View this email in your browser
You are receiving this email because of your relationship with The Corbett Foundation. Please reconfirm your interest in receiving emails from us. If you do not wish to receive any more emails, you can unsubscribe here.
Take Survey
The Corbett Foundation Newsletter

Jun-Jul 2022 and Aug-Sep 2022

 
www.corbettfoundation.org | info@corbettfoundation.org
 
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
 
Annual Report   l    CSR Partnerships   l    Subscribe    l    Publications    |   Newsletters   |   Key People
 
Take Survey
The Corbett Foundation congratulates all Indians on completing 75 years of India's independence and urges our policy makers to provide topmost priority for the conservation of wildlife, protection of natural habitats and developing resilience to deal with the hazards of climate change in our national planning for the next 75 years.
 
Jai Hind 
CONSERVATION & ADVOCACY
International Vulture Awareness Day 2022
Take Survey

To commemorate the International Vulture Awareness Day, The Corbett Foundation collaborated with Maharashtra Forest Department to raise awareness on the conservation of vultures in the state and help in the recovery of these threatened scavengers that play an important role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem. The first Saturday of September is observed as the International Vulture Awareness Day. 

 

An informative poster (in Marathi) has been developed and published by The Corbett Foundation to help spread awareness about the conservation of vultures throughout the state of Maharashtra. The poster has been developed in consultation with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction). Around 1,000 copies of this poster will be circulated across Maharashtra through the forest department, animal husbandry department, NGOs, local communities and nature lovers. The Corbett Foundation, a SAVE Associate and a Member of the IUCN, has been involved in vulture conservation, research, awareness and advocacy since more than a decade.

 

The poster was released by Shri. B Venugopal Reddy, IAS, Principal Secretary (Forest) in the presence of Dr. Y. L. P. Rao, PCCF (HoFF) Maharashtra, Shri. Sunil Limaye, PCCF (Wildlife) & CWLW, Maharashtra, Shri. Shailesh Tembhurnekar, PCCF (CAMPA), Shri. Kishor Rithe, Hon. Secretary, BNHS and Shri. Kedar Gore. Director, The Corbett Foundation.

 

The poster highlights the problems faced by the vultures in India, especially the toxicity to NSAIDs used in veterinary medicine. Although the veterinary use of diclofenac is banned in India, the recent scientific findings also suggest that veterinary use of aceclofenac, nimesulide and ketoprofen are also harmful to vultures in the same way. Unless the veterinary use of all these NSAIDs are severely restricted and safe alternative drugs such as meloxicam and tolfenamic acid are not promoted, the sword of extinction would continue to loom over these majestic and ecologically important birds.

 

To know more about the threats to vultures from NSAIDs, please click here.

 

To download and read the contents of this poster, please click here.

Take Survey
Another poster on vulture conservation and awareness (in Hindi) was published by The Corbett Foundation in collaboration with Uttarakhand Forest Department. The Corbett Foundation will circulate this poster widely throughout the state.
GRASSROOTS CONSERVATION INTERVENTIONS
Satellite tagging of four species of raptors done in Gujarat
Take Survey
Understanding the migratory route of raptors in their breeding and wintering grounds is crucial for ensuring effective raptor conservation. The Wildlife Division of Sasan-Gir, Gujarat Forest Department, with the technical support of The Corbett Foundation, deployed satellite tags on four species of migratory raptors to understand their migratory routes. This study presents, for the first time in India, the preliminary findings through satellite telemetry to describe the summer and winter home ranges, movement ecology, activity, and migration routes of single individuals of Greater Spotted Eagle ( Clanga clanga), Indian Spotted Eagle ( Clanga hastata), Tawny Eagle ( Aquila rapax), and Pallid Harrier ( Circus macrourus). This research has been published in the MDPI Open-access journal on Birds. The paper can be downloaded and read at this link.
 
The Corbett Foundation is grateful to Gujarat Forest Department for this partnership and collaboration.
International Tiger Day
Take Survey
On the occasion of the International Tiger Day, The Corbett Foundation handed over 83 ha of restored forest plots to North Shahdol Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh, which is a part of Bandhavgarh Sanjay Dubri Corridor. The Corbett Foundation initiated this work in 2018 with the support of Jet Privilege Pvt. Ltd. and in collaboration with Madhya Pradesh Forest Department. A total of around 40,500 saplings of local tree and bamboo species were planted, protected, nurtured and maintained for five years. The sites were cleared of lantana and other invasive weeds. We also worked with the local villagers to ensure grass is harvested from the restored plots to stall-feed their livestock.

