Course Details

Decolonising Conservation

Returning to the ways of the Earth

What if our conservation and extractive developmental policies were NOT based on the material needs of our colonisers and the white West, but our own communities?

What if conservation was based on ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of the communities living in various ecosystems?

Along with the country’s politics and a thriving economy, the British Empire drastically transformed India’s landscapes, ecosystems, culture, and people’s deep connection to nature. Nature became a resource for extraction and people became an obstacle to that goal. Instead of healing the incurred damage post-independence, our forest policies and conservation laws merely adopted and continued with the colonial ways of thinking. In recent years amendments have been made to our laws that simply mimic the white West’s forest management systems and conservation models providing enough loopholes to continue extraction.

Despite years of conservation efforts, India not only continues to lose its critical old growth forests, diverse ecosystems and biodiversity but is also struggling to find a balance between environment, development, and both human and cultural survival. Efforts are being made to shift to community-based conservation, co-existence, and green corridors in order to move away from previously exclusionary policies. However, solutions such as these are just a band-aid approach designed by an extractive system to continue to preserve and perpetrate the system.

A Radical Re-imagination

The word ‘radical’ comes from the Latin word radicalis that means ‘of or having roots’. At a time, when we are surrounded by multiple ecological, social, economic, health and spiritual interconnected crises, a radical re-imagining is necessary that is rooted in belonging, connection and care for both our human community and the more-than-human world.

Can conservation, hence, become a process that respects the voices and intelligence of our ancestral ways of life, communities that have centuries of ecological knowledge and relationship to their land, and beings who share our world?

So then what does a decolonised conservation future look like?

About The Course

Decolonising Conservation is a six-session online course designed with inputs from community leaders, grassroots organisation, on-field conservationists, decision-makers, and our facilitators. The sessions will be led by experts and experienced facilitators and community leaders.

Session 1: 17th July 5.00 PM to 7.30 PM

What is coloniality

Facilitator: Bipasha Majumder

The introductory session will explore coloniality through how we experience our lives, and our thinking and decision-making processes.

The colonial and extractive history of the shift in land management and ownership across the world and in India

Facilitator: Gurudas Nulkar

The session will focus on communities’ relationship to commons and their management in pre-colonial times across the globe and in India. We will also discuss the role that industrialisation, colonial rule and early capitalistic market systems played in disenfranchising people from nature and controlling resources.

Session 2: 18th July 5.00 PM to 7.30 PM

History of contemporary conservation in India and current challenges

Facilitator: Radhika Bhagat

The session will analyse the colonial policies that shaped our conservation laws, what shape it’s taking now with amendments, forest management practices that borrows deeply from the west, and challenges inherent in this model of conservation.

What land does one belong to?

Facilitator: Bipasha Majumder

The session questions the idea of land and belonging through an understanding of the Indian landscape that has shaped her complex ecological and cultural diversity.

Session 3: 24th July 5.00 PM to 7.30 PM

Indigenous worldviews – the root of belonging, connection and care for the Earth and more-than-human world

Facilitator: Alyen Foning

Through her art and storytelling, Alyen will delve into her own journey as a Muun (female Lepcha shaman) and of remembrance and reconnection with her ancestral lineage, Earth wisdom, and way of life that is rooted in sacredness, awareness, relationship of kinship, reciprocity, respect, connection and care.

Sacred landscapes and spiritual ecology

Facilitator: Radhika Bhagat

Even though urbanisation is rapidly transforming cultures everywhere, there still exists different ways of relating to the land. Through stories from the ground, Radhika will provide a grounded perspective on the nature-culture connection that shaped communities before the British arrived in India and practices that are still thriving.

Session 4: 25th July 5.00 PM to 7.30 PM

The journey and the importance of Forest Rights Act (2006) and PESA (1996) in conservation of forests, biodiversity and cultures.

Facilitators: Neema Pathak Broome and Kumaribai Dasru Jamkatan

Along with PESA, FRA is one of the most important laws that tried to undo the historical injustice perpetrated on adivasi, forest-dwelling and nomadic communities since independence. Together, they have the scope to provide a strong ground for culturally rooted conservation. The session will delve into the arduous journey of both the laws in India. It will also provide a rooted and realistic perspective on the importance of Jal-Jungle-Zameen and how to integrate governance systems that recognise the rights, knowledge, and leadership of adivasi, other forest-dwelling and nomadic communities.

Session 5: 31st July 5.00 PM to 7.30 PM

Emerging concepts rooted in care for the more-than-human world – Multispecies Justice

Facilitator: Prakhar Pandey

Though India does not have a single or defined equivalent to ‘multispecies justice’ as a theoretical framework, it has something far richer and more complex: a set of overlapping traditions, be it philosophical, legal, cosmological, literary, or political. Prakhar will bring to forefront what already existed, and discuss if and how it has been suppressed or transformed and if and how it might change if taken seriously as a legal and governance framework.

