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On-the-ground support for central Indian communities
Communities living around Tiger Reserves who depend on tourism revenue for income face numerous challenges during our global pandemic because of the inability to travel and the absence of tourism. We provided basic needs to communities living around Panna, Bandhavgarh, and Kanha Tiger Reserves through financial support to the Last Wilderness Foundation, one of our Indian-based non-profit partners. Research For the last 5 years, Wild Tiger has been working in central India, which in addition to being a global priority tiger conservation landscape, is home to a high population of indigenous and traditionally marginalized people. These communities largely live at the edge of forests, and depend on these forests for their livelihoods and subsistence. Households also engage in seasonal migrant labor and amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, these migrants are traveling home from urban centers where the virus is present. Sarika is a co-author on a paper accepted in the journal Current Science titled Post-lockdown Spread of COVID-19 from Cities to Vulnerable Forest-Fringe Villages in Central India, which identifies potential methods to ease the spread of the virus if it reaches these rural, forest-dependent communities. Research in India suspended
We share our condolences with anyone who has been affected by COVID-19 (coronavirus). In a way, even if you do not have friends or family that have been infected, we have all been affected by the pandemic. Our daily lives and routines have changed, and uncertainty seems to be the only thing that is certain. This pandemic started because of humans extractive relationship with nature. Although we all desire to return to 'normal,' we need a new normal. We hope everyone can take time to reflect on how we can repair our relationship with nature, and how us as individuals can use our skills and passions to help make the world a better place. It is unfortunate news we share today. Sarika Khanwilkar will be returning to the United States and she is now a Fulbright Alumni. Our research in India has been suspended until Tiger Reserves can be safely re-opened and travel resumes. Accomplishments and Status:
Community engagement and outreach updates
Wild Tiger believes in teaching the next-generation of budding scientists and policy-makers about wildlife conservation and career development. Accomplishments and Status:
Research updates Forest health and forest livelihoods in central India Sarika’s research uses high resolution satellite imagery to classify land cover (such as trees, bare ground, urban areas, and water) and create maps, and household questionnaires to understand how people are using the forest. Accomplishments and Status:
Project Dhvani Sarika has partnered with Pooja Choksi and Vijay Ramesh, fellow PhD candidates at Columbia University to start Project Dhvani. This project utilizes the burgeoning interdisciplinary science of sound ecology, which uses sound recordings, big data and machine learning to measure the state of our forests and identify vocalizing species in a particular area. Accomplishments and Status:
PhD in Ecology and Evolution, Columbia University in New York In 2019, Sarika completed all her coursework, and passed her oral exams to qualify as a doctoral candidate. Sarika was honored to be selected as a U.S. Fulbright Student Researcher to India in 2020. During her Fulbright year, Sarika will be doing fieldwork and, as apart of the Critical Language Enhancement Award, she will study the Hindi language in Dehradun, Uttarkhand, India before she begins her research and community engagement. Sarika will complete her language, research and community engagement work for her Fulbright year in India in February 2021. Since the beginning of her PhD, Sarika has received funding from: Columbia University's Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology and the Society for Conservation Biology. TRACT and advancing conservation efforts in India Sarika has been learning and working with TRACT (Tiger Research and Conservation Trust) led by Poonam and Harshwardhan Dhanwatey since 2015. From April – June 2017, Sarika was in Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh working as a Field Researcher with Devavrat Pawar. Accomplishments and Status:
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AuthorBi-monthly updates from the Wild Tiger team with occasional guest blog posts and personal field updates from Sarika Khanwilkar. Archives
October 2020
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