Projects

This group is presently working on some challenging conservation programmes and welcomes anyone who wishes to get involved. Contact.

 

Keoladeo National Park : This group is campaigning to ensure adequate supply of flowing water to this Park. See Bharatpur Alert

 

 

Great Indian Bustard : This group got this species declared as the State Bird of Rajasthan in the early eighties. We are supporting efforts to improve habitats for this endangered species, which are increasingly threatened due to land use change, grazing, mining and expansion in population. The Desert National Park (Jaisalmer-Barmer districts in Rajasthan) is its favored habitat.

 

 

 

Grass Land Conservation : This group is helping to develop a strategy to conserve grass land areas so that the economic conditions of rural people are improved as they are the stake holders around such land; grass lands support a large number of wild species, which in turn support agriculture. Hence, such areas are of great consequence though they remain neglected. Harsh Vardhan is Chairman of the Grassland Working Group of the Wildlife Advisory Board of Government of Rajasthan (Chaired by the Chief Minister). Expert opinion is being sought from various quarters to develop a strategy.

 

 

Tiger Conservation : We are assisting this international programme, which India launched in 1973 (Project Tiger Reserves) : (i) We have provided binoculars, books and khaki uniforms to 205 casual employees of Ranthambhor Tiger Reserve to support the grass root level manpower. We gave awards, certificates and khaki uniforms to eight employees of this Park, who had rescued Tiger cubs from a well and given them immediate medical help and reunited them with their mother-Tigress in the same Park within twenty four hours (23 May 2007). (ii) We are assisting the forest authorities to reintroduce Tigers in Sariska Tiger Reserve where all of them were poached by 2003.

 

 

 

Eco Tourism : We are promoting Eco Tourism around the Tiger Parks so that local stake holders receive their share of the tourism related activities, and in turn assume the role of custodians of the Park and its threatened species. It is a challenging programme. A model home stay Guest House has been made functional to demonstrate values of Eo Tourism. It is located at Bhuri Pahadi village on the northern periphery of Ranthambhor Tiger Reserve, and is about 40 kilometers away from Sawai Madhopur town. It is run by a Meena tribal family. A group of seven students from Britain stayed here for a fortnight during June 2007 to experience first hand how the village people share their habitat with wild Tigers.

 

Wetland Conservation : We visit Wetlands to assess their capacity for holding birds and for providing benefits to the environment and biodiversity. We regularly attend conventions to conserve such water bodies and highlight the reasons for the decay of two Ramsar Sites (Keoladeo National Park and Sambhar Lake), so they are adequately conserved. Jaipur’s Man Sagar is an example of our initiative to conserve this Heritage water body (by holding Bird Fairs annually).

 

Environmntal Education : This group has a strong commitment to ‘Conservation Education’. It is imparted to students and teachers through school visits and through our annual Bird Fairs. Overseas visitors often join this programme to share their own experiences with Indian students.

 

Bishnoi Religion : We support Bishnoi people whose religion is devoted to Nature Conservation. Bishnois live mostly in Rajasthan’s Desert and nearby States. An average one Bishnoi man or woman sacrifices his/her life every year while chasing poachers and trying to stop wanton hunting in the countryside of Rajasthan, and become victim of poachers’ bullets.