Birdwatching Tourism Training was conducted at Pokhara from 28 to 29 August 2011.   Total 36 participants included Trekking guides, conservation worker, University students and media persons. The training was divided in two session i.e. theoretical and field visit.  Main objective of the training was to contribute to the birdwatching tourism of Nepal by enhancing the capacity of trekking guides, conservation workers, students and other people interested in birds and biodiversity.

First day was theoretical session. This programme began with welcome speech and introduction about the programme from Dr. Hum Gurung, CEO, BCN followed by an opening remarks from Mr. Baikuntha Prasad Acharya, Incharge, Regional Office, Pokhara, NTB and Mr. Ram Babu Bastakoti, UNITRAV. Mr. Acharya highlighted on the indispensable need of competent human resources in today’s tourism market and further added that birdwatching has a strong potential in Nepal and programme like this helps to create skill human resources in a new tourism avenue. He said this training will be milestone to develop such manpower in Pokhara valley and wished for the success. Similarly, Mr. Bastakoti highlighted about the importance of birdwatching tourism in Nepalese tourism industry and livelihood of local people. He appreciated BCN’s initiation to buildup the capacity of tourist guides by running such training which contributes to the promotion of tourism industry in Nepal. After opening remarks, various facilitators: Mr. Jytoendra Jyu Thakuri, Dr. Hum Gurung, Mr. Marcus Cotton, Mr, Niroj Shrestha, Mr. Ramji Gautam, Mr. Krishna Mani Baral spoke on several. First day ended with documentary show on birds of Chitwan National Park developed by Kaluram Tamang.

Second day was divided into two sections: first was field visit and second was lecture at training hall. Birdwatching started from the Peace Stupa where participants were divided into two groups lead by two different bird experts from Pokhara: one was lead by Mr. Hari K.C., Senior Birdwatcher guide of Pokhara and another group was lead by Mr. Jhalak Chaudhary, Birdwatcher guide of Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge. Two groups were taken to Rani Ban forest for birdwatching to practice birdwatching technique and all other techniques learned on the first day but followed different routes. Altogether 47different species of birds were recorded during this birdwatching trip. Second half of the day began with a presentation from Mr. Ram Dew Chaudhary about birdwatching sites and opportunity of birdwatching in Nepal. This was followed by a presentation on Important Bird Areas (IBA) monitoring by Mr. Jyotendra Jyu Thakuri. Ms. Menuka Basnyat provided information about different websites for sharing bird recorded during field visit to several sites and photos of bird taken by them in an international level. Participants were given certificate of participation at the end of the programme.\