We are all keepers of our traditions and cultures that make us all a proud little society altogether.  We are also the keepers of our environment, the poof of which is in the mandate we have imposed upon ourselves in the Constitution to maintain at least 60 percent of our country under forest cover for all times to come.

We did not do all these for international recognition. We did it for ourselves and for the environment that we all share. We are among the smallest polluters, but being in the mountains we are at the forefront of the consequences resulting from climate change. And the world is watching.

At a time when some leaderships of the world are busy denying the impact of climate change and insulating themselves when what the world urgently needs today is a collaborative drive to fight the dramatic effects of global weather patterns that are largely man-made, we have been steadfast without our promise.

The small contribution that we make will probably not make any difference to solving the global problem, but that doesn’t give us any excuse to not act in our own capacity.

The picture of how we try on our part, each individually, can be figured from how students of Merak Primary School in Trashigang are eager to become junior rangers.  Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary has been a great facilitator. What all these mean is we will further be able to educate and encourage young minds on biodiversity and environmental conservation.

It is not only about vision; it is about courage.

The students learn to set up motion-sensitive camera traps and monitor the rare mammals. The biggest advantage we have is that we can educate the whole posterity to care our natural environment which is at the heart of balancing or keeping climate change checked. This should also be a lesson for us elders who may not be doing enough even though some of us are duty-bound.

What they do or do not do elsewhere doesn’t matter. We have our own challenges to overcome. And we will begin small but earnestly. Ultimately, for us, it is how we can protect and preserve our own homes.