Nature Conservation Foundation

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Nature Conservation Foundation
Formation1996
Headquarters Mysore, India
Executive Board
Suhel Quader, Vena Kapoor, M Ananda Kumar, Smita Prabhakar, Ajay Bijoor, Janhavi Rajan, Rucha Karkarey, Rohit Naniwadekar
Website http://www.ncf-india.org/

The Nature Conservation Foundation is a non-governmental wildlife conservation and research organisation based in Mysore, India. They promote the use of science for wildlife conservation in India. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The Nature Conservation Foundation was founded in 1996. Their mission is to carry out "science-based and socially responsible conservation".

Activities and Projects

The organisation works in a variety of habitats. The high altitude program focuses on human wildlife conflicts and conservation of endangered species such as the snow leopard and the Tibetan gazelle. A livestock insurance program has been launched to prevent retaliatory killings of snow leopards by communities whose livestock were being preyed on. [3] [2] [4] The organisation has partnered with the International Snow Leopard Trust and the Government of India to launch a Project Snow Leopard, similar to Project Tiger for the protection of the wildlife in the Himalayan landscapes. [5] [6] The Project Snow Leopard seeks to address the problem of species declines in the high-altitude Himalayan landscape through evidence-based conservation plans as well as local support. Species such as snow leopard, Asiatic ibex, argali, urial, chiru, takin, serow and musk deer will particularly benefit from this project. [6] In 2003, three wildlife biologists from the foundation reported the Chinese goral (Nemorhaedus caudatus) from Arunachal Pradesh, the first record for India [7] In 2005, scientists from the foundation described the Arunachal macaque from western Arunachal Pradesh, India, a species new to science. [8] The organisation runs a rainforest restoration program in the Anamalai hills in the Western Ghats where fragments of degraded patches of rainforests outside national parks or wildlife sanctuaries are restored in partnership with the private tea and coffee plantations. [9]

Awards

Charudutt Mishra and M. D. Madhusudhan, two of the founders received the Whitley award, also called "Green Oscar" [10] for 2005 and 2009 respectively. Charudutt Mishra was awarded for the conservation efforts in the high altitude landscapes, while Madhusudan was conferred the honor in recognition of his work to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the Western Ghats. [11] [12]

In 2006, the organisation won the Distinguished service award from the Society for Conservation Biology. [13] for outstanding contributions to nature conservation. Sushil Dorje, a field coordinator with the organisation was awarded the Van Tienhoven Foundation award for his work on human-wildlife conflict in Spiti and Ladakh. [14]

In 2013, Aparajita Datta was awarded the Whitley award to continue her decade long work on conservation of hornbills. [15] Aparajita Dutta, a Senior Scientist at NCF was announced as the recipient of 2009 Woman of Discovery Humanity Award by the New York-based Wings World Quest for a lifetime dedicated to wildlife biology and her work in Namdapha Tiger Reserve. [16] [17] She was also awarded by the National Geographic Society as an Emerging explorer for 2010, which recognized "..14 trailblazers from around the world". [18]

In 2015, Dr. Ananda Kumar was awarded the Whitley award for his work on elephant-human conflict management on the Valparai plateau. In 2017, he was awarded a continuation of funding. [19] [20] [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arunachal macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The Arunachal macaque is a macaque native to Eastern Himalayas of Bhutan, China and India. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leaf muntjac</span> Species of deer

The leaf muntjac, leaf deer or Putao muntjac is a small species of muntjac. It was documented in 1997 by biologist Alan Rabinowitz during his field study in the isolated Nogmung Township in Myanmar. Rabinowitz discovered the species by examining the small carcass of a deer that he initially believed was the juvenile of another species; however, it proved to be the carcass of an adult female. He managed to obtain specimens, from which DNA analysis revealed a new cervid species. Local hunters knew of the species and called it the leaf deer because its body could be completely wrapped by a single large leaf. It is found in Myanmar and India.

