"Biologists often begin autobiographical sketches by describing an idyllic childhood spent in a company of bugs and salamander," says Eric Dinerstein, a noted wildlife biologist. For me, it was no different. I sketched my childhood,  a boy from Kathmandu,] who spent two months of winter vacations in the warm and dusty plains of Salahesh fulbari, playing with the buffalo shepherd, fishing and taking mud baths in the paddy fields. Geographically located in Lahan Municipality in Siraha district, Salahesh fulbari includes six hectares of forested gardens with historical and cultural significance. The area was famous for a species of orchid that was believed to bloom only on the eve and first day of the Nepali new year. Underground water ran through this garden, forming small rivulets, flowing out, and used by hundreds of villagers to water their paddy fields. These deeply rooted cultural beliefs—tied to the various ecosystem services that the land provides to locals—explains fulbari’s significance.

DHANGADI, Feb 3: Some 30 trees of 'Saal' species were found cut down in a national forest near Sanupal area a few weeks ago. The locals reported it to the District Forest Office but very little has been done to punish those involved in the illegal act.

BIRATNAGAR, March 28: Stakeholders have insisted on the need for the concerned agencies to pay special attention on averting forest fire.

KATHMANDU, Jan 31: Known as the Rhododendron capital of the Himalayas, Tinjure-Milkhe-Jaljale (TMJ) forest complex in eastern Nepal has long been plagued by significant conservation issues that threaten to destroy the very charm of the beautiful landscape. The government hopes that its new community-based forest and biodiversity management plan would address the crisis and avert further damage to the terrain caused by loss of forest and habitat due to the traditional slash-and-burn method of agriculture, overgrazing, infrastructure as well as poaching.