Reflections on Field Excursion

Introduction

Field excursions are regarded as an important component in learning, where the shared social experience provides students the opportunities to encounter and explore the nature of different organizations and projects in an authentic setting. Such opportunity can deepen and enhance the theoretical classroom knowledge on various aspects of organizations and projects beyond four walls of the classroom. The field excursion exposes students to new experiences and can enhance interest and engagement in multi-dimensional fields of study and research.

 In the making of memories with ice

As a part of final year program for B.Sc. Sustainable Development at College of Natural Resources, the students get an opportunity to go for twelve days of field excursion to various relevant organizations and the project sites. Maintaining the theme of Field Excursion “Travel, Explore and Learn”, we have visited many organizations getting authentic insights on the nature of works and the institutions’ mandates, roles and success stories. Besides the field trips, we made a pilgrimage to various sacred and spiritual Temples and sites of Buddhist masters and prominent figures of ancient times.

 Keynotes of visits to various Organizations and Institutions

National Highland Research and Development centre at Bumthang is mandated to develop highlands as a place of economic prosperity and happiness. In fulfillment of their goals and mandates, the centre caters to the development of policies and action plans on conservation and promotion of highland animals. Studies and research are being carried out to assess adaptability and introduction of highland animals of both native and exotic breeds for the socio-economic benefits of the highlanders. They also conduct few Nomad festivals exhibiting different animals and generates income while at the same time promoting the species which are least concerned by the people. One most striking objectives of their endeavor is to bring the native highlanders back from towns and cities by making lucrative economic avenues back at home through highland animals.

The centre also presented us on Modern Beekeeping which has direct economic opportunities and indirect benefits for crop production through pollination by the bees. Encouraged and recommended by His Majesty the King, the centre works tirelessly to promote the new economic avenue through beekeeping with national beekeeping sensitization programs to farmers.

Bee Hives

The tireless efforts of the centre and partner farmers have successfully produced about 15 MT of honey which is highly demanded by domestic and international markets attributing to its purity and organic nature. However, the centre expressed its drawbacks which they have to confront in making beekeeping progressive entrepreneur avenues in Bhutan.

National Centre for Animal Nutrition based at Jakar looks after the food and fodder for livestock across the country. It is mandated to maintain and develop the nutrition requirements of the food and fodder through research and laboratory tests in order to enhance the diary production in realizing the national food self-sufficiency goals. The centre has a well equipped storehouse which stores the fodder seeds of different regions and distributes it to the farmers as and when they require.

Magnificent structures of UWICE

Ugyen Wangchuk Institute for Conservation and Environment based at Bumthang works with three-tiered goals.  First goal is to contribute to science and knowledge by conducting research and policy analyses in relevant problem areas. Second is to mainstream scientific research findings into environmental policy and decision making processes and thirdly to train current and future generation of conservation and environmental leaders, practitioners and academics.

The Museum at UWICE 

The centre has so far played a premier role in conservation and research of the flora and fauna of the country taking Bhutan to the international recognition in conservation and research. Recently, as a part of education and awareness program they have started a young scientist winter camp where students are taught means of conservation and scientific knowledge of nature conservation.

Listening to the farm manager on Sheep rearing

National Sheep Breeding Centre based at Bumthang, Tang is a revival centre to the rescue of disappearing and decreased number of sheep breeds in Bhutan. Over the years people have abandoned the sheep rearing due to reasons like lack of human resource to attend the sheep and low economic returns of the sheep. Despite the technical and human resource drawbacks, the centre is hopeful to do research on content of the sheep milk and product diversification to encourage and diversify the benefits so as to encourage more people to pick up sheep farming more seriously.

Lingmethang Mountain Hazelnut Project is one among few Foreign Direct Investment projects which ventures into new economic prospects in Bhutan. It was started as a pilot project resourced by some foreign investors upon the growing demand for hazelnut in China and European countries.

Mountain hazelnut seedling

The project has now distributed several seedlings to farmers with full package support like technical support, input materials and other supports to ensure the success of the project. The project has economic, social and environmental benefits through employment, carbon sequestration and many other social and economic benefits as a result of project. There is also a plan to start processing factory to manufacture the hazelnut products for the export. Company has a buy back policy which ascertains the niche market for the nuts.

Kishuthara: The pattern of Love

Khoma, referred by some as the hillside of Kishuthara situated few kilometers below historic Lhundrup Tshey Ge Dzongchen. As one enters the entry of the village, one can hear the buzzing of the women working on patterns of love (as connoted in the Movie). Popular among patterns of cloth woven in Bhutan, kishuthara is considered most beautiful of all and it fetches handsome return of money for its backbreaking intricacy and time consuming labour. People of Khoma makes good amount of income from Kishuthara while at the same time preserving and promoting the patterns of love to rest of the people.

