WINGS OF CHANGE

IT ALL BEGAN IN 2008 AT Bompu, in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh. I had recently left my corporate job and was on a three-week birding trip, contemplating how best to contribute to nature conservation in the next chapter of my life.

- SANJAY SONDHI

There I met Arpan Sharma and Kamal Medhi of Samrakshan Charitable Trust, an NGO focused on environmental protection. Arpan invited me to collaborate on a conservation and livelihood initiative in the Garo Hills, Meghalaya. That chance encounter marked the beginning of what would become a 15-year association with the Garo tribe.

THE JOURNEY

Between 2009 and 2015, Samrakshan and Titli Trust conducted extensive biodiversity assessments across the Garo Hills. Initially, we focused on avifaunal surveys, as we believed bird tourism could provide a strong incentive for conservation. However, during our fieldwork, we were struck by the incredible diversity of butterflies—called meplip in the local language.

Since 2009, we have spent over 125 days surveying the region's butterflies and documented nearly 400 species. Some of these are rare and special, including the Zigzag Flat, Yellow Flat, Chequered Lancer, Grey Baron, Branded Yamfly, Blue Begum, Branded Yeoman, Redtail and Banded Marquis, Marbled Map, Koh-i-noor, Brahmaputra Palmfly, Jezebel Palmfly, Yellow Gorgon, Chain Swordtail, and Long-tailed Punch. Today, the Garo Hills have firmly established themselves as a "must-visit" destination for butterfly watchers in India.

THE SUCCESSES