Turtle Festival 2009 (22-23 March): A report
The long awaited 4th turtle festival was successfully organized at Velas.
Nearly 350-400 nature lovers attended this event. Managing of such a big
crowd at a remote place like Velas was really a challenge, but with the
wholehearted support of residents of Velas and nature lovers from all over
Maharashtra & abroad it was possible to carry out the program schedule
successfully. Noted Marathi film actress Amruta Subhash was the chief guest.
Here are the highlights:
- The fourth Turtle Friend Award was bestowed upon Shri. Jayant D. Kanade, the man behind successful turtle conservation at Maral village from Raigad District.
- Second edition of the book on marine turtles in Marathi was released.
- A DVD on turtles - "Kasavaa Tujhyaach saathi" was published on the occasion.
- The release of newly born hatchlings to the sea was the high point of the festival.
- SNM has decided to raise a corpus fund of Rs. 25 Lakh as SNM Nature
Conservation Fund for nature conservation activities to be carried out in future.
Members of SNM contributed Rs. 1 Lakh as seed fund. - In the village at the residence of Shri. Bala Upadhye a new Marine Turtle Information Centre was inaugurated at the hands of Shri. Balwant S. Barve, trustee of Barve Charitable Trust, Pune.
One of the main objectives behind the festival was to create an alternate source of income for the local residents, and this objective was nearly fulfilled during the 2 days.
Click here for the festival photos.
What's new?
January 2009
Shri. Vishwas (Bhau) Dattatray Katdare of SNM received the prestigious Sanctuary - RBS Wildlife Service Award 2008!
About the award Shri. Katdare feels - "Though this award honored me personally,
I feel it also goes to all my colleagues and those who have helped, guided
and supported the mission."
Read more about the awards
Welcome to SAHYADRI!
Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM) is a leading non-government organization (NGO) in India, engaged in conservation of, education about and research on nature. In the year 1992, SNM started its work in the pristine region of Konkan on the western coast of Maharashtra state in India.
SNM has successfully organized various projects in nature conservation, protection and education with its limited resources.
Our current major projects include:
- Conservation of Marine Turtle
- Study of Whiterumped Vulture (Gyps bengalenses)
- Conservation of Indian Swiftlet (Collocalia unicolor)
- Study and conservation of Whitebellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
- Breeding biology of some bird species