Nature Study Centre
( Project BT0016 )
urrently, there is no baseline data on the status, distribution, habitat requirements, and population trends of Bhutan's fauna and flora. Further research on the country's natural resources is also required to determine conservation needs and management methods. The Nature Study Centre, the first of its kind in Bhutan, will facilitate this research and will also provide a facility for in-service training to meet the immediate demand for park staff. The Centre, currently under construction at Khebethang in the Black Mountains National Park, will enlist public support for conservation through study tours and workshops for farmers held on site.
The actual construction of the centre's buildings was delayed by several years due to political unrest in southern Bhutan. Site evaluation, architectural design, and logistical arrangements were completed only by 1993, and construction began in 1994. The centre is expected to be completed by 1996 and will be fully equipped with hostel, laboratory and library facilities.
Course materials are being developed in consultation with a naturalist trained in the US by WWF. The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation will provide the Centre's operating costs when it is fully constructed. It is hoped that the centre will encourage Bhutanese students and scientists to conduct independent research in Bhutan.
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