As a part of it's silver jubilee celebrations, The Corbett Foundation invited wildlife scientists, conservationists, retired bureaucrats, serving forest officials, bankers, industrialists, financial experts and its Board of Trustees together for focused discussion and deliberations on topics such as climate change, human-wildlife conflict, conservation of lesser known species and habitats, conservation of critical tiger habitats and corridors, and availability of financial resources for conservation programmes. Experts who shared their views include Dr M K Ranjitsinh (former Director, Wildlife Preservation), Dr K Ullas Karanth (Trustee, Centre for Wildlife Studies), Mr Ravi Singh (Secretary General & CEO, WWF India), Dr Vinod Rishi (former DG Wildlife), Dr AJT Johnsingh (former Dean, WII), Dr Asad Rahmani (former Director, BNHS), Dr Divyabhanusinh Chavda (former President, WWF India), Mr N Sunil Kumar (Head, RBS Foundation), Mr R P Singh (former APCCF Wildlife, M P Forest Department), Mr Ashok Mahindra (Trustee, Hem Chand Mahindra Foundation), Mr Nirmal Ghosh (US Bureau Chief, The Straits Times), Ms Prerna Bindra (conservationist, author and former Member, NBWL) and Mr Bimal Goculdas (CEO, The Dharamsi Morarji Chemical Co Ltd), among other distinguished audience members that included TCF Trustees and Board of Directors of Infinity Resorts. TCF Chairman, Mr Dilip D Khatau, presided over the proceedings. 

 

TCF expresses its deepest gratitude to all the experts for their passion and dedication towards protection of India’s natural heritage and a huge thanks to its donors, partners and well wishers for their support.

Agro-pastoral landscapes are often strongholds of birds, insects and other species. The Great Indian Bustard is one such species that survives well in such landscapes. The land of Kutch in Gujarat harbours hundreds of resident and migratory species of birds, and grasslands play an important role in providing excellent habitat to these species. Traditional gauchar (community grazing areas) were protected by local communities to provide grazing areas for domestic livestock. However, due to mismanagement and neglect, most of these areas have been lost to encroachment or engulfed by invasion of Prosopis juliflora, an exotic species. TCF has collaborated with the villagers of Kanakpar in Abdasa taluka of Kutch to revive 40 acres of gauchar to its past glory. With active participation of the villagers, the entire area was cleared of Prosopis and made ready for growing grasses for livestock, and for the benefit of birds and insects. With good rains this year, the grasses have come up well and will be harvested by the villagers for fodder. Hopefully, this project inspires other villages of Kutch to revive their respective gauchar areas, thus becoming a win-win situation for domestic livestock and wildlife, and a fine example of 'coexistence'.

TCF is grateful to Bombay Gow Rakshak Trust for its financial support towards this Gauchar Development Project.