Shawshank Redemption
Oft in the midst of noise and haste, one tends to forget that there is a battle going on, a quiet, stealthy battle waged against that which cannot speak in its own defence – Nature. Irreplaceable ecosystems are being lost, too many species are going extinct to keep count, and others are at the brink of extinction… flood and drought have become permanent ‘seasons’ across the globe. And in this face of aridity and hopelessness, we have Earth Heroes who give silent Nature a voice, risking their lives everyday for us. That is what makes them stand out? Set them apart? out of the extraordinary. They give us hope for a better tomorrow. For our children, and our children’s children… For this, we honour them.
Earth Heroes Awards for the year 2008
Fateh Singh Rathore
An iconic figure, he is widely credited with having fathered one of the world’s best known tiger reserves – Ranthambhore. This involved the painstaking restoration of a forest that had been overrun by humans. As the first Field Director of Ranthambhore, in 1973, he started the slow process of turning rice paddies and marginal farmlands into water and fodder banks for chital, sambar and wild pigs.
Dr. Y.V. Jhala and Qamar Qureshi
For evaluating the status of tigers, their habitat and prey in India.Dr. Y.V. Jhala’s credentials are impeccable. A doctorate from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, U.S.A. in Wildlife Science, a stint at the Wildlife Conservation and Management Training Programme of the Smithsonian Institution, a post-doctorate on reproductive energetics of tree shrews and a long-standing career with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) that began in 1993.
Vishwas (Bhau) Dattatray Katdare
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Vishwas (Bhau) Katdare protects species that most Indians have never even heard of, let alone seen. In the quiet of his Konkan homeland in Maharashtra, he fights to keep a population of Indian Swiftlets safe from the international trade that profts from edible-nest-soup buyers. His perseverance saw a fledgling organisation, the Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM), started in 1992 in Chiplun, turn into a force to reckon with in Maharashtra’s Konkan region.
A.T. Poovaiah
Ajjikutira Thammaiah Poovaiah joined the Karnataka Forest Department as a Forester in 1985. Having worked with the legendary K.M. Chinnappa in the Nagarahole National Park his anti-poaching skills have been specially honed and he understands the vital importance of foot patrols. Promoted as a Range Forest Officer of Kodagu in Karnataka in 1993,
Sevaram Malli Parihar
He may have dropped out of school in the eighth grade but his perseverance and spirit have made him a hero in the truest sense. Demoiselle Cranes visit Kheechan in Phallodi in the western Indian state of Rajasthan every year during October-November after a long and arduous migration from Southern Europe, North Africa, and parts of Russia.
Bahar Dutt and CNN-IBN
Bahar Dutt, Environment Editor, CNN-IBN uses the camera the way a forest guard or officer might use a gun. She is an effective defender of wild India who has transformed environmental journalism from an obtuse segment on the daily news to an independent and vital component of mainstream reportage. She has traversed the length and breadth of India’s wilderness and has been shining a spotlight on the seamier side of Indian politics, business and the wildlife trade.
Haseena and Tajunnisa
In their 20s, both Haseena and Tajunnisa are part of the BNHS’ Project Clam Marine Protected Area training programme. Concerned that the islanders would face a bleak future if their ecological heritage was ruined, both girls became key community facilitators who undertook the challenge of winning the support of their community for marine conservation.
Santosh Lalji Yadav
All of 22 years old, Santosh Yadav is one of Mumbai’s recognised naturalists who not only studies, but protects the fragile habitats that dot the landscape of this megapolis. Wise beyond his years, he is able to identify a bewildering range of species, elaborating easily on their taxonomic classification and even the roles they play in the ecology of their habitats.
Chain Roop Dayma
Chain Roop Dayma, or Guruji as he is known to his students, teaches at the government-run Teriwal Upper Primary School in Chhapar, Rajasthan. Here, close to the famous Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, on the fringes of the Thar Desert, this inspirational teacher welds students into a potent force for conservation.