Madhya Pradesh’s CFRR Drive: Navigating State’s Haste and Forest Department’s Resistance
Mohit Mahajan Down To Earth | October 31, 2025 If foresters are serious about socially just and participatory forest conservation, CFRRs provide a wonderful opportunity for them to join hands with the communities, social movements, civil society and public intellectuals to bring it about
How a Hill Town’s Narrative is Changing From “the Coldest Place” to “a Leopard’s Trail” [Commentary]
Avantika Thapa Mongabay | October 27, 2025 Sukhia Pokhri in the Darjeeling hills has shifted from being known for its cold, foggy winters to being a place where leopard sightings are a routine part of life. Regeneration of surrounding forests, driven by reduced firewood use and improved livelihoods, has brought wildlife, including leopards, closer to […]
The Green Credits Programme Needs to Move Beyond Its Tree-centric Approach [Commentary]
Gautam Aredath Mongabay | October 23, 2025 The Green Credit Programme (GCP) promised a broad market-based framework to reward eco-positive actions across sectors but only the tree plantation component has moved forward. The 2025 revisions to the GCP restrict credits to plantations on forest department land and make them non-tradable, and usable mainly to meet […]
Butterflies of the Khangchendzonga Landscape – Part I: History of Research, and Documentation During the British Era.
Sailendra Dewan Himalaya Darpan | October 16, 2025 The article traces the rich historical legacy of butterfly studies in the Darjeeling–Sikkim region, Khangchendzonga Landscape, a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot. It highlights how British naturalists during the colonial period such as H.J. Elwes, O. Möller, L. de Nicéville, and C.M. Inglis pioneered the documentation and collection […]
A Village on a River Bank Shows How Community-led River Restoration Works [commentary]
Teresa Scholastica Thomas, Sanmadi K.R., I. Santhanamari, M. Mathivanan, M. Soubadra Devy Mongabay | October 13, 2025 Thirupudaimaruthur, on the banks of the river Thamirabarani in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district, emerged as a model village for using a hyper-local approach for river restoration. Waste from rituals in temples are frequently discarded into Thamirabarani. Agricultural runoff […]
Small Things
Seena Narayanan Karimbumkara, Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, Seshadri K.S. Sanctuary Nature Foundation | October 10, 2025 Seshadri K.S., Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan and Seena Narayanan Karimbumkara have published their articles in Sanctuary Asia’s cover story titled “Small Things”. Seshadri’s article, “A Glimmer of Hope: India’s Amphibian Discoveries”, explores the surge in amphibian species discoveries across India and […]
Ants as pests: an overlooked challenge in dragon fruit farming
Sahanashree Current Science | October 14, 2025 Ants are integral to agricultural ecosystems, playing roles that range from beneficial to detrimental, particularly in dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.) cultivation. The present study examines the diversity of ant species associated with dragon fruit orchards, focusing on their ecological roles, pest behaviour, and impact on plant health and […]
In Search of Degraded Forests for Restoration [commentary]
Aditya Pradhan Mongabay | September 29, 2025 In Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya, restoration practitioners were faced with several challenges, like growing land-use changes for tourism, habitat fragmentation and a narrow window for plantation. In this region, restoration is not a matter of digging pits and planting saplings. It is a deeply layered process, one that unfolds across […]
Exotic Flavors and Unseen Allies: Supporting Pollinators for Evolving Urban Diets
Chethana V Casiker, Sunil GM, Pavan K Naik, M Soubadra Devy Down to Earth | August 29, 2025 The rise of exotic foods in Bengaluru reflects a global trend in urban diets, driven by accessibility and health awareness. However, this shift poses ecological challenges, as many exotic crops depend on pollinators, which are declining due […]
Advancing Butterfly Documentation and Conservation Through Citizen Science in the Sikkim Himalaya
Rohit George , Pema Yangden , Sailendra Dewan PANDA | September 25, 2025 In recent years, alarming decline in i n s e c t p o p u l a ti o n , i n c l u d i n g butterflies, have raised urgent conservation concerns worldwide. Studies reveal that approximately […]
