![Members of Birding Group along with Vice Chancellor, Prof Manoj Dhar releasing the new year calendar at Jammu on Wednesday. Members of Birding Group along with Vice Chancellor, Prof Manoj Dhar releasing the new year calendar at Jammu on Wednesday.](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/page5-9.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 5: Dr Mohit Gera, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF) J&K/ Chairman J&K Biodiversity Council today released the calendar for the year 2022, prepared by the members of the vibrant Birding Group of J&K named “J&K BirdLife” in presence of Suresh Kumar Gupta, Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K and other senior officers of the Forest Department.
In a separate function, the members of the Group met Prof Manoj Kumar Dhar , Vice-Chancellor University of Jammu and apprised him of the activity of the Group and its contribution to J&K avian diversity and presented a new year calendar in the presence of Prof Arvind Jasrotia, Registrar.
The Birding Group has come up with the publication of the calendar for the second time in a row with the sole aim of creating awareness and documentation of bird diversity of Jammu and Kashmir. With more than 11K members the group has significantly contributed towards awareness and popularizing bird watching in J&K.
The founders of the group including Parvaiz Shagoo and Dr Parmil Kumar along with the other core members of the group Dr Piyush Malaviya, Head Department of Environmental Science, Dr Neeraj Sharma, Director, Institute of Mountain Environment, Sachin Kumar Bhagat, Assistant Prof of Political Science, GDC, Marh and Yatin Gupta were also present during the event.
It is pertinent to mention here that the members of the group have made individual contributions towards the publication of this calendar which is laudable.
Dr Mohit Gera, IFS PCCF (HoFF) congratulated the members of the group and stressed upon working in this direction with more zeal and passion and making efforts to make bird watching in J&K more vibrant in the years to come.