short-legged. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal. Also, its yellow bill is stubby in comparison with other egrets. It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season, it takes on a plumage far different from the others: Buff-orange feathers adorn its back, crown, and breast, and at the peak of breeding, the bird’s bill and legs turn pink. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs.  Cattle egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands, and rice paddies. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to the large grazing mammals; wider human farming is believed to be a major cause of their suddenly expanded range. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and consumes them. This benefits both species, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal .They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal. Breeding colonies of Cattle egret was recorded in the RRM campus in Janakpur by Mithila Wildlife Trust.    

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Distributed relief in Golbazar, Siraha

Mithila Wildlife Trust has risen to the challenge of preventing starvation of vulnerable people in Nepal during the lockdown,  a social organization, has been continuing the relief distribution work even though the people’s life is moving towards normalcy. In search of distributing relief to the affected poor families, on Sirha Golbazar Municipality ward no. 3 MWT has provided relief in the Siraha district on Thursday. Relief has been provided to 20 families of the tole in direct collaboration with the local Sunrai Youth Siraha Network to each family with 22 kg rice, 1 kg dal, 1 kg salt, 1 liter oil, 2 kg potato, 2 soaps, 3 kg flour, and one pound soybean. Chora Chori foundation had also raised their hand to help them and with their support, they distributed food to those who feed their families after working the whole day. The colleagues of the network have been conducting searches around the area who are troubled families in the villages and cooperating with the donor organizations. The relief was provided by Mithila Wildlife Trust and Children’s Foundation. After receiving the relief, 20 families expressed their happiness and gratitude to social workers.

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