By Neyi Jamoh
The Mud on Boots Project is a booster programme designed to empower and support ‘mud-on-the-boots’ conservationists in India over a two-year period. Through this project, Sanctuary is enabling a network of on-ground conservationists across the country, each of whom is contributing steadfastly to biodiversity conservation and community engagement in distinct and measurable ways. In addition to monetary support, Sanctuary works to raise the profiles of these Project Leaders, connect them to pertinent organisations or experts, and take their causes forward. The Project has been developed to be flexible to the needs of each Project Leader, and Sanctuary’s support to each one is customised.
Project Leader nominations are invited from trusted conservationists within Sanctuary’s extensive network, and are reviewed by the Sanctuary team. Priority is given to nominees who do not have the tools to expand their work through external funding; and are working in neglected landscapes, on conflict mitigation, or on community engagement. Here are the Project Leaders for 2025-2026!
Project Location – Sarsoha village, Mungeli district, Chhattisgarh
A graduate from Green Hub (Central India Programme), Bhumika Yadav is well-known among peers and mentors for her hard work, sincerity and talent. Having built a reputation as an outstanding fellow with the skills and drive to emerge as a strong voice and communicator for the environment, especially in central India, Bhumika joined her alma mater as a training assistant, mentoring students in the programme. In June 2024 she began to work on her dream project ‘Hamar Jungle La Ham Padbho – A Nature Education Initiative in Sarsoha village’ with support from her batchmate Deepak Yadav. Located in the fringes of the Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh’s Mungeli district, the remote Sarsoha village lacks formal educational facilities for local children belonging to the marginalised Baiga tribe. As a way to bridge the existing gap between local ecological knowledge and formal education, promoting environmental awareness and supporting community development, Bhumika and Deepak along with their team have been gradually developing and leading nature education sessions that include nature and bird walks, art, and games for local children.
With support from the Mud on Boots Project, Bhumika and Deepak will advance their ongoing work and streamline the ‘Hamar Jungle La Ham Padbho’ project to build a nature education programme that provides the underprivileged tribal children of Sarsoha village with a platform to learn about nature and appreciate the wonders that surround them. The team will focus on developing modules and activities by collaborating with nature educators and the Forest Department. They will also develop information booklets on the biodiversity of the region. The learnings from their two-year term with Mud on Boots will form the basis to replicate the initiative in nearby villages. Further, their project also aims at promoting environmental awareness that supports community development in Chattisgarh’s Mungeli district as well as nearby areas.
Project Location – Dachigam National Park, Srinagar district, Kashmir
Growing up in the fringes of the Dachigam National Park in Srinagar district’s Muftibagh village ( Jammu and Kashmir), Kashif Farooq Bhat has been volunteering in wildlife conservation initiatives since his childhood. A fourth generation nature conservationist and an emerging local conservation leader with strong ties with members of his community and the Forest Department alike, his knowledge about the conservation challenges in the region have been useful in understanding issues faced by the critically endangered and endemic Kashmir stag (hangul) and other wildlife in and around the Dachigam National Park. Currently serving as the honorary Project Director at the Wildlife Conservation Fund (a local NGO working to save wildlife and wilderness across Jammu and Kashmir), and at the verge of completing an M.Sc. degree in Wildlife Science from Aligharh Muslim University (Uttar Pradesh), Kashif is keen on using his past experiences and professional training to support and expand the ongoing conservation efforts towards wildlife conservation at Dachigam.
With support from the Mud on Boots Project, Kashif will work towards strengthening the ongoing efforts to conserve the Kashmir stag (hangul) and its habitat in the Dachigam National Park through a combination of scientific techniques including research and monitoring, implementing planned habitat restoration, and rewilding activities, and by actively engaging with the local community through awareness and education activities.
Project Location – Sengkhola, Nambu, Gyalshing district, Sikkim
Born into a yak herder community in Chongri, a remote village located within the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim’s Gyalshing district, Dawa Sangpo Bhutia’s identity and worldview has been shaped by the majestic mountains and the rich biodiversity surrounding him. In 2017, Dawa found an outlet and a medium to express his deep bond with nature through a course in wildlife video documentation and photography at Green Hub (Tezpur, Assam, India). A trusted local ally, he has been an integral part of WWF-India’s field teams conducting biodiversity/threat monitoring surveys and population assessment surveys for snow leopards and wild ungulates in the Sikkim Himalaya since 2021. In June 2024, Dawa’s ambitious project to create a responsible tourism model found support from Green Hub’s Responsible Tourism Fellowship. As part of this six-month-long project, he has been leading the youth and other members of his community to build a model that benefits visitors and supports the well-being of the region’s wildlife, while safeguarding the fading tradition of yak herding, a way of life with profound cultural and ecological significance.
With support from the Mud on Boots Project, Dawa will streamline the sustainable and responsible ecotourism model to empower locals to conserve the rich biodiversity and its habitat, and preserve the cultural heritage of the region in Sikkim’s Gyalshing district. Further, Dawa will lead wildlife monitoring and patrolling activities, conduct workshops and awareness programmes in schools and adjoining villages, and focus on building a comprehensive plan for reducing, recycling, and the proper disposal of waste to keep the region clean and pristine, with support from relevant organisations, the Forest Department, and local stakeholders.
Project Location – Mandya district, Karnataka
Born in a village near Nanjangud town on the banks of the Kabini river, Jesu Das is a gifted fisherman with immense knowledge of fish, fish behaviour, and traditional fishing techniques. He has been working as a field operative with the Wildlife Association of South India (WASI), where he discovered new applications for his traditional skills and practices. His understanding of river ecology, keen observation skills and accurate species identification have paved the way for the rediscovery of fish that were once believed to be locally extinct. A Mud on Boots Project Leader since January 2023, he has stocked over 60 mahseer at the Mahseer Repository Facility set up by the Karnataka Forest Department at Bheemeshwari, greatly expanding the limited understanding on the critically endangered and endemic humpback mahseer. He has also tagged 11 adult mahseer as part of a radio telemetry study while leading field data collection, and trained over 15 interested locals in the ancient art of cast net fishing and the use of radio telemetry equipment. The data gathered by Jesu’s team as part of their two-year term with the Mud on Boots Project has provided the first-ever insights into mahseer movement ecology in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
With further support from the Mud on Boots Project, Jesu Das is committed to continuing his work towards conserving the humpback mahseer by managing and stocking the Mahseer Repository Facility, providing orientation to visitors, educating his peers and contributing to research projects underway in the Cauvery basin. To ensure the continuity and responsible application of the traditional skill of cast net fishing (such as assisting research on fish), Jesu will also continue training interested youth in the region.
