ERA India, Valparai (2026)

28/05/2026

Set in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The film follows Fazal, an ecologist working closely with native plant species, with a special focus on grasses. Through his nursery and seed practices, he nurtures indigenous biodiversity with patience and care. The film explores how his work becomes a bridge between people and nature, encouraging communities to rediscover the value of often-overlooked species. With a quiet, meditative approach, it reflects on observation, care, and our evolving relationship with the natural world.

Go to the link in bio or scan the QR code on the last card to watch the film!

21/05/2026

[Webinar]: Rethinking Forest Restoration in India: An Evidence-based View

For several decades, India has attempted to restore forests through a collection of policy tools. These have included widespread tree planting on government land, law enforcement-based conservation, community-based conservation programs, modest support for tree-growing on private land, and pseudo-market based instruments such as the compensatory afforestation fund (CAMPA) and more recently, the green credits programme.

In this talk, Dr Forrest Fleischman presents evidence from Himachal Pradesh that shows that this approach has been ineffective, incoherent, and has led to unintended negative consequences for people and nature. At the same time, he also presents potentially effective reforms, including greater local authority over decision-making, more precise and ecologically informed ambitions for restoration programs, and the integration of sustainable livelihoods approaches across all lands.

Please note that this webinar is scheduled slightly later than our usual to accommodate time zone differences. Dr Fleishchman will join us from the other side of the globe.

About the Speaker:

Dr Forrest Fleischman is an associate professor of environmental policy in the department of forest resources at the University of Minnesota, USA. His research focuses on institutional dynamics of forest policy, with a focus on forest restoration. He has been studying forest and agroforestry policy in India since 2006, with experience in the Himalayas, central India, and Kerala.

He has also conducted field research in the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Malawi, and South Africa, and has published nearly 50 peer reviewed scientific papers across a wide variety of leading journals in the social and ecological sciences.

Registration Link is in the bio.

18/05/2026

Our crowdsourced Native Seed Germination database has now grown to include 1,414 seed germination protocols from 16 different sources, covering an impressive 611 native species.

The latest contributions come from NCF's Anamalais Nursery in the form of protocols for 171 native species, including 69 species that have not been covered in our previous protocols.

Each new protocol strengthens our shared mission to build practical knowledge for the conservation, restoration, and propagation of native plants across diverse ecoregions of India. We are deeply grateful to all our contributors for advancing ecological restoration and supporting a more resilient future for India’s native biodiversity.

23/04/2026

[Webinar]: Restoring Grasslands – The Past, Present and Future of Bustard Conservation in Gujarat.

As India races to save the Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican from extinction, are there safe habitats left where these birds can thrive?

Would restoring the ecology of their historical range be enough to guarantee the survival of these species today?

How should conservation and restoration interact with shifting economic and developmental realities on ground?

In this talk, Dr Devesh Gadhvi answers these questions and more. Over the past 16 years, Dr Gadhvi and The Corbett Foundation have worked to protect the habitats of three bustard species — the Great Indian Bustard, the Lesser Florican, and the Asian Houbara — in Kutch, Gujarat. Drawing from this experience, Dr Gadhvi narrates how science, tradition, community action and collaboration overcame conservation challenges and informed the restoration of the bustard’s habitat in the degraded grasslands in Abdasa, Kutch.

As Gujarat welcomes the first wild born Great Indian Bustard chick in the state in over a decade, Dr Gadhvi will also highlight the path ahead to preserve these majestic birds and their landscapes.

Registration link in the bio.

About the Speaker:

Dr Devesh Gadhvi is a passionate conservationist from Kutch. For over 20 years, he has protected wildlife, restored grasslands and worked with local communities. He is also the Deputy Director and Head of Ornithology, Research, and Sustainability at The Corbett Foundation, where he has worked since 2010.

Dr Gadhvi’s efforts highlight the importance of preserving grasslands and have gained recognition both nationally and internationally. In 2024, he received Sanctuary Asia’s Wildlife Service Award for his relentless efforts towards and commitment to conservation in India. He is also a member of the IUCN SSC Bustard Specialist Group and other committees, and continues to lead and inspire conservation projects with dedication.

17/03/2026

[Webinar]: Achieving Restoration via Biodiversity Management Committees.

With resource scarcity and competition often impeding restoration projects, what alternatives lie beyond private-sector funded restoration models?

Do India’s Biological Diversity Act and its Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) offer us a clue? Can these enable existing government machinery and ordinary citizens to come together to restore degraded ecosystems?

In this talk, naturalist Shyamkumar P will narrate how he utilised the Pullur Periya BMC to restore a section of the Chithari river in Kasargod, Kerala, with funds from the State’s Biodiversity Board. Shyamkumar will also highlight the structure and workings of a BMC and underscore why Kerala has been so successful in supporting and governing these committees.

About the Speaker:

Shyamkumar P is an Architect and a naturalist. He is a part of the Biodiversity Management Committee of the Kasargod district panchayat in Kerala. He is also the convener of the Pullur Periya BMC.

Registration link is in the bio.

