With the aim of enhancing knowledge and developing solidarities, the students of Simle Secondary School-in the facilitation support of teachers, have organized series of intra-school and one inter-school poem writing, essay writing and drawing program in their school. These programs helped develop student’s interest and creative knowledge on bio-culture conservation, enhance skill of organizing extra-curricular activities, and helped develop solidarities among the students and teachers.

With the aim to enhance quality education, has distributed different types of education materials to the students of the Simle Secondary School in Ribdung-Jaleswory village of Aiselukharka Rural Municipality in Khotang district. All the students enrolled in grade eight, nine and ten during 2018 to 20123 academic session have been provided with the English to Nepali dictionary, geometry box, copies, pencils, and pen; while all the students of other classes have been provided with copies, pencils, and pens. In addition to this, students studying in grade ten and nine have been provided with old questions collected book (question bank set book, commonly known as “ten-set”). Similarly, the students of grade ten have been provided with one-month coaching-fee-scholarship with the objective to improve SEE result. These supports, as per the objectives, contributed to enhance quality education as well as to encourage the students in extra-curricular activities.

Realizing the importance of exploring collaboration and knowledge network, the participants of the first Youth Gathering held on March 26-28, 2022, have discussed, decided and finally formed an informal network of youths, named “ICCA Youth Network Nepal”. They agreed that all the youths participated in the gathering to be acknowledged as its member. They nominated one-one representative youth members from each 12 districts as secretariat committee members. The secretariat members are entrusted to represent their network in all the civil society and other relevant local to national forums as well as to explore possible collaborations for future actions related to the bio-cultural conservation issues.

Realizing the importance of cross-community knowledge and conservation organizational knowledge, REF, during 2020 and 2022 has organized inter-community exposure visits to selected youths form different communities. The youths from Bote, Chepnag, Rai, Newar, Tsumba, Limbu, Sherpa, and Gurung communities from different communities in different places participated in different community exposure visits. The communities visited for inter-community youth exposure visits were Bote indigenous community in Baghkhor village of Kawasoti Municipality in Nawalparasi district, Chepang indigenous community in Happani village of Icchakamana Rural Municipality in Chitwan district, Dura community in Duragaum village in Lamjung district, Gurung community in Sikless village in Kaski district, Taudaha in Kirtipur of Kathmandu district, and Bajrabarahi religious forest conserved by Newar community in Chapagaun of Lalitpur districts. Participating youths in these visits got opportunity to observe host community’s culture, tradition and practices related to the nature conservation as well as helped develop understanding about nature-culture relation. They also got opportunities to interact with host communities that helped enhance understanding about bio-culture conservation practices in the host community villages. REF also organized exposure visits of youths to some conservation organizations namely NTNC regional office in Sauraha of Chitwan district, WWF regional office in Sauraha of Chitwan district, IUCN Nepal’s country office in Lalitpur district, and NTNC central office in Lalitpur district. The inter-community exposure visits helped develop knowledge on bio-culture conservation practices in different territory of life as well as relations with visited community members; while visits to the conservation organization helped develop knowledge on conservation efforts of conservation organizations and develop networking relation with visited conservation organizations. These visits also helped develop leadership capacities of the participating youths.

REF, in the presence of a total of 48 individuals, has organized three-day youth gathering (March 26-28, 2022) in Kathmandu. This was first youth national gathering in which a total of 48 persons that include 37 youths representing 14 different communities from 12 districts, and 11 individuals from different 6 conservation organization were present. The objective of this gathering was to enhance leadership capacity of the youths through enhancing knowledge and their networks. This gathering was a common platform for the youths to cross-share and cross-learn their knowledge and experiences on bio-cultural conservation. It  was delighted with introductory interaction with representatives of the key national conservation organization working in Nepal that include WWF Nepal, IUCN Nepal, NTNC (National Trust for Nature Conservation), Red Panda Network Nepal, Bird Conservation Nepal, DNPWC (Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation), and Biodiversity Division of the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoFE). The youth participants realized the importance of understanding bio-cultural issues and their conservation roles and responsibilities. Followed with the refreshing excursion visits to some places inside the Kathmandu valley, the participating youths also discussed about the importance of the formation of national youth network including its vision, mission, membership, governing structure and action plan. Engagement of participating youths in three-day workshop became a milestone for exploring knowledge network and collaboration for bio-cultural conservation.

The students studying in grade eight, nine and ten during 2018 to 2023 academic sessions in Simle Secondary School located in ward number 4 of Aieselukharka Rural Municipality in Khotang district engaged in community-biodiversity-inventory work. They, with the facilitation support of teachers of their school, organized community field visits, observation of village biodiversity species, and community-inventory meetings in Karkhe, Thapadel, Simle, Dinku and Tosikhom villages. The students discussed about available biodiversity species that include wild animals, birds, plant species, herbs and medicinal plants, food crops, vegetables etc. Participating students, parents and teacher said that community inventory work was very interesting and important for enhancing practical knowledge and leadership skills to the students of this school.

Youths from Ribdung-Jaleswori village, located in Aiselukharka Rural Municipality-4 of Khotang district in eastern hill Nepal have organized series of meetings and gatherings, including consultation meetings with their parents and elders. Objective of these meetings and gatherings were to self-document the bio-cultural diversity available in their village. The self-documented bio-cultural diversity includes wild animals, birds, plant species, herbal medicines, and food crops including vegetables available in their village. These activities were processes of self-strengthening and self-enhancing knowledge of the youths form this village on bio-cultural property of their village.

Youths from Tsum-valley of Tsum-Nubri Rural Municipality (Ward 6 and 7) in Gorkha district organized series youth meetings and gatherings, including consultation meetings with their parents and elders. Objective of these meetings and gatherings were to enhance knowledge on bio-cultural diversity of their territory by encouraging self-documentation of bio-cultural diversity. The self-documented bio-cultural diversity includes wild animals, birds, plant species, medicinal plants, variety of food crops and vegetables, cultural dresses, and traditional foods available in their village. These activities were processes of self-strengthening and self-enhancing knowledge on bio-cultural property of their village. Engagement in these activities helped develop leadership capacities of Tsumba youths from Tsum valley.