Dasho Aum Neten 

Lhomon Soceity, a registered Civil Society Organization has under it Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative headed by prominent leader Dasho Aum Neten Zam. It is a farsighted vision of His Eminence Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentshe Rinpoche to help people work towards sustainable self reliance and harmonious society in realizing Gross National Happiness. Its core programs include Education and youth, Waste Management, Organic Agriculture, Appropriate Technology and a GNH Model Village. We made a field visit to Menchari, a GNH model village where the SJI have made few interventions to infuse the core concepts of GNH.

Visit to Menchari; GNH model village

In contrary to what the word ‘Model’ connotes, the village has nothing to be called model village, yet, the simplicity of people’s life and the self –sufficiency nature allows happiness and harmony in the village. One can sense the taste of Gross National Happiness among the people in the village despite many downsides of the hamlet.

Jigme Namgyel Engineering College holds the significant history of our leader Jigme Namgyel who has successfully driven away the British force securing Dewangiri for us. The college now provides seven diploma courses and one degree program in technical fields of engineering. Since its conception in 1974 as Royal Bhutan Polytechnic, the institution has produced hundreds of graduates who have contributed significantly in the infrastructure development of the country. The college looks forward to develop innovative models and technologies in near future which can withstand the natural calamities and reduce the risk to human and economic devastations.

National Research Centre for Aquaculture at Gelephu is mandated to do research on fish production and conservation of endangered native fish species like Golden Masheer. Besides the research and studies, the centre help develop national policies and development of fisheries in various parts of the country. In order to meet the national target of fish self-sufficiency and to secure the economic leakages due to import, the centre distributes the fingerlings to interested farmers and help develop viable fishery.

National Piggery Research and Development Centre is concerned about the decreasing trend in piggery which are being challenged by religious sentiments across the nation. The demand for pork is way higher than the national pork production as a result imports of pork scale up each year leading to huge outflow of Bhutanese currency. The Program Director explained us the profit motives that can be made by piggery if taken up as a serious entrepreneurial venture. Researches and studies on production and conservation of native breeds are also carried out as a mandate of the centre.

A pose with NPRDC staff

National Poultry Research and Development Centre at Gakidling serve as a peak national centre for poultry research and development. Layer birds, broiler breeders and hatchery are three main components of the centre which fosters to the chicken and egg demand of the domestic market. However, as of now the centre could not meet the national target, yet, one could see the light of hope in the centre. The centre also supports the poultry entrepreneurs with technical supports and input materials and guarantees the niche market for the products.

Research Development Centre, Bhur was established in 1969. However, the centre could not produce any major plausible outcomes. The reasons listed are lack of specialists in various sectors, poor soil fertility, irrigation water problem, wild animal predation, flood and landslides, and leaching due to erratic rainfall. Despite the centre’s efforts in trials and field execution of the high-yielding crops, the farmers are not very interested to take it up due to uncertainty of the crops’ survival being exotic in origin. They are hopeful that with recruitment of new specialists and leaders, they can do much better in terms of food and horticulture production in the region.

On our way back to College we have visited Punatshangchu Hydropower Project Phase II, where we had an opportunity to witness the head tunnels and dams which is under construction. The escort engineers explained us the mechanism and skeletal framework of the whole project. Regarded as one of the four jewels of our economy, it will generate huge amount from its export after its completion. The government has invested so much into the project with loans from international financial institutions.

Visits to Lhakhangs and holy sites

Alongside the visit to organizations, we got an opportunity to visit and get blessings of various sacred lhakhangs and Nyes. Kurjey Lhakhang, Jampa Lhakhang, Mebar Tsho, Ogyen Cholling Palace, Lhuentse Dzong, Takila, Yonphula Lhakhang and Choeki Jatsho Monastery.

Kurjey Lhakhang

Tang Mebar Tsho

A brief audience with Ashi Kuenzang Choden

Museum of Ogyen Cholling Palace 

Conclusion

Theoretical knowledge infused with field experience has proven to be best way of learning. The Field excursion has helped us realize the real situation of case studies and enhanced our interest in various fields. The tour has woven beautiful patterns of memories in us which can be cherish for times to come. The field experience has developed a better understanding of the situations we have read within confinement of four walls of classroom.

Field Excursion guide teachers

 

At the Apex of Thrumshingla