Following the first successful collaborative training on nursery establishment and management in January 2025, the Biodiversity, Environment, and Natural Resources Research Center (BENRC) of CTU Argao and the Soil and Water Conservation Foundation, Inc. (SWCFI) conducted another four-day training from February 26 to March 1, 2025, in Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy, Cebu, but this time revolving around birding.
Once again, the Center and SWCFI invited the Department of Education – Region VII, including key officials led by DRRM Regional Director Mr. Ranilo Edar. The participants included selected high school students and teachers from the Carcar City and Cebu Province Divisions.
For four days, participants, facilitators, and guests stayed at a key biodiversity area in Nug-as. Though a forest headquarter was available, it was insufficient to accommodate all attendees, prompting some to set up camping tents nearby.
The training combined lecture sessions with fieldwork, where participants conducted bird monitoring in Lower Barangay Bulalacao, Upper Nug-as, Lower Nug-as, and inside the forest, each group accompanied by a forest warden. These wardens are active members of the Kapunungan sa Mag-uuma sa Yutang Lasangnon sa Bulalacao (KMYLB).
Through these activities, participants identified various bird species and assessed their conservation status and endemicity.
As the main training facilitator, Prof. Hemres M. Alburo, the BENRC Director, challenged participants to apply their learning in their respective schools and communities. He emphasized that even small actions can contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation.
“…our little contributions, when many of us do them, will translate into something big and significant,” he added.
These trainings are part of the ongoing “Youth Hands-on Biodiversity Conservation and Management Project,” an internationally funded initiative under the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The project was proposed and led by SWCFI, BENRC’s partner in biodiversity conservation.
Written by: Melvin T. Benemerito
