This is to inform prospective grantees the deadline for submission of proposal for next cycle, (i.e for September 2012 review) is 31 May 2012. Any proposals received after 31 May 2012 will not be reviewed for the September cycle.
During the 33rd Board Meeting held on 9 May 2012, the following four projects have been approved for the grant cycle of December 2011 to May 2012:
1. Door to Door Waste Management Service, 2. Water Resource Inventory to Assess the Availability of Water for Various Uses, 3. Comprehensive Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Endemic Plant Diversity along the Bio-geographic Elevation gradient in Four Eco-floristic Zones in Bhutan, and 4. Plantation by Farmers Group of Phongmey and Radhi Gewog.
A team of Researchers from Wildlife Conservation Division and Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Environment and Conservation together with with the Butterfly Society of Japan (BSJ) and NHK Japan sighted some mating pairs of B. ludlowi at Bumdelling Wildlife Sanctuary.
The sighting also revealed considerable biological information about B. ludlowi Its hostplant is Aristolochia griffithi, which is also utilised as a hostplant by other Bhutanitis taxa. Bhutanitis ludlowi eggs are smaller than in other Bhutanitis and are laid on top of each other in a stacked pile arrangement. Video footage of live adults show that their flight is rapid with a deep wingbeat and frequent gliding. The forewings provide all propulsion, while the hindwings are unpowered during normal flight and trail behind the butterfly. Unlike many swallowtail butterflies, B. ludlowi does not continuously flutter its wings while feeding. Viburnum cylindricum flowers were the most commonly used adult food source.
Ludlow’s Bhutan Swallowtail (Bhutanitis ludlowi) is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It belongs to the subfamily Parnasiinae which also contains the Apollo butterflies.
Bhutanitis ludlowi was known from five specimens collected in Bhutan during 1933-1934 by the botanists Frank Ludlow and George Sheriff. Four of these specimens were referred to in the type description, which contained little information on the species’ biology other than they were collected at an altitudinal range of 2000-2200 metres in forest.
The first ever captive breed of White-bellied Heron was released on 17th September, 2011 marking a huge success of the research program. The Heron was released from its flight pan in presence of environmentalists and other stakeholders.
WBH in Flight Pan
It was observed that the Heron remained around the captive site for a day and flew off to upstream place of Punatshangchhu. The heron was not observed for few days but soon reappeared around the river belt.
The Heron was fitted with a solar portable Teletransmitter which will relay the location of the Heron’s migration places.
The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation has invested in the documentary production of the White-bellied Heron and will be soon released.
