A non-profit organisation adopts community-based and scientific approaches to address environmental challenges across India.
Founded in 1996 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a non-profit organisation committed to environmental conservation across India. Working closely with local communities, they employ interdisciplinary and evidence-based research to address issues pertaining to biodiversity and conservation, land and water resources, forest governance and ecosystem services, and human well-being.
With community leadership at its heart for over 25 years, ATREE has relied on lived experiences and generations-old knowledge of grassroots communities, along with the expertise of policymakers, to create sustainable and socially just programmes that are rooted in science.
Key Areas of Work
Why We Love Atree
• Community-first approach towards conservation: ATREE relies on local communities’ knowledge and experiences to devise programmes that address water security, forest rights, biodiversity conservation, and human-animal interactions. These programmes emphasise the interconnected nature of our ecosystems and those who inhabit them. For instance, in the Biligiri Rangana (BR) Hills and Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills in Karnataka, ATREE has worked closely with the Soliga community to secure their right to forest governance. Together, they’ve secured individual and community forest rights for around 90–95 percent of households in the region, and, in turn, enhanced ecosystem health. An ongoing collaborative project works towards combating invasive plant species like Lantana.
• Documenting and measuring impact at the grassroots level: ATREE implements the PMEL framework—which stands for Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning—for documenting and measuring impact. They focus on both quantitative and qualitative metrics to document changes on the field, including tracking restoration of new species, executing case studies and participatory assessments that determine changes in community perception, as well as gauging community involvement by monitoring income changes, youth engagement, and resource co-management.
•Spreading awareness about environmental conservation: Apart from meticulous on-field research and documentation, ATREE also shares its work and research, promoting awareness about the urgent need for sustainable and inclusive environmental practices through different formats. These include YouTube videos, research papers, short documentaries, and offline events such as talks, nature walks, and panel discussions. They simplify their research, making it more accessible for a lay person. Some examples include ATREE’s conservation efforts in the Eastern Himalayas, an animated short documenting the journey of traditional pastoralism in western Maharashtra, and biodiversity walks led by researchers and experts in and around Bengaluru.
How They Work
ATREE's work in numbers
Number of Community Centres: 5
Total Research Programmes: 5
Active Projects: 70
Combining scientific research and participatory governance
ATREE’s initiatives focus on agroecology, community-based natural resource management, sustainable water and soil conservation, and policy advocacy. For instance, the Lake Protection Forums (LPFs) set up in Vembanad wetlands in Kerala are registered bodies formed by groups of fisherfolk and locals to protect and conserve the lake’s natural resources along with livelihoods. Over the years, these community-led conservation programmes have improved fishery co-management and promoted sustainable paddy-farming practices in the region. ATREE also implemented a clam restoration project which has helped boost clam production and revive the wetland’s habitats.
ATREE’s agroforestry initiatives in the Western Ghats have also helped farmers in the region integrate native tree species with traditional crops, which has, in turn, improved soil health. For ATREE, adopting ecological and evidence-based research combined with policy outreach and capacity-building pathways for local communities is crucial. They also encourage researchers to develop these interdisciplinary skills, and gain experience in sustainable development and biodiversity conservation at The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies in Bengaluru, where ATREE offers a PhD programme, an MSc course, and other certificate courses.
Community Conservation Centres across India
ATREE has established five Community Conservation Centres (CCCs) across different parts of India—including BR Hills, MM Hills, Agasthyamalai, Vembanad, and Darjeeling—which help equip local communities with the tools and resources they need to take care of their ecosystems. They play an important role in identifying ecological challenges and co-designing measures that ensure long-term conservation and livelihoods.
For instance, within the biodiversity-rich landscapes of the BR Hills in Karnataka, ATREE has extensively documented the Soliga community’s cultural ties to the land. Smt. Madamma, a member of the community, serves as the president of the Biligiri Rangaswamy Soligara Samskarana Sangha—a registered association representing all the Soliga tribes across 10 hamlets in the region—and leads a cluster project focused on sustainable production of wild bee honey. With financial support from ATREE and its partners, the project provides a steady income for many tribal families, thus reinforcing practices that protect the forest. This model exemplifies ATREE’s emphasis on coexistence between conservation and community rights.
