ERA India

ERA India The Ecological Restoration Alliance India, is a collective knowledge platform to help individuals and communities restore their lands.

[Webinar]: In Wilderness Lies Our Future: Rewilding Landscapes in BangaloreSatvan is a native plant restoration and cons...
18/08/2026

[Webinar]: In Wilderness Lies Our Future: Rewilding Landscapes in Bangalore

Satvan is a native plant restoration and conservation initiative of the Krishnamurti Foundation India, based at The Valley School campus in Bengaluru. Building on over 35 years of ecological restoration undertaken at the campus, Satvan maintains a seed library and plant nursery dedicated to native trees, shrubs, and other rare and lesser-known wild plants from the South Deccan Plateau Dry Deciduous and Deccan Thorn Scrub Forest ecoregions.

Increasingly, as urbanisation brings landscaping elements and ornamental plants to natural spaces, Satvan has also evolved as a nature education and awareness initiative, engaging different sections of urban citizenry with native biodiversity, ecological restoration, and more context-appropriate planting practices.

In this talk, Dr Sudha Premnath and Ayushi Bhansali share the journey of Satvan and explore what ecological restoration looks like in an urban setting.

About the speakers:

Dr Sudha Premnath is the founder and trustee of the Kaigal Trust & the Foundation for Education, Ecology & Livelihoods. For the last 30 years, she has worked on restoration & conservation of indigenous plants, documentation of indigenous knowledge, and on education for tribal and other marginal rural populations. As a founder & co-ordinator of the Kaigal Education & Environment Program, she also focuses on schools, learning centres & skill training for these communities.

Ayushi Bhansali is a restoration ecologist and leads projects on Natural Resource Management & Native Plant Restoration & Conservation at Satvan, Krishnamurthi Foundation India.

Registration link is in the bio.

[Photo-essay]: In Binsar, Fire Now Sweeps the Forest, and We Continue to RewildNaturalist and ERA community member Palla...
30/07/2026

[Photo-essay]: In Binsar, Fire Now Sweeps the Forest, and We Continue to Rewild

Naturalist and ERA community member Pallavi Singh writes a photo essay narrating her journey of restoring a patch of the Oak-Rhododendron ecosystem at the edge of the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand. Her account is an excellent reminder that restoration isn’t a one-off tree plantation drive, but a multi-season, multi-year practice. It sets aside time and resources to understand the reference ecosystem – an intact ecosystem that serves as a benchmark for restoration goals. And it seeks to create functional ecosystems with herbs, shrubs, climbers, grasses and trees (and not just trees!) in appropriate places.

Read time: 15 minutes.

Read the full the essay on the ERA website. Link in bio.

[Webinar | July 30 | 6 PM]: Spontaneity in Nature and Urban Ecologies.Does an ecosystem need to have a protected classif...
22/07/2026

[Webinar | July 30 | 6 PM]: Spontaneity in Nature and Urban Ecologies.

Does an ecosystem need to have a protected classification in order for it to be protected?

Over 3 decades, while hundreds of acres of a government land parcel in Delhi awaited urban development, the dense Dwarka forest emerged in its place, providing direct climatic relief to people and becoming a refuge for wildlife.

In a conversation with Suprabha Seshan, researcher Nirjesh Gautam explores the concept of novel ecosystems and the unexpected ways nature expresses itself in urban landscapes.

Drawing on the example of the Dwarka Forest, Nirjesh examines how these spontaneous and emergent ecosystems are often understood and valued differently from their protected counterparts, even as they continue to provide valuable ecosystem services to citizens.

Nirjesh argues that this causes a persistent separation of nature from urban planning and imagination, and concludes by highlighting the policy and legal context surrounding these ecosystems, and why they deserve greater attention in research, conservation, and urban planning.

About the Speakers:

Nirjesh Gautam is an independent researcher and writer based in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. His work explores human-nature interactions, urban biodiversity, and the emergence of novel ecosystems in cities. He seeks to make ecological thinking and solutions more accessible to audiences through science communication.

Suprabha Seshan is a rainforest conservationist and heads the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, a collectively owned reserve devoted to plant conservation, habitat restoration, nature education and ecological advocacy. She explores how decisions arise out of social, ecological and political frameworks and out of particular values of individuals and groups, with enormous consequences for the land.

[Webinar]: From Rights to Restoration: The Paivihir Journey of Community Forest Rights.Why is it important to grant fore...
24/06/2026

[Webinar]: From Rights to Restoration: The Paivihir Journey of Community Forest Rights.

Why is it important to grant forest rights to indigenous and local communities?

What role can these communities play in conservation and restoration?

What does it take to earn community forest rights under India’s Forest Rights Act?

For over a decade, the Korku and Gavli communities of Melghat have been restoring deforested lands in Payvihir village near the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. This webinar narrates their journey from one of struggle and seasonal migration to reclaiming community rights over their forest landscapes, and building prosperity within their village.

