Capacity-building

MM Hills and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries constitute a very critical landscape that is home to a wide diversity of flora and fauna, including a few endemic species. Threats to the wildlife here include anthropogenic threats like habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, wild meat consumption, over-extraction of natural resources, and wildlife-vehicular collisions.

Workshop for Media personnel -
Capacity building acts as a key element in conservation that helps to increase the effectiveness of media representatives to provide accurate information on nature and wildlife news. Media impacts general public perceptions and hence, plays a very important role in wildlife conservation.

Our aim is to help and encourage writers and journalists from various media backgrounds to understand the basics issues of wildlife. For more than five years we have trained more than 200 people who have participated in these workshops. Main issues covered during the workshops are information on overview of the landscape, importance of Protected Areas, information on wild species and the necessity of conservation, and the need of accurate communication, backed by scientific proof and evidence.

Volunteer Training under HNF -
Throughout the year, young and old conservation enthusiasts, students working on research projects, or those looking for internship opportunities join us to support us in various aspects of our projects. Under HNF, up and coming conservationists are trained in a range of research and field skills, under the mentorship of some of the most experienced conservationists and researchers. They are involved in abundance surveys, data processing, statistical analysis, and a range of other activities. Volunteers trained at HNF have gone to work in a range of fields ranging from policymaking to conservation communication equipped with the necessary skillsets and motivation to make a difference.
To date, we have trained over 500 volunteers in helping them acquire different skillsets.

Our work with the Karnataka Forest Department -
We help the Forest Department personnel by organising workshops on a range of topics like ecology and conservation of wildlife in Karnataka, survey methods, importance of wildlife management, reporting crime scene, usage of Geographic Information System (GIS), and monitoring wildlife and wildlife corridors. The need for wildlife conservation laws like the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, and law enforcement networks in areas surrounding wildlife is also covered during the training. Over the past five years, our training has helped around 2,000 Forest Department staff, from forest officials to frontline staff, especially in the vicinity of Malai Mahadeshwara and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Read more about our work with the Forest Department under the 'Support to the Forest Department' section.