News & announcements

Sustainable forest management: a week in Mongar

A team of 26 BSc Forestry students, including an international student, from the College of Natural Resources (CNR), Lobesa, led by Dr. Yeshey Khandu, a leading dendrochronologist in Bhutan, visited the Mongar Forest Division from 6–12 September 2026 as part of their field week on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Planning and Practical Field Exercises.

The field program provided the students with basic opportunities to bridge classroom knowledge with practical applications of sustainable forest management planning. The students were introduced to the principles and practices of SFM, particularly in the context of core forestry sciences in Forest Management Unit (FMU).

Major activities and practical exercises undertaken during the field week included:

1. Introduction to Sustainable Forest Management in FMUs, including the principles, objectives and practical considerations of SFM planning and implementation processes.

2. Operational inventory design and methodology, covering sampling design, plot establishment, measurement techniques, data collection procedures and their application in forest management planning.

3. Field visit to a Low-Impact Logging (LIL) operation site at Yarila under Lingmethang FMU, where students were exposed to practical aspects of environmentally responsible planned harvesting operations, cable-line-based extraction and measures to minimise damage to the residual forest and surrounding environment.

4. Operational inventory field data collection exercise at Shongjari Block, followed by data compilation, result interpretation/analysis- providing them hands-on experience in tree measurement, forest stand assessment, inventory data recording and field-based resource assessment.

5. Forest Function Mapping using QGIS, through which students were introduced to the application in spatial analysis, forest zoning into protection, non-production and production working circles, resource assessment and management prescriptions, estimation and regulation of sustained yield called annual allowable cut(AAC) from the net operable areas.

6. Visit to Yakpugang Community Forest and Payment for Environmental Services (PES) site, providing an opportunity to understand community-based forest management, ecosystem services, community participation and emerging approaches for incentivising conservation and sustainable management of forest resources.

7. The field exposure also provided an opportunity for the students to interact with real-time forestry professionals and gained practical understanding of the planning process, inventory, mapping, implementation, and monitoring of forest management regimes.

The program highlighted the importance of integrating field-based forestry technologies, sustainable harvesting practices, community participation and ecosystem-service approaches in achieving sustainable and resilient forest management.

Mongar Forest Division appreciates the efforts of Dr. Yeshey Khandu for opting our Division for the opportunity to support the practical learning of our next generation of forestry professionals and hopes that the field experience will contribute to strengthening their understanding of evidence-based, participatory and environmentally responsible forest management in Bhutan.

Block Day: Forest and Systematic Botany

On 11–12 September, first-year Forestry students undertook their first Block Day field activities in and around Thimphu.

The students visited the National Biodiversity Centre, Botanical Park, and Traditional Medicine on the first day. On the second day, they hiked from Dochula to Lungchutse and continued towards Lamperi, collecting plant specimens and observing plant diversity along the way.

With guidance from their module tutor, Mr. Ngawang Gyeltshen, students learned about plant identification, species characteristics, and their importance through direct field observations.

A valuable opportunity to connect classroom learning with practical field experience

Forestry students visit the National Biodiversity Centre

On 11 September 2026, the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), Serbithang, welcomed 30 first-year B. Sc. Forestry students from the College of Natural Resources (CNR), Royal University of Bhutan, accompanied by their Module Tutor and programme leader. The visit was organised as part of the Forest and Systematic Botany (BOT101) module to complement classroom learning with practical exposure to biodiversity conservation and management.

The students were given an overview of NBC’s mandate, programmes and key activities, followed by awareness sessions on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), Material Transfer Agreements (MTA), and biopiracy. They were also taken on guided visits to relevant NBC facilities to learn about biodiversity documentation, biological collections, and the conservation and management of plant genetic resources. The visit provided the students with an opportunity to connect academic concepts with practical conservation work and interact with professionals working in biodiversity research and management.

The academic exposure helped strengthen the students’ understanding of Bhutan’s biodiversity conservation efforts and the important role of institutions such as NBC in safeguarding the country’s biological resources.

Block Day: Integrated Watershed Management

Forestry 4th year students undertook a field-based learning activity in Phobjikha as part of the Integrated Watershed Management module.

The field exercise involved collecting data on water depth, stream width, water velocity, water quality, and land condition scores based on field observations. Each group surveyed a 500 m section, covering a combined study length of approximately 2.5 km across the study area.

The activity provided students with an opportunity to apply watershed management concepts in the field and gain practical experience in field observation, data collection, and assessment of watershed conditions.

Learning at Khotokha Wetland

4th Year Forestry students have successfully completed a two-day block day at Khotokha Wetland as part of the Wetland and Freshwater Ecology module.

The field-based learning provided students with an opportunity to connect classroom concepts with real-world ecological assessment. During the field visit, students engaged in wetland vegetation assessment, freshwater biodiversity surveys, water quality assessment, and aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Khotokha Forest Management Unit (FMU) and Mr. NB Pradhan Sir for their kind support, hospitality, and facilitation throughout the field visit. Your support greatly contributed to making this learning experience meaningful and successful for our students.