The Whitley Awards are held annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) to recognise and celebrate effective grassroots conservation leaders across the Global South. The charity's flagship conservation prizes, worth £40,000 in project funding over one year, are won competitively following assessment by an expert academic panel and are now amongst the most high profile of conservation prizes. Often referred to by others as "Green Oscars", the Awards seek to recognise outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation with a focus on Asia, Africa and Latin America, bringing international attention to the work of deserving individuals committed to precipitating long-lasting conservation benefits on the ground, with the support of local communities. In addition to the funding aspect of the Whitley Awards, WFN also provides media and speech training to enable winners to effectively communicate their work and inspire further philanthropic support.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namdapha National Park</span> National park in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Namdapha National Park is a 1,985 km2 (766 sq mi) large protected area in Arunachal Pradesh of Northeast India. The park was established in 1983. With more than 1,000 floral and about 1,400 faunal species, it is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalayas. The national park harbours the northernmost lowland evergreen rainforests in the world at 27°N latitude. It also harbours extensive dipterocarp forests, comprising the northwestern parts of the Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rain forests ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-tailed goral</span> Species of mammal

The long-tailed goral or Amur goral is a species of ungulate of the family Bovidae found in the mountains of eastern and northern Asia, including Russia, China, and Korea. A population of this species exists in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, near the tracks of the Donghae Bukbu Line. The species is classified as endangered in South Korea, with an estimated population less than 250. It has been designated South Korean natural monument 217. In 2003, the species was reported as being present in Arunachal Pradesh, in northeast India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests</span>

The Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests is a temperate broadleaf forest ecoregion found in the middle elevations of the eastern Himalayas, including parts of Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. These forests have an outstanding richness of wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Protected area of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Eaglenest or Eagle's Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. It conjoins Sessa Orchid Sanctuary to the northeast and Pakhui Tiger Reserve across the Kameng river to the east. Altitude ranges are extreme: from 500 metres (1,640 ft) to 3,250 metres (10,663 ft). It is a part of the Kameng Elephant Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mysore Doreswamy Madhusudan</span>

Mysore Doreswamy Madhusudan is an Indian wildlife biologist and ecologist. He is the Co-founder and Director of Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Leeds. He has worked on understanding and mitigating the effects of human-wildlife conflict in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in South India. He has also worked in several other forests in the Himalayas and North-east India. In 2004, he was one among the team of wildlife biologists who described Arunachal macaque, a new species of macaque from Arunachal Pradesh, India.

The Kameng River in the eastern Himalayan mountains, originates in Tawang district from the glacial lake below snow-capped Gori Chen mountain 27°48′36″N92°26′38″E, elevation 6,300 metres (20,669 ft), on the India-Tibet border and flows through Bhalukpong circle of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh and Sonitpur District of Assam, India. It becomes a braided river in its lower reaches and is one of the major tributaries of the Brahmaputra River, joining it at Tezpur, just east of the Kolia Bhomora Setu bridge.

The Kameng Elephant Reserve is an Elephant Reserve located in the Himalayan foothills of Arunachal Pradesh, India, in the districts of West Kameng and East Kameng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows</span> Ecoregion in the Eastern Himalayas

The Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal, which lies between the tree line and snow line in the eastern portion of the Himalaya Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snow Leopard Trust</span> US-based non-profit organization

The Snow Leopard Trust is the largest and oldest organization working solely to protect the endangered snow leopard and its habitat in 12 countries of Central Asia. The trust is a non-profit organization with its headquarters in Seattle, Washington. The present total population of snow leopards in the wild is estimated at between 3,920 and 6,390.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Bhutan</span>

The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small, landlocked nation nestled in the southern slopes of the Eastern Himalaya. To its north lies the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and to the west, south and east lies the Indian states of Sikkim, Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhutan takin</span> A subspecies of Takin

The Bhutan Takin is a subspecies of Takin native to Bhutan but also found in North Eastern India, Western part of China, and Tibet. Locally known as drong gimtse, it holds the honor of being Bhutan's national animal.

