Every winter millions of migratory birds belonging to hundreds of species start arriving in India from their breeding grounds in the Palaearctic (the northern part of Eurasia). This long distance migration is dependent on various environmental factors, including day-length and temperature change. Have you ever wondered about when these migratory birds start arriving in India and how they spread over the country? Or whether climate change is leading to changes in the patterns of migration? MigrantWatch is an India-wide citizen science programme that documents the timing of migration of birds to and from the Indian subcontinent with the help of birders and nature lovers across the country. Everyone is invited to participate by logging in to the MigrantWatch website and uploading their sightings.

The seasons seem to be changing around us, with the summers becoming hotter, monsoons more unpredictable and the winters shorter. How might plants and animals be affected by these changing patterns of the seasons? SeasonWatch is an India-wide program that studies the changing seasons by monitoring the cycles of flowering, fruiting and leaf-flush of common trees. Everyone, adults and children, are invited to participate. It is very easy! Just identify a tree near you and monitor it every week. Upload this information through your account on the SeasonWatch website to add to the data collected by volunteers across the country.

Hornbills in Arunachal Pradesh face significant threats from hunting and habitat loss. The last two decades has seen rapid loss of lowland forests around Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary in western Arunachal Pradesh in north-east India, which is a haven for hornbills. This has resulted in increased competition for nests amongst different hornbill species and decline in abundances at roost sites, which are now vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. However, a considerably large forest area (> 1000 sq.km) still persists adjacent to Pakke WS harboring suitable hornbill habitat.

This project aims to involve the Ghora-Aabhe council comprised of village headmen of the local Nyishi community and Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department in finding nests in the Reserve Forests adjacent to Pakke WS. Local villagers will also be involved in regular monitoring and protection of nests.

Nests of all the four species of hornbills found in Pakke WLS, (the Great Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Rufous-necked Hornbill and Oriental Pied Hornbill) are available for adoption. Till 2010, we had found 33 nests of hornbills which were mostly inside Pakke WS. In the 2011 breeding season, with the participation and interest shown by the Nyishi villagers, 9 new nests of three hornbill species (Great, Wreathed and Oriental Pied Hornbill) have been located and monitored in the Reserved Forests around Pakke WS.

How can one extend the reach of conservation into landscapes outside protected areas? Conservationists around the world are now working to extend conservation to such landscapes, especially lands under productive agriculture and plantations, by linking production with the market for products certified as coming from farms that follow sustainable and ecologically-friendly practices.

Lack of adequate conservation training and robust monitoring are important challenges for the conservation of the endangered snow leopard across its range in Central Asia.

Scattered fragments of tropical rainforest amidst vast monoculture plantations, a high density of people, and a host of endangered, endemic wildlife—this is the Valparai plateau of the Anamalai hills in Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Keeping in mind the fragile ecosystem, conflict between people and wildlife, and the need for broad-based conservation awareness, we spearheaded a conservation education programme, beginning in 2007.

The five hornbill species that occur in Arunachal are greatly dependent on threatened primary forests. Hornbills are also important in local tribal heritage, however the market/ritual value of their feathers, beaks, and flesh renders them vulnerable to hunting. 

Sensitization and empowerment of local communities is critical for achieving sustained conservation. We have intiated a comprehensive conservation awareness and education effort for local communities living in the Himalayan high altitudes.

In the 19th century, human activity impacted less than a fifth of the planet’s land area; a mere two hundred years later, we have brought more than 95% of earth’s landmass under our dominion. Trapped between shrunken, degraded habitats and human-occupied landscapes, wide-ranging animals like the Asian elephant have been pushed into conflict with people. Persecution by affected people and the decline of suitable habitats threaten the long-term survival of elephants. Understanding the ecological and behavioural adaptations of elephants to altered landscapes and the relationships between elephant activity, spatial configuration of human settlements along movement routes, and the effects of people on elephant behaviour are crucial for resolving conflicts and fostering coexistence.