Earthy governance and Rights of Nature

Facilitator: Shrishtee Bajpai

Earthy governance focuses on traditional systems of self-governance that still exists in parts of India. These systems are based on the needs of landscapes and an understanding that humans are not separate from the more-than-human world. From Shrishtee, we will learn why it is important not to explain these systems through dominant ideological frameworks. The session will also question if Rights of Nature, an emerging legal framework globally, can work effectively in the complex landscape of India.

Session 6: 1st August 5.00 PM to 7.30 PM

Alternate meaning-making and way forward in conservation

Facilitators: Radhika Bhagat and Bipasha Majumder

Through activities and group discussions, the session will weave new stories of possibilities together through meaning making and provide alternate ideas that can be implemented on-field conservation, policy advocacy and research work.

What Participants Will Take Away From The Course

Awareness of coloniality in contemporary conservation and how its impacting the ecological and cultural complexities of the country
Understanding why and how conservation approaches need to be grounded in local histories, ecological realities, and community knowledge rather than colonial frameworks
Find a ground where such dialogues and alternate ways of thinking can start taking shape within the diverse and complex context of India
Apply decolonial thinking and take away action points that can be applied in policy advocacy, on-field work, and research
Find a mechanism to question status quo and reconnect with our roots and ancestral wisdom
Find ways to bring heart and a deeper connection to ways of living that can provide us a path out of the crises

Who Is It For

The online course invites conservation professionals, students, environmentalists, activists, naturalists, ecologists and professionals working in CSR, education, livelihoods, community building, indigenous communities, and all those interested in the subject from India to join us in questioning, reflecting, and redefining our roles in the web of life.

Course Details

17th July – 1st August, 2026

5.00 – 7.30 PM

Language – English with a session of Hindi

Medium - Virtual

FEE for Professionals and Researchers – INR 4200/-

FEE for Students – INR 3300/-

Please write to us for full scholarship. On merit and need basis. Preference will be given to SC/ST and minority communities, women and other genders.

Registration link – https://forms.gle/SR72LK8rix98NPy88

LAST DATE OF REGISTRATION – 12th JULY, 2026

Our Wisdom Keepers

Gurudas Nulkar is a Professor and Director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics Pune; and a Full Professor (visiting) at IIT Kanpur, Chandrakanta Kesavan Centre for Energy Policy and Climate Solutions.

He is an author of 8 books;
Recipient of 2019 C.D.Deshmukh Award for Economic Literature
Recipient of 2022 Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad Award.
Member of the Central Government Committee on Green Hydrogen from Biomass, Ministry of New and Renewable Resources, Government of India.
Member, cGANGA Center for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies.
Senior Fellow of Pune International Centre
Board member of ACWADAM
Trustee of Ecological Society

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gurudasn

Kumaribai Dasru Jamkatan is a farm labourer, social worker and community leader from Korchi, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra with 23 years of experience working for women’s empowerment and community health. She belongs to Kanwar tribe from Chhattisgarh. She is currently working as a Project Coordinator – Forest Rights Gram Sabha Strengthening Project. She is a recipient of several awards and is also a part of various networks and campaigns working for social change.

Neema Pathak Broome was born in a small Himalayan, forest community in India and currently lives in and manages her family-owned urban farm forest in Pune in India. She has studied environmental science and holds a post graduate diploma in wildlife management. She is a member of Kalpavriksh (www.kalpavriksh.org) and coordinates the Conservation and Livelihoods programme of the organisation (https://kalpavriksh.org/our-work/conservation-livelihoods/). The focus of her work has been on advocating for decolonised and alternative forms of conservation through research & documentation, mobilising communities & facilitating on ground community self strengthening processes, and facilitating networks, consultations & policy interventions at all levels. This includes support and advocacy for ICCAs - territories of life & recognition of access, use, management and conservation rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. She has compiled a Directory of Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) in India (https://kalpavriksh.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Community-Conserved-Areas-in-India.pdf) and is part of the core team building an online portal on ICCAs in South Asia (https://communityconservedareas.org/). She is an advisor to the team that coordinates the South Asia Chapter of ICCA Consortium (https://www.iccaconsortium.org/) and National Working Group on CCAs in India. Currently she is serving as the International Policy Coordinator for the ICCA Consortium. At a personal level Neema is a student and follower of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy and psychology.

Alyen Leechum Foning is a textile artist and storyteller from Kalimpong, rooted in Lepcha ancestral heritage. Her work interweaves textile, ecology, and shamanic memory to explore themes of belonging, loss, feminine power, and cultural revival. A graduate of NID Ahmedabad, her installation “The Story of Munn” was exhibited at the Asia Pacific Triennial (APT9) at QAGOMA, Brisbane. Through her label ALYEN FONING, she collaborates with artisans to create sustainable, upcycled works grounded in oral histories and biodiversity. Currently training under Lepcha shamans, Alyen blends ancestral ritual with contemporary design. She is also a visiting faculty member at design institutes across India, offering pedagogy rooted in memory, myth, and material.