The above picture shows the condition of this particular plot in 2018 and the current picture taken in 2022. The result of all this is quite encouraging and worth replicating in many other degraded forest landscapes across central Indian landscape. 

TCF expresses its gratitude to Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and Jet Privilege Pvt. Ltd. (now renamed as InterMiles) for the support and partnership.
Support to Frontline 'Green Soldiers' on World Ranger Day
Take Survey
The Corbett Foundation salutes all the frontline 'green soldiers' who are protecting our natural national heritage from poachers, sand mafia, timber mafia and all such anti-social elements that threaten our natural ecosystems and wildlife. They are never off-duty, working 365 day and 24x7 against odds - harsh weather conditions, risk of being attacked by wild animals, fighting forest fires, preventing encroachments on forests, monitoring tigers and other flagship species, developing habitat for herbivores, patrolling to prevent poaching and undertaking many such activities quietly and bravely. This contribution is as important as that of our soldiers who protect the nation's frontiers!
 
The Corbett Foundation works closely with the state forest departments and tries to support the humongous efforts of their frontline personnel in every possible way.
In 2022, we provided solar streetlights and high-beam torchlights to few forest camps in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, provided solar lights to forest camps in North Bank of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, patrolling kits to the field staff of Amboli-Dodamarg Conservation Reserve and LPG connections to 44 forest camps of Pench Tiger Reserve. Our medical unit in Corbett landscape has also conducted free medical camps for forest staff of Corbett Tiger Reserve and its adjacent forest divisions.
 
We hope to do more for these dedicated green warriors in 2022 and beyond.
CSR PARTNERSHIPS
Addressing conservation challenges in the Corbett Landscape, Uttarakhand
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey

Safeguarding and enhancing the rural economy is one of the key aspects of ensuring community support in the conservation of flagship species in human-dominated landscapes. And if this is complemented with innovative measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, achieving conservation success becomes less difficult. Based on the outcomes of The Corbett Foundation's previous interventions in the Corbett Landscape, it was found that in areas where elephant movement is not recorded, chain link fences are proving to be the best defence against crop damage by wild boars, spotted deer, sambar deer and other wild herbivores. 

 

Traditionally, the villagers of Uttarakhand have been using a trunk of a 10-12 year old tree as a centre pole to make haystack. These trees, quite often young Sal  Shorea robusta, are sourced from surrounding forests. In order to prevent habitat degradation around human habitation, The Corbett Foundation has been providing iron poles to villagers as replacement to tree trunks while making haystacks. The villagers in the vicinity of Corbett Tiger Reserve have accepted this as a viable alternative to using trees and thus has generated a good demand for such iron poles in making of the haystack. The Corbett Foundation has been providing iron poles to forest fringe villages to reduce their dependence on forests.

 

The Corbett Foundation has also provided solar street lights in a few villages that have reported high incidences of encounters with wild animals such as leopards. Hopefully, these lights help in avoiding chance encounters between humans and wild animals, thus preventing conflict situations.

 

The Corbett Foundation is grateful to the Dharamsi Morarji Chemical Co. Ltd. for its kind support and collaboration in implementing this project.

Habitat restoration in Bandhavgarh Sanjay Dubri Corridor
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey

The Corbett Foundation, with the kind support of Axis Bank Ltd. and in collaboration with North Shahdol Forest Division of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, has taken up 100 hectares of a degraded forest area for eco-restoration in 2022. This patch is near the bank of River Son and a part of Bandhavgarh Sanjay Dubri Corridor that connects Bandhavgarh and Sanjay-Dubri tiger reserves. The restoration work is taken up in partnership with Van Gram Samiti (Forest Village Committee) of village Masira. The villagers have been involved in clearing of invasive species such as  Lantana camara, digging of pits and actual plantation work. Around 65,000 saplings of various indigenous trees and bamboo have been planted and over 18,000 existing saplings - that were engulfed with lantana - are being protected. The entire plot of 100-ha has been protected with a chain-linked fence to prevent livestock grazing and trespassing. Villagers will be harvesting grass to stall-feed their livestock thus reducing grazing pressure on forest areas around. A couple of earthen check dams have been created to harvest rainwater and to attract wildlife species. The Corbett Foundation will protect, nurture and maintain the plants till 2027 and hand over the restored plot to the forest department.