The CCCs allow for a mutual exchange of knowledge between local stakeholders and researchers, serve as a foundation for ATREE’s PhD students’ research, and aid in the long-term monitoring of socio-economic systems. They incorporate collaborative methods, focussing on community-based solutions for biodiversity conservation and restoration.
How ATREE’s Community Conservation Centres Work
- Agasthyamalai, Tamil Nadu: Established in 2001 in Manimuthar, in southern Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district, this community centre works with the district administration and local communities in the Tamiraparani River Basin. It conducts environmental education programmes for children and youth to revitalise the river and its surrounding areas. It also focuses on ecological research and biodiversity cataloguing in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
- Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, Karnataka: Set up in 1992, the centre works with the Soliga community to manage forest resources sustainably and preserve traditional ecological knowledge by promoting smallholder coffee, encouraging sustainable production and use of non-timber forest goods including wild honey, and improving connectivity among fragmented habitats in the Western Ghats through wildlife corridors.
- Male Mahadeshwara Hills, Karnataka: Similar to the BRT community centre, they work with the Soligas and Bedagampana communities in forested regions to promote the sustainable use of non-timber forest products and address ecological threats by invasive species like Lantana camara. For instance, through the CCC, Mahadev, a marginal farmer from the Soliga community in MM Hills, became a part of the Lantana Craft Centre (LCC). The LCC is an initiative that aims to control the invasion of Lantana camara by converting it into usable products; Mahadev produces Lantana furniture and handicraft that is sold locally and globally.
- Vembanad, Kerala: Also called the Community Environmental Resource Centre (CERC), it operates as a field academy of ATREE that regularly partners with various government departments, academic institutions, and civil society organisations to advocate for sustainable wetland management in the Vembanad region.
- Darjeeling, West Bengal: Established in 1988, this CCC regularly conducts on-ground research in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. It prioritises working with young members from local communities to develop sustainable models that address issues directly affecting the locals, such as those associated with agriculture, water, tourism, livelihoods, and forests.
Climate-responsive Conservation
In the Eastern Himalayas, ATREE has over 25 years of experience in generating knowledge, developing regional capacity, and promoting sustainable livelihoods, largely in Sikkim, the Himalayas, and North Bengal. They have a long-term engagement with conservation planning and management in Assam. Under the recent Himalaya Initiative—a ten-year-long strategy to address challenges in the Indian Himalayan Region including the Trans-Himalayas, Arunachal Pradesh, and Khangchendzonga, ATREE has been working on biodiversity conservation that is rooted in climate resilience. These regions have particularly steep terrain that is difficult to navigate, harsh and rapidly changing climate conditions, habitat degradation, and concerns around illegal wildlife trade, such as the critically endangered Chinese Pangolin. Seasonal accessibility is also a constraint in many areas.
For over two decades, ATREE has been working with the many communities inhabiting these areas to restore degraded lands, promote ecotourism, and develop solutions for climate adaptation. The work demands a holistic perspective because changes in these mountain ecosystems directly affect water availability, agriculture, and disaster resilience for millions of people downstream.
To address urban challenges like water scarcity and flooding, ATREE kickstarted their Resilient Urbascapes programme. They adopt blue-green infrastructure, a strategy where natural elements including trees, parks, rivers, ponds, and wetlands are integrated into urban design to restore wetlands and promote urban agriculture.
How You Can Help
- Financial Support: Donors can support long-term endowments, core operational funding, or specific projects that align with their interests, such as sustainable agriculture, urban resilience, or forest governance. If you’d like to donate to ATREE, you can reach out to them at development@atree.org or info@atree.org.
- Research: Academic institutions, researchers, and organisations can engage with ATREE’s programmes by contributing to interdisciplinary research, knowledge dissemination, and capacity-building efforts. If you are an educational institute or organisation, you can write to ATREE at academy.office@atree.org.
- Volunteer: Individuals can contribute to ATREE by volunteering their time and skills by participating in field activities, citizen science programmes, or community engagement initiatives. Reach out to them at communications@atree.org.
This story is part of our Organisation Partnership Program. At The Locavore, we strive to keep the practices of an organisation transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships.
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