The 2nd Kalagarh Nature Festival, held across the Rathuwadhab and Dhotiyal landscape of Kalagarh Tiger Reserve, felt less like a festival and more like a shared journey. As Rathuwadhab Nature Guides, this experience carried forward everything we learned during the
Rathuwadhab Nature Guide programme patience, responsibility, and respect for the forest.
The Rathuwadhab and Dhotiyal landscape lies on the north side of Jim Corbett National Park, within the larger Kalagarh Tiger Reserve region which is called the North Side of Jim Corbett National. This part of Jim Corbett National Park is still quiet, forest-rich, and deeply connected to village life.
Unlike mass tourism zones, this landscape is slowly being shaped through community-led co-tourism, where conservation comes before numbers. Local homestays such as The Corbett Rajae Homestay in Rathuwadhab and Corbett Riverside Homestay in Dhotiyal are playing an important role in promoting this region in a responsible way. Instead of large resorts or heavy traffic, the focus remains on small groups, guided walks, birdwatching, local food, and learning directly from the community. The aim is simple to create livelihoods for local people while ensuring that forests, birds, rivers, and village culture are protected. This slow, respectful approach is what makes the north side of Corbett different and worth protecting. This Bird festival reminded us that nature teaches best when we listen quietly.
The Bird festival began on 18 December at Kumaldi Government School, Kumaldi. Starting the festival in a local school felt meaningful. It connected the event directly to the community and the land.
The inauguration was attended by forest officials from Kalagarh Tiger Reserve, Sonanadi Range, and Nala Range, along with Banoj Negi from Jeevan Deep Samiti. Their presence strengthened the bond between forest departments, local organisations, and community guides.
During the inauguration, two important biodiversity publications were released with the support of Titli Trust
After the Birds of Kalagarh work from the first festival, this felt like learning to look closer at the forest and appreciate life beyond what flies high and loud.
In the evening, everyone gathered at The Corbett Rajae Homestay, a place that has quietly supported community-led nature experiences in North Corbett. After dinner, we watched
Whispers of Wings Birds of Rathuwadhab, a documentary by Neeraj Bisht and Dhananjay, created with support from Green Hub.
The film was followed by an ethics discussion. We spoke honestly about birdwatching responsibility and the Uttarakhand Forest Department guidelines on no call playback. Badges were shared not as rewards, but as reminders that birding is about care, not disturbance.
The second day began early with two guided trails, one in the morning and one in the evening. Participants were divided into two groups every day, each led by trained local nature guides. Different trails were chosen for each group so that pressure on any one area remained low.
What stood out on day two was the mix of people. Alongside experienced birders were new birders and children, curious and eager to learn. Watching young participants ask questions, wait patiently, and slowly learn to identify birds was one of the quiet joys of the festival.
The evening discussions focused on real challenges and honest opportunities.
Ananda, Shiwank, and Sanjay Sondhi spoke about community-based tourism and eco-tourism, sharing both the hope and the hard work behind it.
Another session by Arita (Ari and Wild – Youtube Channel) focused on how social media can be used for effective communication by rural ventures. The discussion stayed practical and grounded, showing how storytelling can help local communities speak for themselves without misrepresenting nature.
Day three unfolded in the Dhotiyal landscape, again with two guided trails, morning and evening. Each group walked a different route, led by nature guides who know these forests through seasons and years.
Lunch that day became a memory many visitors carried home. Food was served in a traditional Uttarakhand way, on plates made from Malu leaves, just as it is done during village weddings and community gatherings. Simple rice, dal, and local vegetables shared together. It was not a
performance. It was daily life.
In the evening, Sanjay Sondhi and Taukeer spoke about endangered birds of Uttarakhand and the Grey crowned Prinia conservation project. The discussion connected what we see on trails with what is slowly disappearing if we are not careful.
We also watched films by Himanshi Rawat, who documented the entire festival. She is currently working on a documentary on the 2nd Kalagarh Nature Festival, which will be released soon. The stories she captured belong to the forest and the people who walk it.
Over the course of the festival, a total of 141 bird species were recorded. The final checklist reflects not just numbers, but careful observation.
Some memorable sightings included Silver eared Mesia, Nepal Fulvetta, Chinese Rubythroat, Wallcreeper, Common Green Magpie, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Variable Wheatear, along with regular sightings of Brown Fish Owl and Asian Barred Owlet.
A special moment was the first recorded sighting of Eurasian Jay in the Dhotiyal landscape, a meaningful addition to the local checklist. Variable Wheatear was also observed again, strengthening existing records.
https://ebird.org/tripreport/450169
The 2nd Kalagarh Nature Bird Festival was a community-led festival hosted by Chakhuli and Jeevan Deep Sameti, with support from Titli Trust, Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, and the Uttarakhand Forest Department, and was collectively led by Chakhuli members and
Rathuwadhab Nature Guides including Shiwank Negi, Abhishek Rawat, Saurabh Nautiyal, Ravinder Rawat, Aman, and Ajay Adhikari, held across the Rathuwadhab and Dhotiyal landscape from 18 to 21 December 2025 (3 nights, 4 days), and concluded as a meaningful
success with a bird checklist of 141 species.
Two local homestays played a key role in making both the first Kalagarh Nature Festival (2024)
and the second Kalagarh Nature Festival (2025) successful. The Corbett Rajae Homestay, hosted by Shivank Negi, and Corbett Riverside Homestay, hosted by Nitin Negi and Manoj Negi, took responsibility beyond hosting by supporting logistics, food, stays, and community
coordination, helping ensure that the festival remained grounded, eco-friendly, and community-led across the Rathuwadhab and Dhotiyal landscape.
The 2nd Kalagarh Nature Festival showed us that conservation grows strongest when learning is shared across ages. From children taking their first birding steps to experienced birders slowing down, everyone learned something.
Supported by local communities, organisations, and places like The Corbett Rajae Homestay, this festival proved that community-led eco-tourism in Kalagarh Tiger Reserve can be respectful, educational, and deeply human.
As Rathuwadhab Nature Guides, we leave this festival with gratitude and responsibility.
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