Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a globally recognised non-profit organisation focused on environmental conservation and sustainable, socially just development. ATREE engages in the generation and dissemination of rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge that informs and is informed by the needs of grassroots communities, policymakers and the wider public. It prioritises capacity-building for producing the next generation of scholars and leaders.
Researchers at ATREE are at the forefront of exploring, documenting and conserving the flora and fauna from the diverse landscapes of India. Over the years, we have discovered more than 100 new species across the country.
ATREE’s focus on restoration seeks to reverse ecosystem degradation in a manner most suitable to the local ecologies of landscapes and the needs of their people and biodiversity.
Climate adaptation addresses the impacts and helps build community resilience to such climate change. We focus on capacity building and knowledge sharing, working with local communities to systematically improve their response to these changes.
In India, communities have historically managed different ecosystems and we believe that community use of traditional resources like NTFP and grazing routines are customary and sustainable.
The CCC was established in 2008 in southeast Karnataka, bordering Tamil Nadu. It works with the local communities to enable the continuous, productive, and sustainable harvest of forest resources.
The CCC was set up in 1992 in the Chamrajanagara district, Karnataka to engage with the Soliga community to enrich livelihoods, secure community rights and assess important species.
The CCC was established in 2001 to engage with the biologically unique and culturally diverse Agasthyamalai landscape in southern Tamil Nadu.
Established in 1998, the CCC works in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in the Eastern Himalayan range to conduct place-based research and actions to address environmental challenges.
ATREE’s Academy incorporates interdisciplinary science in its courses and training. The PhD programme accepts students from any discipline and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds.
The Master’s course equips natural and social science students with interdisciplinary knowledge, perspectives and skills to understand and address conservation challenges.
The courses provide hands-on experience through in-field and classroom sessions for individuals interested in environmental and sustainable development.
The vision of ATREE’s Environment Education (EE) programme is designed to promote understanding and environmental action amongst diverse stakeholders towards conserving India’s key natural resources broadly classified under the themes of Land, Water, and Forests.