HEAL was honoured to be part of the Bengal Birders’ Meet 2026, organised by the @birdwatchers_society on 18-19 July 2026 in Kolkata. It was a gathering that brought together birders, researchers, conservationists and nature enthusiasts from across the region to celebrate and discuss bird conservation.

HEAL’s project coordinator @_v.a.s.u.d.h.a_ Mishra was invited as a guest speaker to give a talk on “Drive against poaching of migratory birds in Central West Bengal”. She spoke about our ongoing efforts to combat migratory lark poaching, the scale of the challenge, the work our field teams have undertaken to protect migratory birds, and the importance of combining community engagement with effective enforcement.

She also shared how the Humane Committees, formed following the directions of the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court, have strengthened coordination between local communities, the Forest Department and the police, leading to more effective action against bird poaching.

The session sparked an engaging discussion, with thoughtful questions from the audience reflecting a strong interest in community-led conservation and the future of migratory bird protection.

The event featured an inspiring line-up of speakers, with Shri Rajesh Kumar, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Government of West Bengal, attending as the Guest of Honour; Dr. Ravi Singh, Secretary General & CEO of WWF-India, delivering the keynote address; and Dr. Sonali Ghosh, Council Head, Forest & BTC, and Field Director, Manas Tiger Reserve, speaking on bird conservation.

We thank the Birdwatchers’ Society for providing a unique platform to share these experiences and for bringing together people united by a common commitment to conserving birds and their habitats.