wildlife photography workshop 2018
SUMMARY
Leveraging Wildlife Conservation through Photography- Series 2 was the continuation of 2017 mega workshop with the major objective of conservation awareness through photography and sustainable ecotourism promotion. This March, ROAR FOR CONSERVATION organized another Wildlife Photography Workshop in Bardia National Park itself. The workshop was again be mentored by the experience of Sir. Balan Madhavan (Senior Fellow, iLCP).
background
Back in 2017, a new idea flourished in the mind of a group of youths to something that was never done before in Nepal by any Nepali. The idea was of promoting wildlife conservation through Wildlife Photography. So like minded people started brainstorming and came to a conclusion of conducting the first International Wildlife Photography Workshop in Nepal. The workshop was named as Leveraging Wildlife Conservation through Photography (LWCTP) by Himalayan Scholars’ Group and A-Square Productions. The idea was to bring youths and wildlife lovers in the workshop and help them excel their knowledge and skills in wildlife photography through the guidance of our beloved mentor Mr Balan Madhavan. The establishment of ROAR FOR CONSERVATION. The establishment of ROAR For Conservation with the organisers of the “LWCTP Series 1” gave continuity to events like this and many more. The workshop was organised in the month of March with a theme of bringing wildlife lovers together. The event was a success with so many nature enthusiasts as participants from Nepal and its neighbouring nations. Camping and rafting were additional highlights of the events.
The participant of LWPCT- Series 2
| Name | Occupation | Participate Type |
|---|---|---|
| Shovna Upadhaya | Wildlife Photographer | Self Funded |
| Thomas Varghese | Sr. Neurosurgeon | Self Funded |
| Amlendu Dubey | Wildlife Enthusiast | Self Funded |
| Prakash Chhetri | Wildlife Enthusiast | Self Funded |
| Ajay Nurshing Rana | Nature Blogger | Self Funded |
| Indrajeet Pariyar | Wildlife Enthusiast | Self Funded |
| Rajan Lamichhane | Student | Sponsored by TGG WWF |
| Abadh Pariyar | Freelancer Photographer | Sponsored by TGG WWF |
| Bibek Bartula | Student | Sponsored by TGG WWF |
| Yaman Sakhya | Student | Sponsored by TGG WWF |
| Ashish Neupane | Freelancer Photographer | Self Funded |
| Anup Vaswani | Freelancer Photographer | Self Funded |
Through The Generation Green Campaign (TGG) that is under the wings of WWF Nepal; four of our participants were partially sponsored.
Organizing Committee
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Sima Khanal | Coordinator |
| Prasun Ghimire | Member of Organizing Committe |
| Bishesh Gautam | Member of Organizing Committe |
| Bhumi Tharu | Member of Organizing Committe |
| Umang Jung Thapa | Member of Organizing Committe |
| Rajan Chaudhary | Member of Organizing Committe |
Naturalists and Guides
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ramjan Chaudhary | Senior Naturalist |
| Ram Bahadur Shahi | Senior Naturalist |
| Anuram Chaudary | Senior Guide |
| Deepak Rajbansi | Guide |
| Omprakash Chaudhary | Guide |
| Arun Chaudhary | Guide |
| Subash Khadka | Guide |
| Sakar Tharu | Guide |
Our supporters
Event partners
Outcomes
1. The participants ranging from a biology student to a doctor and business investors got to feel the beauty of wildlife with all 5 senses. A group of nature lovers bonded from all professions, that is formed during the “nature-days” is the major success story of the workshop.
2. The local guides were also the participants of the workshop. The workshop fostered technical skills to the real nature guards of the park enabling them to click better in days to come.
3. All the participants not merely learnt the photographic skills but took home the experiences of thrilling and wonderful jungle drives, safaris, rafts and camps.
4. Since the participants were not just from Nepal, the workshop transcend photographic classes to sharing of wildlife-related issues and stories between participants belonging to different nations and professions.
Few reviews from the participants:
– Abadh Pariyar
“What a week, it was one amazing experience I ever had in my life. Getting such a wonderful opportunity to learn Photography on an adventure trip. IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.”
– Ajay Nurshing Rana
“What a week it’s been in Bardiya with the safari and most importantly the workshop on Wildlife Conservation Photography. Thank you Balan Madhavan sir for being an awesome mentor I’ve ever had. Not the best of photos below but definitely reflects the role of a mentor in guiding young ones.”
– Deepak Rajbansi
“ This workshop has sharpened my skills in photography every time. I am thankful to the organizers for bringing such events and letting locals like us gain more skills.”
Conclusions
LWCPT series by ROAR is a small step towards a big dream that we all aim for which is conservation of nature for future. But we are motivated and fully energized to move ahead by bringing programs that are even more productive and ensure a huge number of youths involved in conservation.
ROAR FOR CONSERVATION will be bringing the Series-3 of LWCPT on March, 2019.
glimpses of workshop
Events
Expeditions
Conservation Outreach and compaigns