Conservation India

Conservation – necessity or luxury?

Wildlife filmmaker and conservationist Shekar Dattatri addresses some of the common misconceptions that people have about conservation, and provides pointers on how “ordinary people” can get started in saving wildlife.

At one time or another, most conservationists have had someone come up to them and say, “I’m into conservation too! I have two dogs and a cat, and I volunteer at the Blue Cross on weekends”. Actually, wildlife conservation has nothing to do with keeping pets, being compassionate towards domestic… Read More

Dead Great Barbets for Sale in Nagaland

There are probably more amateur nature photographers in India than in any other developing country in the world. India’s most popular web portal for sharing nature photography, India Nature Watch, has several thousand members, some of who now routinely produce the kind of jaw-dropping images that were once the exclusive preserve of magazines like National Geographic or Geo. While this is something to be proud of, the question we are asking today is, “is it time for India’s… Read More

Livestock grazing in Nagarhole National Park

(With inputs from Praveen Bhargav and Ramki Sreenivasan)

Merely visiting a wildlife reserve or being a wildlife photographer does nothing to save wildlife.  In fact, uncontrolled visitation by tourists and ‘nature lovers’ is leading to the degradation of reserves and the ‘wilderness experience’ that one craves.  But we can offset the impact of our visits (somewhat) by becoming conservation watchdogs.

The number of people visiting wildlife reserves for recreation is increasing rapidly, thanks largely to an upwardly mobile middle class… Read More

Citizen power!

When the Constitution of India was adopted in 1950, the framers had not foreseen the importance of environmental preservation. This aspect did receive attention later and in 1976, the 42nd amendment incorporated protection of wildlife and forests in the Directive Principles. It also included forests and protection of wild animals in the Concurrent List – Seventh Schedule (Article 256) of the Constitution.

It is now enshrined in Article 51 A (g) of the Constitution that it shall be the fundamental… Read More

Reworked from CEPF Report May 2007* with inputs from Praveen Bhargav, Wildlife First.

To be an effective conservationist it is vital to understand which institutions control land in India and what laws govern the protection of forests and wildlife. Before any conservation interventions can be attempted in any landscape, the legal status of the land must first be ascertained so that one can engage with the correct authorities or agencies.

The Government of India has introduced various types of legislation… Read More

Praveen Bhargav, Managing Trustee, Wildlife First, takes you through four critical facts of the Forest Rights Act.

That all forests must be handed over to communities is an extreme point of view. So is the other, which suggests that no rights must be recognised in forests and all people must simply be moved out. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 – STFRA – aims to correct ‘historical injustice’, which is admirable. However,… Read More

The Indian Forest Service (IFS)

Reworked from CEPF Report May 2007* with inputs from Praveen Bhargav, Wildlife First.

To be an effective conservationist, it is important to understand which institutions control land in India and what laws govern the protection of forests and wildlife. Before any conservation interventions can be attempted in any landscape, the legal status of the land must first be ascertained so that one can engage with the correct authorities or agencies. This piece should be read alongside its companion piece… Read More

Kudremukh -- peace restored

(With inputs from Praveen Bhargav and Sanjay Gubbi)

Feel helpless in the face of conservation problems?  So do most people. But with a proper plan and a carefully thought out strategy, you’ll be surprised by what you can achieve.

There are numerous examples from around the world, which show that determined individuals – acting alone or working as a group – can win conservation battles even against huge odds.  To quote renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead, “never doubt that a small… Read More

The RTI mandates timely response to citizen requests.

RTI stands for Right To Information and has been given the status of a fundamental right under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. Article 19 (1) under which every citizen has freedom of speech and expression and the right to know how the government works, the role it plays, its functions, and so on. This empowers any citizen to demand access to government files and after scrutinizing the files obtain certified copies of the letters, documents, file notings etc. Another important… Read More

The author filming cobras for ‘A Cooperative for Snake Catchers’

Pictures speak louder than words.  That’s a fact.  A crisp, well-researched film that illustrates a problem and offers practical solutions can often prod people into action and be a powerful catalyst for change.

Unlike wildlife filmmaking, where the emphasis is to capture animal behaviour and the beauty of nature to the highest standards, and which therefore requires specialized equipment and big budgets, conservation films do not require very high production values and can be produced even with rudimentary equipment and… Read More