Pakke Tiger Reserve, is a Project Tiger reserve in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India. The 862 km2 (333 sq mi) reserve is protected by the Department of Environment and Forest of Arunachal Pradesh. It was known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve, but renamed in April 2001 by the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. It has won India Biodiversity Award 2016 in the category of 'Conservation of threatened species' for its Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transhimalaya</span> Mountain range in India and Tibet, parallel to the main Himalayan range

The Trans himalaya, or "Gangdise – Nyenchen Tanglha range", is a 1,600-kilometre-long (990 mi) mountain range in China, India and Nepal, extending in a west–east direction parallel to the main Himalayan range. Located north of Yarlung Tsangpo river on the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the Transhimalaya is composed of the Gangdise range to the west and the Nyenchen Tanglha range to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anwaruddin Choudhury</span>

Anwaruddin Choudhury is an Indian naturalist, noted for his expertise on the fauna of North-East India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayarjargal Agvaantseren</span> Mongolian conservationist

Bayarjargal (Bayara) Agvaantseren is a Mongolian conservationist who has campaigned to save the habitat of the snow leopard in an area of the South Gobi Desert which has become a major mining hub. Thanks to her successful efforts to create the 8163-km2 Tost Tosonbumba Nature Reserve and to have the authorities cancel 37 mining licences, in 2019 she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aparajita Datta</span> Indian wildlife conservationist

Aparajita Datta is an Indian wildlife ecologist who works for the Nature Conservation Foundation. Her research in the dense tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh has successfully focused on hornbills, saving them from poachers. In 2013, she was one of eight conservationists to receive the Whitley Award. She is also a Co-Chair of the IUCN Hornbill Specialist Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanjay Gubbi</span> Indian conservation biologist

Sanjay Gubbi is a conservation biologist based in Karnataka, India. His work focuses on the conservation of large carnivores like tigers and leopards, working on applied aspects and understanding their population biology, proposing conservation policies for their protection, and working to minimize human-wildlife conflict. He currently works as a scientist with Nature Conservation Foundation, a Mysore based NGO.

References

  1. Nature Conservation Foundation on the Open Directory Project
  2. 1 2 3 Ghosh-Harihar, Mousumi (September 2019). "Protected areas and biodiversity conservation in India". Biological Conservation. 237: 114–124. Bibcode:2003ConBi..17.1512M. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2003.00092.x. S2CID   55097518 . Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  3. MISHRA, CHARUDUTT; ALLEN,P.; McCARTHY, T.; MADHUSUDAN, M.D.; BAYARJARGAL, A.; PRINS, H.H.T. (2003). "The Role of Incentive Programs in Conserving the Snow Leopard". Conservation Biology. 17 (6): 1512–1520. Bibcode:2003ConBi..17.1512M. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2003.00092.x.
  4. ""protecting livestock and snow leopards" from the NCF website". Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  5. "Launch of Project Snow leopard: A report from Snowleopard Network". Archived from the original on 6 October 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  6. 1 2 Press Release by the GoI on the launch of Project Snow Leopard
  7. Charudutt Mishra, Aparajita Datta and M.D. Madhusudan (2005) Record of the Chinese Goral Naemorhedus caudatus in Arunachal Pradesh. JBNHS Vol. 102(2)
  8. Sinha, A.,Datta, A., Madhusudan, M. D. and Mishra, C. (2005). "Macaca munzala: a new species from western Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India". International Journal of Primatology. 26 (977): 977–989. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.576.1210 . doi:10.1007/s10764-005-5333-3. S2CID   20459400.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. Lenin, Janaki. "Rainforest revival". The Hindu (newspaper). Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2008.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. "Profile from Whitley website". Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  11. Whitley Award for Mysore-based wildlife biologist. The Hindu. 14 May 2009. LINK
  12. Indian Wildlife Biologist wins 'Green Oscar' on Doordarshan News. LINK [ permanent dead link ]
  13. "Society for Conservation Biology | Past Recipients". conbio.org. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  14. Details of the Award from the website of the Van Tienhoven Foundation for International Nature Protection
  15. "Hornbills as flagships for the Himalayan forests of Arunachal Pradesh". Whitley Fund for Nature. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  16. List and profile of winners from Wings World Quest Website
  17. Award for Indian wildlife scientist, Deccan Herald 19 Nov. 2008
  18. "Aparajita Datta, Wildlife Biologist". National Geographic Emerging Explorer. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  19. "Human-elephant coexistence in Southern India". Whitley Fund for Nature. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  20. "Nature Conservation Foundation" . Retrieved 16 April 2023.