Conservation

We began our journey in 2019. As we learn more about the landscapes and species we work on, we aim to share our fascination with everyone using diverse mediums of art, websites and essays. Keep checking this space for updates on our outreach and conservation efforts!

Ecological restoration

The Maharashtra region of the Western Ghats is home to unique biodiversity, but a significant portion of its forests is privately owned and faces degradation. This degradation is largely due to periodic clear-felling and conversion to rubber, cashew, and mango plantations.

In 2023, we began efforts to restore these degraded forests in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. To date, we have ecologically restored 2.65 hectares of degraded land by planting 4,243 saplings from 91 species of native and endemic plants. A detailed list of the plant species and other relevant information can be found here. A video of the effort at one of the sites can be found here.

Some ENDANGERED species that we work on

White-bellied Heron (Critically Endangered)

Narcondam Hornbill (Vulnerable)

Great Hornbill

(Vulnerable)

Satara Gecko

(Critically Endangered)

White-striped Viper Gecko

(Critically Endangered)

Art & Conservation

Sartaj Ghuman, an artist, writer, arborist, mountaineer and wildlife biologist, has made some lovely paintings of the Narcondam Hornbill. His art is going to be central to our conservation outreach efforts on the islands. We look forward to all the new artwork on more endemic species of the islands as we now slowly expand our work to other parts of the island.

Calendar for a Cause

We made this calendar for the Narcondam Hornbill. Showcasing the series of paintings of Sartaj Ghuman, the calendar outlines the ecology of the Narcondam Hornbill and the threats to island systems. The calendar was designed by Sangeetha Kadur.

These calendars were distributed to the Special Armed Police staff who are posted on the Narcondam Island, Forest Department officials and other key stakeholders on the islands.

Narcondam Posters

Thanks to Sartaj's lovely paintings, we now have posters providing information on Narcondam Hornbills designed by Janhavi Rajan for the Forest and Police Department.

Spread the word!

To share our fascination of the biodiversity of the subcontinent with everyone, we are now trying to publish our work in different local languages in newspapers and magazines from The New York Times to Andaman Sheekha. This is just about as global and local we can get. Do check out our publications page for a list of recently published articles.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse