advisory board

Dr. Arun M. Dixit is an ecologist with a PhD in Wetland Ecology and more than 35 years of experience in interdisciplinary research, biodiversity conservation and natural resource management across diverse landscapes of India.

He received post-doctoral training at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, one of India’s premier institutions for wildlife and conservation research, and subsequently served for ten years as a Scientist at the Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, Bhuj, Kachchh. Dr. Dixit currently serves as Managing Trustee of the Centre for Environment and Social Concerns and works as an independent researcher and consultant on forestry, ecology, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods. He is a nominated member of the IUCN World Commission on

Protected Areas (WCPA) and has undertaken assignments for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, FAO, JICA and GIZ, contributing to projects on biodiversity conservation, natural resource management and sustainable livelihoods. He has authored and contributed to more than 25 peer-reviewed publications and edited book volumes.

Rita Banerji is the founder of the Green Hub Project, an initiative that harnesses the power of youth, community, and visual storytelling to catalyse environmental action and social change. Green Hub fellows are emerging as the next generation of grounded storytellers and social entrepreneurs across India.. Rita has been an award-winning wildlife and environment filmmaker , having been part of three  Panda Award winning films, including 'Shores of Silence' and 'The Wild Meat Trail'  at  Wildscreen Festival. Along with Documentary Resource Initiative and Riverbank Studios, Rita also initiated Green Stories, a mentoring and pitching platform for environment filmmakers across Asia in 2024. For her contribution to conservation and environmental communication  she has been honoured with the CMS Vatavaran – National Geographic Prithvi Ratna Award and the Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award. Rita is an Ashoka Fellow and continues her work through her organisation Dusty Foot Foundation.

Sandeep Virmani is an architect, environmentalist and institution builder who has lived and worked in Kutch for over three decades. His work brings together community-led conservation, traditional knowledge and ecological stewardship, spanning pastoralism, biodiversity and wildlife conservation, water management, organic farming, natural-resource governance and sustainable habitats. He is a founding member of Sahjeevan and Hunnarshala Foundation and has helped establish several institutions in Kutch, including Arid Communities and Technologies (ACT), Satvik and Kachchh Nav Nirman Abhiyan. He is also a founder mentor of the Centre for Pastoralism. Across his work, Sandeep has championed approaches that place local communities and their knowledge at the centre of conserving landscapes and shaping resilient livelihoods. He likes to paint and write stories.

Uttara  is a wildlife conservation researcher and practitioner with more than two decades of experience studying and responding to hunting and illegal wildlife trade in India and across South and Southeast Asia. A history graduate who went on to train as a wildlife scientist, she is

currently pursuing doctoral research in criminology, examining how communities and local institutions can protect wildlife from hunting and illegal trade in northeast India.

Her research has investigated the patterns, drivers, and dynamics of trafficking in turtles, birds, and lesser-studied species heavily targeted by trade, combining seizure data, field investigations, and social research to understand the scale and nature of these trades. Increasingly, her work focuses as much on people and institutions as on species: understanding demand for wildlife; examining the socio-economic and behavioural factors that shape consumption, hunting, and trade; improving the

capacity of frontline enforcement agencies; and developing community-based approaches to wildlife protection. Alongside her research and

fieldwork, Uttara writes for general audiences, bringing the realities of wildlife crime and conservation into public conversation.

Bharti Malshi Nanjar is a community institution builder and social development practitioner with over two decades of experience working with rural communities in Kutch and Saurashtra. As Programme Coordinator at Sahjeevan, she works on strengthening grassroots institutions, natural resource governance, water security, and community rights over forests and other shared resources. In the Banni Grasslands, she has supported 45 Community Forest Management Committees under the Forest Rights Act, strengthening local capacities for grassland restoration and biodiversity conservation. Her work also spans women’s empowerment, rainfed agriculture, programme management, and engagement with government institutions. With academic training in law, rural development, and the social sciences, Bharti brings deep experience in linking community-led action with institutional and legal processes.