A weeklong conservation workshop on small mammal research in Bhutan (20-26 August 2015) is underway at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment, Lamai Goempa, Bumthang.  More than 25 participants from various National Parks, Territorial Division and NGOs (RSPN) are attending the workshop.

The main objective of the workshop is to inform the field staffs on sampling design, data collection, basic handling and animal identification, DNA sample collection and simple data analysis.

Resource person Mr. Kuenzang Dorji said "the small mammals are highly neglected species in the wild compare to others. The conservation status of small mammals are still indistinguishable. Therefore, timely studies on small mammals are very essential for survival and initiation of conservation activities".

Enthusiastic biologists are gathered in this conservation workshop as a focal group for developing classification keys of small mammals for Bhutan. They are also working on developing the future plans and directions on small mammal research in their respective parks and territorial divisions.

The conservation Workshop was supported by Education for Nature, US based through WWF Bhutan.