Conservation

Prerna has been involved in various conservation initiatives, some of which are given below:

Awareness and Advocacy

Prerna speaks at various forums and leverages media for conservation. She was written extensively on nature, wildlife and the environment, leveraging media for the cause of conservation. She has helped organise media workshops both at the national level and in smaller towns close to Protected Areas to gain support for wildlife conservation in the media

Endangered Species

Prerna has consistently highlighted the precarious status of critically endangered species, particularly that of the Great Indian Bustard (fewer than a 100 remain) and the hangul in Kashmir, of which fewer than 200 survive mainly in the Dachigam National Park in Kashmir.

Policy

Prerna has made various policy interventions to support conservation at the local, regional and federal level.  Her efforts have helped draw attention to crucial conservation issues, some of which have resulted in positive action. It was her report on impact of tourism on Corbett Tiger Reserve that triggered the debate on tigers and tourism, and ultimately led to  the creation of buffers around reserves and  guidelines for tourism in tiger reserves.  (read  full report here: http://re.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/corbett_tourism_report.pdf)

She was part of a team which framed guidelines for regulating roads within Protected Areas and their immediate vicinity (http://www.moef.nic.in/sites/default/files/wl-141113.pdf), framing rules and procedures for defining and guiding the functioning of the Standing Committee.

She also pursued various important issues like consolidation and protection for key wildlife corridors, judicious identification and delineation of Eco-Sensitive Zones for Protected Areas  etc 

Protecting Habitats

She has been part of an effort to help protect the nesting grounds of vultures in Gujarat through her intervention in the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife ( see here : http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.in/2011/05/wildlife-board-members-question-nod-to.html) (Raghav given one pic).

Her work has contributed to the creation of new Protected Areas such as Nainadevi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve and Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand.

India’s Green Army

She has consistently pushed for improving welfare of frontline forest staff, including in the National Board for Wildlife. Has also been working with states to bring about  institutional reforms for frontline forest staff; as well as engaging with managements and staff on the ground.