The first Saturday of every September is International Vulture Awareness Day. Thus, 2 September 2017 is marked as 9th International Vulture Awareness Day. Vultures are an ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats in many areas. Populations of many species are under pressure and some species are facing extinction.

Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) with local partners organized various public awareness raising and advocacy events to mark this day all over the country. The week-long programs primarily focused on spread awareness amongst the wider communities and influencing stakeholders and agencies in positioning the vulture range districts as the Vulture Safe Zone. This helps to educate a reluctant public in the critical role of this creature to the well-being of the environment. People's active participation has led to the success of the event which is illustrated by wider media coverage.

BCN supported different local collaborative organizations to organize these awareness raising programs such as Vulture Festival in Vulture Safe Feeding Sites, Local cultural song and dance performance regarding vulture conservation, stake holder interaction, trans boundary dialogue, community awareness, school awareness, mass rally, photo exhibition, vulture watching and identification in 15 vulture range districts of Nepal. This year events were centered to aware and advocate to newly elected local government authorities and achieving the goodness the municipality and rural municipality incorporate the vulture conservation activities on their respective annual program said Krishna Prasad Bhusal, Vulture Conservation Program Officer. The detail of IVAD celebration events are tabulated below:-

S.N, Location, IVAD Program, Local Collaborative Partner

1., Sauraha, Chitwan and field visit to VSFS, Pithauli, Nawalparasi, Stakeholder and newly elected local government authority Interaction/ Bird Watching and school students field visit to Vulture Safe Feeding Site, Nawalparasi, Bird Education Society (BES), Chitwan

2., Pithauli, Nawalparasi, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Jatayu Restaurant Management Committee, Pithauli

3., Triveni/Susta, Nawalparasi, Interaction with stakeholder and trans boundary dialogue on vulture conservation, Bird Conservation Nepal and Vulture Conservation Movement Network

4., Lumbini, Rupandehi, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Green Youth of Lumbini, Nepal

5., Gaidatal, Rupandehi, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Jatayu Restaurant Management Committee, Gaidatal

6., Buddi, Kapilvastu, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Nepal Para veterinary and Livestock Association, (NEVLA) Kapilvastu

7., Lalmatiya, Dang, Mass rally, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Jatayu Restaurant Management Committee, Lalamatiya

8., Bijauri, Dang, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Environmental Sustainable Development and Research Center(ESDRC), Dang

9., Nepalganj, Banke, Stakeholder Interaction and community awareness, Environmental and Rural Development Center (ENRUDEC), Banke

10., Bhurigau, Bardiya, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Bardiya Nature Conservation Club (BNCC)

11., Khutiya, Kailali, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Jatayu Restaurant Management Committee, Khutiya

12., Dhangadhi, Kailali, Interaction with stakeholder, EARTH, Kailali

13., Majgaun, Kanchanpur, Stakeholder interaction and community awareness, Nature Guide Association Shuklaphanta (NGAS), Kanchanpur

14., Sandhikharka, Arghakhanchi, Community awareness, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Garta Khahare, Khahare Khola Community Forest, and Garlam Government Forest,  Argha

15., Balithum, Gulmi, Interaction with stakeholder, Community awareness, School Awareness and drawing competition, BCN field office, Gulmi/Nawa Jana Bikash Yuva Pariwar

16., Madanpokhara, Palpa, Community awareness, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Adheri Chharchhare Community Forest, Madanpokhara, Palpa

17., Pokhara, Kaski, Vulture Photo Exhibition and students drawing competition and vulture watching walk, Pokhara Bird Society (PBS), Pokhara and BCN Pokhara branch

18., Ghachok, Kaski, Community awareness, Interaction with stakeholder and admiration of elected local government authorities, Jatayu Restaurant Management Committee, Ghachok, Kaski

19., Kakani, Kathmandu, Interaction and awareness with vulture/bird watching in Kakani, Bird Conservation Nepal

20., Thapathali, Kathmandu, Talk program on vulture conservation in Nepal, Rotract Club of Mid Down Town, Thapathali