The 13th Nepal Owl Festival will honor four distinguished conservation figures with the ‘Nature Conservation Award’ in Lamahi, Dang, on 1–2 May 2026. Recent public festival announcements identify Lamahi as the host site for this year’s event, while the festival’s official background notes that the Nepal Owl Festival has been running since 2012 as a public conservation celebration focused on culture, conservation and entertainment.
This year, the award will recognize Roar Solheim, PhD, a Norwegian zoologist and internationally respected owl researcher; Tulsi Ram Subedi, PhD, one of Nepal’s leading raptor scientists and the head of Himalayan Raptors; Mr. Dadi Sapkota, a writer and journalist known for bringing wildlife and conservation issues to the public; and Hum Bahadur Gurung, PhD, a senior conservation leader from Sikles who now serves as Senior Asia Partnership Manager at BirdLife International. Together, they represent research, rescue, communication, public education, and long-term conservation leadership.
Roar Solheim has spent decades deepening global understanding of owls through research, writing, museum work, and public outreach, and he was internationally recognized with the Champion of Owls Award in 2024. Tulsi Ram Subedi has built an important body of work on vultures, raptors, and conservation science in Nepal, while also leading training, research, and field-based action. Dadi Sapkota has used journalism and books to connect ordinary readers with birds, forests, wildlife, and the people working to protect them. Hum Bahadur Gurung has played a major role in community-based conservation, bird protection, and conservation partnerships in Nepal and across Asia.
The festival is being organized in Lamahi by Ajambari Community Forest Users Group in collaboration with Friends of Nature . More than a ceremony, the event has become a strong platform for conservation awareness in Nepal, bringing together researchers, local communities, students, and nature lovers. By honoring these four voices, the festival also honors the bigger message behind owl conservation: nature is protected not only by science, but also by leadership, storytelling, and public action.
