One Year In: What We’ve Learnt, What Lies Ahead

When we set out with Naturefuture a year ago, the intention was simple, but urgent. We wanted to give nature conservation the attention, structure, and support it deeply deserves. Not as a standalone cause, but as a living thread that connects everything; Our food and health, our economies and cultures, our climate and well-being.

What we saw on the ground affirmed this belief: grassroots conservation groups are doing vital, place-based work, often with limited resources and little visibility. Our role has been to listen, learn, and build something that doesn’t just support them in theory, but actually helps them access funding, strengthen their capacity, and grow their impact.

This year has been full of learning. We’ve seen just how complex and interconnected nature conservation is, and how crucial it is to meet it with collaboration, humility, and long-term thinking. We’ve also seen the real challenges: gaps in capacity, fundraising fatigue, and the need for more consistent, flexible support.

As we look back, we’re also taking stock, of what worked, where we still need to go, and the small but meaningful shifts that began to take root.

Strength in Numbers, Impact in Action

Conservation Indica: Sharing Space with Wild Neighbours

In Surendranagar, Gujarat, Conservation Indica is helping Maldhari pastoralists coexist with predators like leopards, wolves, and hyenas, without conflict. By using non-lethal methods, training local youth in wildlife monitoring, and improving access to compensation schemes, they’re building a future where people and wildlife can thrive together.

From participatory camera-trapping to nature education and habitat restoration, their work now supports 423 households across 11 villages, rooted in dialogue, data, and deep respect for the land.

It's Impact

📍 11 villages engaged in conflict-mitigation. 📸 Evidence of leopards recorded through community-led camera traps. 👥 423 households impacted. 🌱 Grassland and wetland restoration sites identified.

Protecting the Most Trafficked Mammal You’ve Never Seen

HEAL’s Mission to Safeguard Indian Pangolins in West Bengal

The Indian pangolin is the most trafficked mammal you’ve probably never seen. In West Bengal’s Purulia district, it’s hunted for its scales and claws, turned into rings and charms. But no real data exists on just how bad the situation is.

HEAL has launched a year-long study across Jhalda I and Baghmundi blocks to change that. Through community surveys, they’ll map threats, track perceptions, and uncover what’s driving the hunting. The goal? A locally grounded conservation plan that protects the pangolin, before it disappears for good.

It's impact

📍 Focused study in 2 poaching-prone blocks. 📊 First-ever data on local threats and perceptions. 👥 Community-driven insights to guide action. 🛡️ Strong local network for implementation.

Learning That Feels Like Home

Earth Focus Foundation’s Contextual Education

n the forests of Kanha, Earth Focus Foundation is reshaping what learning looks and feels like for tribal children. Education here isn’t confined to chalkboards or standard textbooks, it’s rooted in the land, culture, and language of the community. With joyful mornings at Anandghar and creative evenings in Masti ki Paathshala, children explore literacy, numeracy, and science through songs, games, Gond art, and hands-on nature experiences.

What makes this possible are the women, local Shiksha Preraks, trained and empowered by EFF to lead the learning. These women don’t just teach; they connect. Between children, classrooms, and homes. Through Mata Samitis, mothers are brought into the fold, strengthening the web of support around each child.

It's impact

📚 250 tribal children received contextual, activity-based education tailored to their local environment and culture. 🌿 Children gained early exposure to biodiversity education, fostering awareness and stewardship from a young age. 👩🏽🏫 7 indigenous women trained and employed as Shiksha Preraks, becoming skilled educators and community leaders. 🤝 Mata Samitis deepened parent-school connections, strengthening learning outcomes at home and in classrooms.

India Lost 18,200 Hectares of Primary Forest in 2024

India’s primary forest loss increased to 18,200 hectares in 2024, driven by factors like agricultural expansion and logging. This highlights a growing challenge for conservation efforts, especially in the northeastern states, where much of the loss has occurred. - Link here

Your support can turn hope into action

The fight for nature needs all of us. These NGOs and projects are making a difference, but they can’t do it alone. Reach out to Naturefuture and be part of the solution. Because when we stand together, we don’t just save nature, we secure our own future.

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