 

TCF is grateful to Axis Bank Ltd. for providing funding support and Madhya Pradesh Forest Department for the consistent partnership and collaboration.

" Axis Bank is proud to expand its CSR partnership with The Corbett Foundation for the eco-restoration of 100 hectares of degraded forest land in North Shahdol Forest Division in Madhya Pradesh. The project's multi-faced impact, on habitat restoration, protection of a vital tiger corridor, water conservation, and contributing to improved local livelihoods, presents it as a perfect example of what the PPP model can achieve. We look forward to our continued partnership with TCF."
 
- Abhejit Agarwal, Head, Sustainability & CSR, Axis Bank
Bajaj Saksham Programme in Corbett Landsdcape
Take Survey

Bajaj Saksham Programme, supported by Bajaj Auto Ltd. since 2015-16, provides the much-needed primary healthcare support to the forest-dependent communities of around 80-odd villages of the Corbett Landscape. Treatment and medical advice, a mobile unit for medical camps and diagnostic tests, health awareness in schools and at the community level, and special medical camps for the forest department frontline personnel are the main aspects of this programme.

 

The Corbett Foundation has been working with the local communities of the Corbett LAndscape since 1994. Providing medical support is one of the key interventions that has helped tremendously in addressing the difficult living conditions of the rural folks. The goodwill generated through this programme has played an important role in overall tiger conservation efforts.  

 

TCF is grateful to Bajaj Auto Ltd. for the funding and the consistent support.

Habitat restoration in the buffer zone of Kanha Tiger Reserve
Take Survey

It is estimated that more than 40% of the forests in India are degraded due to anthropogenic pressures These degraded habitats are often engulfed by invasive and exotic weeds such as  Lantana camara. A study published in Global Ecology and Conservation reports that lantana occupies 154,000 sq.km. forests (more than 40 percent by area) in India’s tiger range. Among other forests, the fragmented deciduous forests of Central India are worst hit by its invasion thus affecting the natural regeneration of native flora and biodiversity richness of the area that negatively impacts the population of bees and other pollinating insects affecting the agriculture and forest regeneration. Lantana infestation adversely affects the growth of native species that are palatable to wild herbivores. The dense growth of lantana also provides shelter to tigers and leopards, and this gives rise to frequent attacks on livestock. Unless these lost habitats are restored, it would be impossible to achieve long-term tiger conservation in this landscape. And the participation of local communities in this work is crucial. 

 

The Corbett Foundation, with the support of PwC India Foundation, has taken up habitat restoration in the buffer zone of Kanha Tiger Reserve since 2019-20 over 16 hectares. After clearing the lantana and other invasive weeds, around 11,000 saplings of local forest trees and bamboo were planted, protected, nurtured and maintained with the active involvement of the local community. In 2022, another 20 hectares of degraded patch of forest has been taken up for restoration. 

 

The Corbett Foundation is grateful to PwC India Foundation for the support towards these projects. The Corbett Foundation expresses its gratitude to Kanha Tiger Reserve for providing land for restoration and its cooperation and partnership.

PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR SALE
Take Survey
Saving India's Wilderness:
Challenges and Solutions
INR 1500.00 1000.00
Buy Now
Take Survey
Desert National Park:
A Jewel in the Vibrant Thar
INR 1000.00 800.00
Buy Now
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
Take Survey
              About us    What we do   Kids zone   Get involved    Partners
Take Survey
Take Survey
Contact Us At    
 
                                                             Tel: +91 22 61466400 / 61466417                                                                                
        Email: 
info@corbettfoundation.org  Web: www.corbettfoundation.org 
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS

Dr. AJT Johnsingh and Dr. Asad R. Rahmani

The Corbett Foundation is a charitable trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. It is also registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 under registration number 231650853 and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for CSR under registration number CSR00000183. The donations to The Corbett Foundation are tax exempt u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Corbett Foundation is accredited by Credibility Alliance under the Desirable Norms prescribed for Good Governance of Voluntary Organisations. 
                                                               NITI Aayog ID: 
UA/2017/0179126
This message was sent to info@corbettfoundation.org by info@corbettfoundation.org
The Corbett Foundation - 81-88, Atlanta Bldg, 209 Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021, INDIA, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400021, India www.corbettfoundation.org | info@corbettfoundation.org


Unsubscribe from all mailings Unsubscribe | Manage Subscription | Forward Email | Report Abuse