“Corporate Social Responsibility” has become the buzz word today. Many corporate houses have understood their responsibility towards social upliftment and are working in many ways towards the same. In the past, many corporates have written to Satpuda Foundation (SF) regarding any opportunities to work hand-in-hand with us and to bring about a positive change in society. Looking at the interest of these corporate houses, Satpuda Foundation has decided to help them by giving ideas, suggestions, opportunities, plans and projects where they can contribute in terms of money, resources as well as achieve their targets. Satpuda Foundation has thus started “HUM”, a cell to mitigate the demands of corporate houses and to provide them with an opportunity to extend their support for the social/environmental field.

HUM means “we” or “the strength of working together”. We can bring about any positive change if we work together.

Once we receive a request from any corporate house, we will look at their commitment and ambition and suggest how they can get associated with us, through HUM.

Ideology:

We believe that for building the “Super Power India” we must direct all our efforts to ensure that we achieve every step of development by consuming minimum natural resources. Once upon a time, India was the land of plenty where there were plenty of natural resources like “Jal, Jungle and Jamin (Water, Forest and Land).” But today it has become the land of plenty human heads and less (as well as impure, insufficient and infertile) natural resources. Developing a STRONG nation requires pure and sufficient water, fertile land and sufficient forest cover, which goes towards providing our planet with a healthy environment.

Satpuda Foundation works towards the protection of the Satpuda landscape which is spread in Central India across two states i.e. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The Satpuda landscape is also the origin of around 300 seasonal and perennial rivers. The landscape conserves every drop of water and contributes it into the rivers, which in turn provide development package to seven states directly. The rivers Wardha, Tapi, Purna, Denwa, Tawa and Narmada, fed by the Satpudas, provide life to millions of creatures including humans.

But for ensuring the perennial flow of these rivers, it is essential to protect the forest in the Satpuras. The insects, birds and wildlife which actually help in regenerating the forest also need to be protected. The Satpura mountain range in Central India is the largest contiguous tiger habitat in the world and as such is crucial for the big cat’s continued survival into and beyond the 21st century. The Satpuras are not only home to the majestic tiger but also to a host of other endangered species like the forest owlet, otter, pangolin, chinkara and mouse deer. Its grasslands are home to the beautiful Barasingha, while giant squirrels inhabit the canopy of its moist deciduous sal forests.

For protecting any big landscape, one has to be systematic and strategic in the approach. Satpuda Foundation has decided to focus initially on some of the prime Tiger Reserves, Sanctuaries and National Parks connecting these reserves and later on some of the vital corridors in between. The entire Satpuda landscape includes 4 Tiger Reserves, 13 Protected Areas (PA) covering approximately 6,500 sq. km. The famous tiger reserves of Melghat and Pench in Maharashtra and Pench, Satpura and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh all lie within the Satpudas. These PAs are connected by vital wildlife corridors and the inclusion of these takes the range’s contiguous forest cover up to around 10,000 sq. km.

The Origin of the Satpuda Foundation:

Despite its significance as the largest tiger habitat and water supplying landscape for the development of seven states, the Satpuda region has received little attention and support from both NGOs’ and the government. As a result the continuity of tiger habitat is increasingly under threat from development and infrastructure projects, logging and poaching. In turn, the perennial rivers are becoming seasonal and seasonal rivers are loosing their wetness.

There is an urgent need for ground surveys and scientific assessments to guide conservation action aimed at protection of wildlife reserves in Satpuras and maintaining the viability of existing tiger habitats and even expanding them. The Satpuda Foundation has thus been established to highlight the biodiversity of the Central Indian Highlands (i.e. the Satpuda mountain range), educate different sections of the society about its importance and to tackle threats to the area’s forests and wildlife through well-coordinated research oriented conservation actions. This seems to be the only way to protect this region.

The Satpuda foundation was thus formed with the specific aim of protecting wildlife, conducting research to support conservation action and educating sections of the society about the short and long term benefits of protecting the world’s largest tiger habitat.

How to do it?

We have established a force of young, educated, trained and dedicated conservationists in the entire Satpuda range. Satpuda Foundation is working with individuals, local grass-root NGOs’ and other institutions including the Government. We have established Education, Conservation and Research departments for planning, executing and monitoring these programmes.

OUR PROGRAMMES:

• Imparting conservation education to young conservationists.

• Imparting anti-poaching training to forest and wildlife wing staff and other select individuals.

• Conducting anti-poaching operations to stop illegal wildlife trade in central India.

• Conducting workshops for enforcement authorities, government agencies and NGOs’.

• Conducting detailed field investigations in areas that are considered particularly important for the tiger.

• Assisting villagers that seek voluntary rehabilitation from Protected Areas.

• Assessing the environmental impacts of developmental projects like dams, mines etc.

• Undertaking specific research programmes to guide the framing of wildlife conservation policies.

• Research and conservation programmes for specific threatened species in the Satpudas.

• Establishing well-equipped Field stations/ research laboratories and libraries for this.

• Preparing village level conservation plans and initiate participatory wildlife conservation work.