Prakhar Pandey is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Law at Jindal Global Law School. He is currently leading the Environmental Law Clinic there as its Assistant Director. He holds a Master of Laws in Environmental and Natural Resources Law and has over 8 years of engagement with the discourse through experiences in litigation, academia and consulting. He designs solutions at the intersection of law, climate justice, and community action. Grounded in nature and creativity, he’s passionate about bridging policy with real-world impact through collaboration, reflection, and interdisciplinary practice. He is also practising as an Environmental lawyer at NGT, Delhi.

Shrishtee Bajpai is a researcher and writer working on the themes of earthy governance, worldviews and systemic transformations. She is a member of Kalpavriksh (India) in 2016 and currently coordinates the Alternatives program within the group. She helps facilitate the Vikalp Sangam (Alternatives Confluence) process and is one of the founding members of Global Tapestry of Alternatives. She serves on the executive committee of Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.

About the Team

Radhika Bhagat is a wildlife conservationist, and writer with a sacred ecology lens. She is also the founder and CEO of Sacred Earth Trust, with over 17 years of experience working across wildlife conservation, ecological restoration, sacred natural sites and community-led conservation in India. She holds a Master's degree in Wildlife Sciences as well as a Masters Degree in Yogic Sciences and has worked extensively at the intersection of ecology, culture, and traditional knowledge systems.

Radhika spent nearly 13 years with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), where she was one of the youngest members of the organisation's core leadership team. As the India focal point for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)-WTI, she coordinated conservation projects across India. As her role as Lead for emergency relief she managed over 200 collaborative conservation action projects, addressing wildlife crime control, anti-poaching, rescue and rehabilitation, habitat restoration, conservation infrastructure and other key emergency response. She also led WTI-IFAW's work in Bhutan and India to strengthen anti-poaching and wildlife crime control measures. In recognition of her contributions, she received the Wildlife Conservation Achievement Award (2012) from WTI.

As Founder and CEO of Sacred Earth Trust, Radhika leads initiatives that integrate ecological restoration with cultural revitalisation and community stewardship. Under her leadership, the organisation has documented and supported conservation action in nearly 70 sacred groves across India and restored 25 water bodies in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, improving water availability for wildlife. The park has rare and endangered species such as tigers, rhinos, elephants, and swamp deer. She currently is working extensively in Himachal Pradesh, Braj on the documentation and conservation of Sacred Groves and the culture associated with these groves. Sacred Earth Trust's work on sacred grove conservation was recognised among the Top 20 environmental initiatives presented during India's G20 engagement process.

Drawing from her experience in wildlife conservation, as a member of Vikal Sangam and her engagement with indigenous and yogic traditions across India, Radhika's work explores how cultural values, traditional knowledge systems, and community institutions can contribute to addressing today's ecological challenges.

Bipasha Majumder is an established writer, researcher, documentation specialist and facilitator-educator. She specialises in designing and facilitating curricula on social sector documentation and storytelling, ecology, climate change, indigenous wisdom, gender and alternatives for various audiences. As an alumni of Ecological Society and member of Vikalp Sangam, she collaborates with a countrywide network of individuals and organisations working on nature education, eco-conscious living, and courses on alternatives. She is deeply involved in researching and documenting the indigenous spiritual (shamanic) traditions of tribal communities in Eastern Himalaya.

Bipasha’s journey spans more than two decades where she shifted from the corporate sector (advertising and media) to the social sector (communications) and further to her passion in writing and research. She has worked for more than a decade with India’s leading international and national non-profit organizations and CSRs such as Oxfam India, TERI, NSE Foundation, L&T CSR, CII Foundation, WaterAid India, GIZ India, WWF-India, ATREE, Human Rights Law Network, and INTACH among others.

She has authored the book The Garden of Pride, an in-depth documentation about community leadership and corporate-government partnership in transforming Vasant Udyan, a crime infested area in South Delhi into an inclusive green space. The book was released by the then LG of Delhi Shri Anil Baijal.

She has co-authored a scientific chapter with Dr. Tsewang Namgial, Director of Snow Leopard Conservancy, Ladakh for an international book on snow leopard conservation on the socio-economic and ecological impact of their award winning livelihood project of Himalayan Homestays and contributed several articles in media and forums on environment and conservation.

In Delhi, where she currently lives, she hosts nature-education sessions for school students, creative nature circles for adults using nature writing, expressive arts, and indigenous concepts, Know Your City walks on urban ecology, and co-hosts a nature-culture walk A Day With Yamuna. She is a wellness coach, a self-taught watercolour and intuitive painter, a reiki healer, and a budding medicine storyteller.