Tengbat Sangma

Young Naturalist Awards (2011)

At 25, Tengbat Sangma is a young naturalist with an abiding interest in amphibians. A field ecologist, this Garo lad from Theobonggre village in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya can rattle off the names of countless frog species of his state with consummate ease. He can identify most of the frogs of Northeast India down to the species level with surprising accuracy, and has become one of India's most trusted young naturalists under the tutelage of S.D. Biju, India’s ‘frog man’. As part of the ‘Lost Amphibians of India (LAI)’ initiative, his field work is helping India to use amphibians to evaluate the geography and pace with which climate change impacts are emerging. His involvement in the field research of the Systematics Laboratory of the Department of Environmental Studies, Delhi University, has contributed to our scientific assessment of little known species. A skilled climber, he is able to reach inaccessible areas that are often left un-surveyed and he seems to come alive only when he is in some wild place or other. In the years ahead we can fully expect him to be part of teams that end up discovering even more new species of amphibians. He is a green warrior and a future leader.

For this we honour him.