A five-day program on ‘Plant Taxonomy and Identification Training’, funded by the IKI project, WWF Bhutan was conducted at Rimchu from 25 to 29 November 2024 for S/SS level forestry personnel of various territorial forest divisions and protected areas. The program included assorted field trips and excursions to Lampelri Botanical Park and Changchey covering a vast range of ecological zones along different altitudinal gradients.

A total number of 24 participants attended the training program. The training program involved direct field botanization and identification supported by relevant lectures on plant evolution, phylogenetics, phytogeography and distribution.  The training program helped raise awareness on the conservation significance of primary forests and species of primitive origin. Emerging technology platforms and applications for plant identification, such as Google Lens, PlantNet and iNaturalis were introduced to aid identification.