Forest Education sessions in Saranda, West Singhbhum, Jharkhand
Jyoti patale, Biodiversity Conservation Sunita Hembrom, a Community Resource Person for the forest education program, is conducting Nature-Culture-Based activities with children living in villages around the Saranda Forest, well-known Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. For the last two years, forest education sessions have been carried out in eight schools located […]
Inauguration of Honey Processing Unit at Begur, Tholpetty Range
Ayoob A,Community Wellbeing & Justinraj, Biodiversity Conservation The Honey Processing Unit at Begur in the Tholpetty Range of the Wayanad Wildlife.The sanctuary was formally inaugurated by Smt. T. Uma, IFS, Chief Conservator of forests (Wildlife) and Field Director, Palakkad on the 13th of March, 2026. The inauguration ceremony was marked by Smt. Uma cutting a […]
Exploring the Valparai Landscape: Ecology, Communities, and Change
Renju K R, Biodiversity Conservation The Valparai landscape is a mosaic of rainforest fragments, tea estates, grasslands, and wildlife corridors. It is a landscape where elephants move between patches, birds call from shaded canopies, and human settlements exist closely alongside forests. At the same time, it also carries the marks of disturbance — invasive species, […]
One Day Workshop on Mapping Invasive Plants using iNaturalist
Ramajayam, Biodiversity Conservation The focus of this workshop was on identifying invasive alien plant species and mapping them using the iNaturalist mobile application. A full-day training workshop for barefoot ecologists was held on January 21, 2026, at the Keystone campus. This session emphasized early detection, citizen science, and community participation in managing invasive species and […]
Bioacoustics Workshop in Begur, Wayanad
Vandana Kannan, Biodiversity Conservation Barefoot ecologists in Keystone’s restoration sites (Begur (Wayanad), Bikkapathy Mund, Uginiyam (Kadambur)) have been conducting ecological monitoring for over a year. To cover more sites and seasons and compare wildlife presence across areas with invasive densities, we chose bioacoustics for monitoring. In Begur, Wayanad, we conducted a workshop on bioacoustics theory […]
Nature and Biodiversity Awareness Program with Paharia Children
Rohan Mukerjee with Surja Paharia, Krisna Paharia and Kamlesh Paharia, Biodiversity Conservation On a crisp, clear winter morning, Paharia children gathered at the football ground in Gadgama village for a nature and biodiversity awareness programme. This programme built on earlier children’s awareness programmes on forests and wild foods in the Pahari villages of Sundar Pahari. […]
UNESCO Women for Bees Follow Up Training in Wayanad
By Ayoob A, Community Wellbeing As part of the UNESCO Women for Bees initiative, Keystone Foundation successfully conducted a practical beekeeping training programme for five women beekeepers from Wayanad district on 10th November 2025. The initiative aims to empower rural women by equipping them with sustainable livelihood skills, particularly in the field of apiculture. This […]
Supporting Continued Education and Creating Art with the Support of Synchronoss
By Ramajeyam R., Biodiversity Conservation Continuing Education Support Keystone Foundation, with funding support from Synchronoss, organized ‘Continuing Education Support Initiative’ to uplift and encourage students from our local communities. This program was planned and carried out by the Biodiversity Conservation Team. This year, support was extended to 15 students from sanitary workers’ families in Kotagiri […]
Spring Revival in Dhalamukh Village: A Win for both Humans and Wildlife
By Ramajeyam R., Biodiversity Conservation Dhalamukh village, a small natural spring has always been an important lifeline — providing water to the local community as well as to the wildlife that depends on the surrounding forest. Over recent years, the spring had gradually weakened, especially during the summer months, forcing people and animals to struggle […]
Training on Beekeeping and Nursery Management
Hatnada and Sardabera, Seraikela-Kharsawan District Jharkhand 18th and 19th November 2025 By Rohan Mukerjee, Biodiversity Conservation In November, with the weather pleasantly cool, Keystone Foundation’s Eastern India team facilitated a training session on beekeeping and nursery management in the forest villages of Hatnada and Sardabera in Seraikela-Kharsawan District of Jharkhand. Beekeeping Session Day One The […]