22/01/2026

[Webinar]: Reviving Community-led Ecological Memory Systems in Meghalaya Forests

How can well-intentioned and ecologically sound restoration efforts still fail? Can we afford to overlook the role of cultural stewardship and community wisdom as we attempt to bring back what is lost?

Can the revival of indigenous ecological memory – rooted in oral traditions, rituals and stories – be a precursor to ecological revival? Can it lead us to develop more culturally anchored restoration practices?

ERA Innovation grant awardee Joanica Jyrwa reframes restoration not just as reforestation, but as a revival of relationship — between land, people, and cultural identity.

Her project seeks to revive Indigenous knowledge and oral traditions, and integrate them with modern restoration science to strengthen sacred groves and regenerate degraded forests in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.

In this talk, she will explore the potential of indigenous ecological memory and community institutions to shape conservation and restoration outcomes in Meghalaya. She will also highlight how Biodiversity Management Committees, Citizen science, Traditional knowledge and memory systems can help shape more complete ecological restoration beyond protected areas.

About the Speaker:

Joanica Jyrwa is a community conservationist who works at the intersection of research, governance, and conservation. Her early field-based research in mammal and fish ecology prompted her to focus on community-centric conservation and awareness beyond protected areas. More recently, her work has centred on community wildlife conservation, particularly the study and conservation of clouded leopards, other wild cats, and birds within community-managed landscapes.

She is increasingly convinced that indigenous ecological restoration and participatory approaches are vital for strengthening community stewardship of biodiversity conservation.

Registration link in the bio.

19/01/2026

Announcing ERA's 2025 Innovation Grant Winner:

Last year, as a support mechanism to enable larger involvement from the restoration community, we announced and solicited proposals for our Innovation Grant.

Amounting to Rs 15,00,000/-, the grant sought to support work that offered a unique perspective and fresh insight on a problem in the domain of restoration/ecology, and which had the potential to add value to the work and practice of the larger restoration community.

After thoroughly reviewing some great proposals, the Jury has decided to confer the grant to community member Joanica Delicia Jyrwa, a conservationist and ecologist who works on community-centric conservation in the East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya.

Joanica's project, titled "Living Landscapes In Meghalaya, Northeast India: Reviving Community-Led Ecological Memory Systems in Khasi Sacred Groves and Degraded Forests" seeks to center ecological restoration in indigenous ecological memory, and in the cultural & relational dimensions of the Khasi sacred groves and degraded commons of Meghalaya.

Join us for this month's webinar to hear more about Joanica's plan of action to achieve this goal. Details of the webinar will follow in a separate post soon.

11/12/2025

[Webinar]: Restoring a River Corridor: A Model for the Western Ghats.

Riparian zones bridge the realms of land and water, and are a critical part of freshwater ecosystems. They often feature unique vegetation, support a rich diversity of both aquatic and terrestrial fauna, and offer flood control and other crucial ecosystem services.

10 years ago, ecologist Neethi Mahesh’s study on the critically endangered humpback Mahseer took her to the rapidly shrinking riparian corridors of the upper Kaveri, also home to the endangered Smooth-coated Otter. Witnessing these species’ dependence on these unique habitats, she has since worked to conserve and restore them in the Dubare Reserve Forest, Coorg.

In this talk, Neethi will narrate her story of riparian restoration, undertaken with members of the local Jenu Kuruba community. Making a case for a tailored conservation-restoration strategy unique to these ecosystems, she will also shed light on some emerging ideas for invasive fish management, and touch upon the challenges her team has faced to sustain this project. She will also highlight some tools developed by her team that can aid riparian restoration projects elsewhere, and underscore the support they need from the research and conservation community at large.

About the Speaker:

Neethi Mahesh is a River ecologist, Conservationist and Nature educator. She has always been drawn to rivers and in the past conducted a spatial ecology study on the endangered Mahseer fish, which eventually led to her riparian conservation-restoration work in the Cauvery. She draws hope from working with children and engaging with communities, and runs 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 — a river monitoring initiative to build support for river conservation.

Registration Link in the bio.

21/11/2025

Snippets from Day 2 of Restoring Natural Ecologies!

19/11/2025

It’s been three weeks since Restoring Natural Ecologies 2025 has ended. We wanted to thank all of you who participated, hosted sessions, volunteered and helped us pull off this massive event!

Snippets from Day 1 of the conference!

14/10/2025

Short talks Part 2!

Short talks are a concise format where speakers get to share their work and/or ideas. In this format, speakers get 15 minutes to present their work and answer questions from the audience.

This year, our short talks delve into an interesting set of topics within ecological restoration from all across India and beyond, ranging from wetlands and river restoration to looking at restoration through the lens of government frameworks.

The thematic areas of the talks are:
1. Philosophies and Futures of Restoration
2. Addressing Challenges to Ecological Restoration Practice

For more details and tickets to Restoring Natural Ecologies 2025, visit: era-india.org

Tickets close on Friday, October 17th

ERA India

28/05/2026

21/05/2026

18/05/2026

23/04/2026

17/03/2026

22/01/2026

19/01/2026

11/12/2025

21/11/2025

19/11/2025

14/10/2025

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