Nature Conservation Foundation

22/05/2026

We are excited to be back with the 2026 edition of Bird Monitoring in India Symposium! This year the symposium will be held on 11- 12 Sept 2026.

Every year you have been participating in mini-symposia themes decided by the organising committee.

This year, we are inviting the participants to suggest themes of mini-symposia related to bird monitoring. If you would like to suggest a theme and host a mini-symposium this year please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/CMTk5RpBok5UyoZB9

Out of the entries, 2-4 will be selected for this year.

The proposed themes should be relevant to long-term bird monitoring in India. Past themes have included: monitoring wetland birds, understanding causes of population change, using passive acoustic monitoring for studying birds, bird atlases and more.

For more information on our past events, please visit www.birdmonitoring.in

You are also welcome to partner up with a collaborator to host your mini symposia.

The deadline to send in your entry is 5 June 2026. The selected hosts will be free to choose the format for the mini-symposia.

Each mini-symposium theme will be allocated 2 hours during the 2-day event. Hosts are free to plan this in a manner they would like. In the past we have had various talk formats – Keynotes, Short talks, Panel discussions, Speed talks, etc.

For queries, please write to [email protected]

08/05/2026

We are honoured to receive the Ecological Society of America Sustainability Science Award for Scholarly Work for the study “Biocultural vulnerability of traditional crops in the Indian Trans-Himalaya,” published in Science Advances.

This study conducted collaboratively by farmers from Spiti, Stanford University (USA), and Nature Conservation Foundation, has scientifically substantiated what most in the valley already knew: the culturally important black pea can play a vital role in sustainable farming.

We are grateful to all the farmers, collaborators, and co-authors who made this work possible.

Authors:
Harman P.K. Jaggi, Akshata Anand, Katherine A. Solari, Alejandra Echeverri, Rinchen Tobge, Tanzin Tsewang, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi, and Shripad Tuljapurkar

Head here to know more about the award: https://esa.org/blog/2026/05/06/ecological-society-of-america-announces-2026-award-recipients/

06/05/2026

If you are interested in biodiversity, nature engagement, working with college students across India, and would like to be part of a team connecting young people with nature, we would like to hear from you!

We are looking for a Project Coordinator for our Nature on Campus project. For details, visit: https://www.ncf-india.org/education-and-public-engagement/project-coordinator-education-and-public-engagement

04/05/2026

If you care about oceans, food, research, and the choices we make in our everyday lives—Know Your Fish India has something for you!

The role includes working with fisheries and species data, assisting with research and documentation, and developing seafood recommendations for new species.

Details here: https://www.ncf-india.org/oceans-and-coasts/project-assistant-know-your-fish

27/04/2026

PhD Opportunity in Plant Community Ecology

This project explores how climate, soils, and topography shape plant diversity across the Western Ghats using fieldwork and advanced analyses.

Fellowship support (DST JRF/SRF scale) available.

Deadline: May 10, 2026

Details here: https://www.ncf-india.org/conservation-leadership/phd-position-in-plant-community-ecology

27/04/2026

From Greening to Restoration - A Tree Planter's Journey

Tasked to plant lakhs of trees in a short time as part of his company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) drive, the young executive protagonist in this film grapples with the challenge. An ecologist and restoration practitioner opens his eyes to a new and better way forward: ecological restoration. He learns the pitfalls of large-scale tree planting in open lands, discovers the nuances and promise of restoration to heal damaged ecosystems, and reorients his efforts to revive a degraded forest through restoration.

Produced by:
Nature Conservation Foundation: https://www.ncf-india.org/
Evanescence Studios: https://www.evanescence.co.in/

Generative AI was used to make this film.

Released under a Creative Commons with Attribution 4.0 licence (CC-BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en) in April 2026.

07/04/2026

Interested in nature education, conservation and communication?

Join NCF as an intern this 2026 and work across our Education and Public Engagement projects.

Apply by 15 April! Visit https://bit.ly/ncfinternships2026

10/02/2026

Interested in building conservation capacity across India?

We’re hiring a Research Assistant – Conservation Capacity Development.

Apply now! Details here: https://www.ncf-india.org/conservation-leadership/research-assistant-conservation-capacity-development

05/12/2025

Grasslands, scrublands, and savannas—collectively known as Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs)—are among India’s most unique and overlooked habitats.

These ecosystems support several threatened and iconic species including the Jerdon’s Courser, Great Indian Bustard, Indian Wolf, Bengal Fox, and many lesser-known plants and animals.

They are also home to pastoral communities who have lived in harmony with these landscapes for centuries.

ONEs Are Under Threat
ONEs are rapidly disappearing due to:
• Trenching and percolation pond digging
• Clearing scrubland and grassland
• Planting exotic trees and plantations
• Misclassification as “wastelands” that need to be “improved”

Replacing natural scrub and grasslands with Eucalyptus, Acacia auriculiformis, or turning them into dumping yards destroys the very essence of these ecosystems.

About This Video
Video prepared by Teja Y, Researcher, Endangered Birds Program, Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF).

Learn more about our work to protect the Jerdon’s Courser and conserve ONEs here:
https://www.ncf-india.org/endangered-birds/saving-the-endangered-jerdons-courser

Send a message to learn more

28/11/2025

The 2026 Courses in Conservation Leadership by NCF are coming up! Designed for conservation practitioners, these hands-on courses build skills in ecology, conservation practice, and working with communities. Applications are open, head to https://bit.ly/NCFcourses2026 for deadlines and details for each course.

These courses are only open to Indian conservation practitioners.

For queries write to [email protected]