Forest Research and Conservation
Forest protection in the private forests of the Gadoli and Manda Khal Fee Simple Estates involves active ground patrols to curb miscreants setting fire to these forests during the fire season. Grazing and illicit lopping by trespassers in these forest areas is also curtailed so as to allow natural regeneration to take place which has been highly successful. Keeping cattle and humans away from these private forests has had positive results with reduced lopping leading to an increase in canopy cover.
The water flows from the Himalayan springs which originate from the micro-watersheds of these Estates had reduced to a trickle often running dry during the warm summer months. They are now running throughout the year providing clean, mountain spring water thanks to active protection and natural regeneration of the forests in the micro-catchments. The micro-catchments are being protected from fires, grazing and pilferage allowing the natural vegetation here to grow back in leaps and bounds and is now progressing into a healthy young forest.
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Our forest conservation and research work includes establishing a forest nursery of native forest grasses and trees. It is envisioned that members of local communities on the periphery of the Gadoli and Manda Khal Fee Simple Estates will be employed so that they may earn a livelihood from our conservation action. Thus, also reaping the benefits of conservation.
We are also documenting wild flora in these private forests through field surveys and forest resource inventories for their future conservation.
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