https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Feathers and Leaves: A Book to Create Awareness About the Urgent Need to Preserve Nagaland’s Rich Flora and Fauna

Nagaland forest department has come up with a book named, ‘Feathers and Leaves: Flora and Fauna’ The book, which documents the rich flora and fauna found in Forest Colony, Kohima, was released by PCCF & HOFF, Nagaland, Dharmendra Prakash, IFS Through this book, the forest department hopes to make people aware of the need to protect and save the rich biodiversity in the state
Indian Masterminds Stories

A book named Feathers and Leaves: Flora and Fauna was recently released by the forest department of Nagaland. As the name suggests, the book documents the myriad varieties of flora and fauna in a forest colony of Kohima, in an effort to bring the rich biodiversity before the public, to inspire and motivate them to contribute towards its conservation.

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, IFS Officer Dharmendra Prakash, who is the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) & Head of Forest Force (HOFF), Nagaland, shared details about the book, which he recently released.

NAGAR VAN SCHEME 

The book is an initiative of the Kohima Forest Division under the Nagar Van scheme. Nagar Van, a scheme which has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, envisages developing 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatikas in the country during the period of 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an objective to significantly enhance the tree outside forests and green cover, enhancement of biodiversity and ecological benefits to the urban and peri-urban areas apart from improving the quality of life of city dwellers. 

Through this project, the forest department of Nagaland selected a site within the forest colony of Kohima, Nagaland. Once the development of the park was over, the DFO of Kohima Division, in consultation with the Chief Wildlife Warden, drafted a list of birds which are generally found in the forest colony area. So, as a result of this initiative, the book, Feathers and Leaves: Flora and Fauna, is the outcome. The concept is of DFO, Kohima, Rajkumar M, IFS.

THE BOOK

“Under the Nagar Van initiative, we decided to have some kind of documentation. So, this book was released. It is the result of great efforts by our field officers,” Mr. Prakash said.

People generally see the forest colony in Kohima as a residential area with offices around, while huge part of the area is covered by forest which serves as a haven for rich flora and fauna. The idea behind the book was to enable the people to contribute towards the conservation of bio-diversity after reading the book.  In addition to this, the book would act as a guide for those who want to do bird watching in Kohima.

The pictures in the book were taken by senior IFS officer Vedpal Singh of the Nagaland Forest department, for over a period of 5-6 years.

“Now we have decided that we will have install signage or some kind of billboard developed in the form of collage in different places so that people get aware of the varieties of birds and trees in the area. This will help our conservation efforts,” Mr. Prakash said.

Glimpse of the book

The book has pictures of birds along with their descriptions and food habits. Thirty birds and 14 trees have been documented.

BIODIVERSITY & FOREST AREAS IN NAGALAND

The whole state of Nagaland is rich in biodiversity. Nagaland comes under the Indo-Burma (Myanmar) biodiversity hotspots of the world. Though small in surface area, the geographical location with varied climatic condition ranging from tropical to temperate conditions have greatly influenced the rich floristic and faunal diversity in the state.

Mr. Prakash shared that in Nagaland, the land holding pattern is very peculiar. Unlike in other states, most of the forests are with the community and private people, and the ownership is vested with them. The government as such have control over only 5% of the forest area and 95% of the forest area is with communities and are private.

“As a result, conservation has been a big issue because these areas are not under the jurisdiction of the government. It has taken sustained awareness programme over a period of 15-20 years to reach this level,” he said.

Glimpse of the Book

Pleased that different species of birds and trees are found in the forest colony of Kohima, he has now encouraged the team to continue its documentation on the flora and fauna of the state and create more awareness among the public. “We hope that this book will increase the love towards nature among its readers,” he said.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
DGR Job Fair
DGR Job Fair 2025 Held in Delhi to Empower Ex-Servicemen with Career Opportunities in Emerging Tech - Details Inside
omc
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Begins Dispatch from Dubna Mines, Strengthening Supply Chain and Industrial Growth
NFDC
NFDC Launches Free Residential 3D Animation & VFX Training for North East Youth - Here's All You Need To Know
CM Yogi
CM Yogi Adityanath Reviews Rs. 42,891 Crore Development Proposals for Lucknow Division, Emphasizes Timely, Inclusive Execution
Mahanadi River
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai Assures Odisha of Consideration on an Amicable Solution to Mahanadi Water Dispute
MP News
Madhya Pradesh CM Dr. Mohan Yadav Pays Tribute to Pt. Ravishankar Shukla on His Birth Anniversary
ONGC_resized
ONGC Sets Record Date for Rs1.25 Final Dividend for FY25; Strengthens Shareholder Returns- Check Details
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
PM Modi Releases 20th PM-KISAN Instalment; CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Thanks Centre for Supporting Over 8 Lakh Farmers in Uttarakhand
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
DGR Job Fair
DGR Job Fair 2025 Held in Delhi to Empower Ex-Servicemen with Career Opportunities in Emerging Tech - Details Inside
omc
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Begins Dispatch from Dubna Mines, Strengthening Supply Chain and Industrial Growth
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT