Guwahati students log 1,517 species in month-long urban biodiversity survey
A 30-day citizen science survey by Guwahati school students documented 1,517 species of flora and fauna across Kamrup Metropolitan district.
A month-long citizen science exercise involving school students has documented 1,517 species of flora and fauna across Assam's Kamrup Metropolitan district, with the findings released in Guwahati on Tuesday.
The survey, titled Guwahati Bioblitz 2025, was carried out over 30 days by the Guwahati-based biodiversity conservation organisation Help Earth in association with the Assam Climate Change Management Society. Students from seven schools took part.
According to the data presented at a school in Guwahati's Barsajai area, 48 students logged 5,932 observations, which together yielded 1,517 unique species. The final tally included 993 plant species, 221 insect species, 117 bird species, 25 mammal species and 10 reptile species.
Guwahati serves as the headquarters of the 1,528-sq. km Kamrup Metropolitan district, which is divided into three development blocks and five revenue circles.
Help Earth general secretary Jayaditya Purkayastha said the exercise was conceived as an intensive biodiversity documentation effort aimed at encouraging students to discover, document and understand the biological diversity of a largely urban landscape. Participants were given the freedom to explore their surroundings and contribute scientifically useful records, he added.
The programme introduced students to biodiversity awareness, field exploration, digital photography, species identification through the iNaturalist app, monitoring and continued engagement with biodiversity.
Purkayastha said the initiative was designed not merely as a competition but as a platform to build a lasting habit of observation, documentation and appreciation of nature among young learners. The broader vision, he said, was to turn biodiversity assessment from a one-time activity into a continuous learning and monitoring process, with schools functioning as living classrooms.
Amlan Kumar Dey, principal of Maharishi Vidya Mandir III, where the concluding programme of Bioblitz 2025 was organised, said large-scale biodiversity conservation through student participation can go a long way in promoting ecological literacy and the exploration of urban microhabitats, from school grounds to surrounding areas.