Nature Conservation Foundation
Major initiatives & programmes
Hornbill Nest Adoption & Eastern Himalaya CCAs
Community-based conservation initiatives, Hornbill Nest Adoption, Idu Mishmi Shaman Fellowship, and Taju–Taye oral storytelling.
High Altitudes & Shangdong to Stupa Initiative
Integrates cultural heritage with snow leopard and wildlife landscape conservation.
Marine Mammal Consortium & Lakshadweep Initiatives
Anchors the Marine Mammal Consortium of India (MMCOI) and evaluates climate change readiness in sectoral planning.
Education & Campus Outreach
Runs programs including Nature Narratives in Media, Nature@Work, Nature on Campus, and Bird Alliance.
About
Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) is an Indian organisation that conserves wildlife and ecosystems through field research and conservation action. It works in several of the country's most varied landscapes: the tropical forests of North-east India, the high-altitude Himalaya, oceanic islands and coasts, and the Western Ghats. NCF combines long-term ecological research with community-based conservation, nature education and policy work. It describes its aim as conserving species and landscapes in a scientifically robust and socially responsible way. Much of its work is done in partnership with government agencies and local community institutions.
Headquarters: Mysuru, Karnataka, India
Major Areas of Work
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Ecological research: Long-term study of wildlife, forests and marine ecosystems, including hornbill biology, frugivory, seed dispersal and tree phenology.
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Climate and ecosystem change: Tracking how forest, coastal and marine ecosystems respond to climate change and human disturbance.
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Ecological restoration: Restoring degraded tropical forests in North-east India and the Western Ghats.
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Community conservation and coexistence: Working with local communities on conservation outside protected reserves and on coexistence between people and wildlife.
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Nature education and public engagement: Helping children and adults observe nature, and producing nature education material.
Major Initiatives and Programmes
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Eastern Himalaya: Research on hornbills, seed dispersal, tree phenology and forest restoration in North-east India, combined with community-based conservation and nature education in partnership with government and local community institutions.
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High Altitudes: A joint programme with the Snow Leopard Trust to conserve the snow leopard and the high-altitude landscapes it lives in, through research, community involvement, conservation education and policy work.
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Oceans and Coasts: Work on India's oceanic islands and coasts that tracks how nearshore ecosystems respond to climate change and human disturbance, and supports their resilience.
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Western Ghats: Long-term wildlife and forest research under a changing climate in this biodiversity hotspot, along with ecological restoration, conservation outside protected reserves and human-wildlife coexistence.
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Education and Public Engagement: Engages children and adults in ecological observation, and develops, displays and distributes nature education material.
NCF suits people who want to work on field-based ecology and conservation in India. Much of the work happens in remote landscapes, from Himalayan high altitudes to tropical forests and island coasts, alongside local communities and government institutions. Its mix of long-term research, restoration, community programmes and education gives exposure to both the science and the practice of conservation. It is a good fit for researchers, field biologists, educators and community practitioners who want their work to rest on sound science.