Chencho Dema

Punakha—The ‘Great People’s Forest Storytelling’ training event that began yesterday in Khuruthang, Punakha brought together local communities, students, and monks in a two-day immersive workshop.

The training aims to empower these participants to narrate their unique stories, emphasising Bhutan’s rich natural heritage.

The training covered mobile videography and cinematography, storytelling techniques, mobile editing, and social media dissemination strategies.

The founding managing director of Great People’s Forest at Conservation International, Saurav Malhotra, said that the main vision of the workshop is to give young people the power to tell their own stories. “We believe that those who live closest to nature are best suited to tell its stories and illustrate how it impacts people and the climate.”

The Great People’s Forest of the Eastern Himalayas, one of the largest restoration and conservation efforts in the history of South Asia, is a partnership between Conservation International of Washington and a network of leading local organisations including Bhutan Trust Fund and Bhutan Ecological Soceity. This initiative seeks to raise US$1 billion, plant 1 billion trees and restore and protect 1 million hectares of land across the Eastern Himalayas, from the mountains to the mangroves, indirectly benefiting around 1 billion people who depend on this connected ecosystem.

“The goal is to equip people from various walks of life—from mountains to mangroves—to narrate their experiences,” Saurav Malhotra said.

The expectation is that the trained individuals will continue sharing their stories, creating a powerful regional network.

“Bhutan is uniquely positioned to narrate how its people live harmoniously with nature daily. This training aims to equip participants with the skills to tell these stories effectively,” Saurav Malhotra added.

Participants expressed excitement about the training and the opportunity to learn to narrate stories of Bhutan through their perspective.

They learned practical skills for shooting, recording audio, and conducting interviews using mobile phones, including developing storyboards and writing scripts.

The CEO and founder of Pluc TV, Tamseel Hussain, who is also part of the training team, said that they are upskilling people on storytelling, and to get the stories out in the world,

He also pointed out the gap in conservation storytelling, which often misses the voices of those directly affected by climate change.

“This training includes monks, students, and teachers who can tell stories in ways that resonate widely,” Tamseel Hussain added. “We want to narrate the story of the Great People’s Forest and the Eastern Himalayan region through the eyes of those who live it.”

Tamseel Hussain said that these stories created by the participants will be showcased at upcoming global events like COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan and climate week in September. “We aim to correct misconceptions about the Eastern Himalayas and highlight the region’s significance,” he said.

The Great Peoples’ Forest of Eastern Himalayas, launched in September  last year, as part of India’s G20 presidency, is one of South Asia’s largest reforestation efforts.

The project is a partnership between Conservation International, USA, and Balipara Foundation, Assam, India. It aims to raise USD 1 billion by 2030 for restoration activities across Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Northeast India.

In Bhutan, the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTF) and Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) are leading the project.

The BES plans to restore over 1,000 hectares of land in the first phase and establish a nursery capable of producing 1 million saplings annually.

The BTF will plant 150,820 native saplings in 215 hectares of degraded forest areas, including primary forest and private land, and work with 535 schools to plant over 500,000 trees. In addition, the project will establish a nursery capacity of 200,000 saplings.      

Around 1 billion people live in the mountainous regions between Bhutan and Nepal and the mangrove-growing region of India and Bangladesh.