Join us as community members from Paivihir describe the process of re-discovering their relationship with the forest and getting the Forest Rights Act implemented on their lands.

The talk is a first-hand account of how community-led forest governance is helping conserve and slowly restore the local dry deciduous forest. It also makes the case for how indigenous communities strengthen conservation and low impact livelihoods, and revive lost cultural connections while managing their forests equitably.

This webinar will be partially conducted in Hindi, with follow up translations in English.

Registration link is in the bio.

About the Speakers:

Ramlal Kale is a member of the Gram Sabha of Paivihir. He has been a key community voice in Paivihir’s journey of implementing Community Forest Rights under the Forest Rights Act. He has contributed to mobilising community members, strengthening the role of the Gram Sabha, and supporting local decision-making around forest management.

Purnima Upadhyay is lawyer and the founder of KHOJ, a grassroots organization committed to empowering marginalized communities. She has played an important role in strengthening the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Her work focuses on building awareness around the Act, supporting indigenous and forest-dependent communities in the process of securing Community Forest Rights, and enabling Gram Sabhas to play a stronger role in forest governance.

The Grasshoppers isn’t a movement. It isn’t an organization with targets or timelines. It is something quieter. A group ...
19/06/2026

The Grasshoppers isn’t a movement. It isn’t an organization with targets or timelines. It is something quieter. A group of people who came together to look more closely at urban spaces we take for granted. And in doing so, are showing us how to look critically at our cities.

Delhi’s Forest Department has embarked on a project to restore the Central Ridge. Tenders are being issued for planting trees, creating theme-park Vanas, Miyawaki forest patches. JCBs are trundling back and forth ripping up the soil and sweeping aside old, woody vegetation. For the past few weeks, the Grasshoppers and a few concerned citizens of the National Capital Region have started to put together a Citizen’s Report. It aims to examine closely not just the methodology but the imagination that animates the FD’s restoration of the Ridge. Some of this can be seen in the Working Plan for Delhi’s Forests that the FRI, Dehra Dun has prepared. The rest can be seen in the practical steps that are unfolding now.

In this ERA meeting, the group will share and reflect on some of the chapters in the Citizens Report and open the floor for discussion. We will share how one can get involved in this initiative, and maybe together work towards a dream of what the 6.5 square kilometres could become in the heart of the city.

Grasshoppers: 

Nidhi Batra, Rama Lakshmi Peri, Vallari Sheel, Divya Jakhar, Ghazala Shahabuddin, Malavika Bhatia, Pradip Krishen, Pranay Lal and Vikram Iyer

https://tinyurl.com/2xksa8at

Our fourth film is up on our restoration films playlist!‘Footprints in the Wild’ is a short film about a nature workshop...
18/06/2026

Our fourth film is up on our restoration films playlist!

‘Footprints in the Wild’ is a short film about a nature workshop held with students of The Scindia School, Pachmarhi. The workshop helps students learn about the environment through fun activities and exploring nature. The film shows how this experience inspires students to care for nature and understand the importance of protecting the forests and wildlife around them.

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

This is an ERA FIlms Desk initiative.

Our third film is up on our restoration films playlist!Restoration, Hope for Coexistence focuses on the efforts to reviv...
12/06/2026

Our third film is up on our restoration films playlist!

Restoration, Hope for Coexistence focuses on the efforts to revive the lost mixed and healthy forests around the villages of Rathiyar Gram Panchayat in Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh. Wild animals such as Langurs, Macaques, and Black Bears are increasingly entering the villagers’ farms due to the lack of food in the forests that are near the villages year-round. This has led to rising crop damage and increased human-wildlife conflict, causing frustration among the villagers. In response, immediate and sustainable action is needed. The restoration of local native plant species has emerged as a hopeful solution for regenerating the lost forests. This restoration effort by the Zoo Outreach Organisation aims to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the region. The film highlights the various aspects of the restoration process, including community participation, the importance of native plant species, the establishment of nurseries, and the ongoing conservation work.

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

This is an ERA FIlms Desk initiative.

This is an ERA FIlms Desk initiative.The “Rahal For The Forest” project in the Western Ghats, Pune, Maharashtra, revital...
05/06/2026

This is an ERA FIlms Desk initiative.

The “Rahal For The Forest” project in the Western Ghats, Pune, Maharashtra, revitalizes degraded grasslands and water sources while conserving rare flora and fauna. This film highlights the critical importance of ecosystem restoration in preserving biodiversity and sustaining the environment.

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

Set in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The film follows Fazal, an ecologist working closely with native plant species, with a sp...
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!

[Webinar]: Restoring Grasslands – The Past, Present and Future of Bustard Conservation in Gujarat.As India races to save...
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.

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