Conservation in Practice

2024 at TfW

This year has marked an extraordinary chapter of learning and growth at Technology for Wildlife Foundation. Through the years, we've been honoured to collaborate with passionate individuals and organisations fiercely committed to environmental and wildlife conservation. Our deepest gratitude goes out to everyone who has walked this path with us at TfW. As we prepare to close our doors, we take a moment to reflect on the milestones of this year, in our final annual summary.

Exploring mangroves during an early morning excursion with Tanmayi Gidh from Rainmatter Foundation.

We began the year with a field excursion to a mangrove patch in Goa, accompanied by Tanmayi Gidh of Rainmatter Foundation. During this visit, we looked at the ecosystem, talked about its significance as well as had an in depth discussion of our work. Tanmayi's article, published in the first quarter of the year, captures our conversation and can be found here.

Poster for announcing the exhibit on the social media, read more here.

Our exhibit, (Understanding) Mangrove Carbon, was selected as part of Science Gallery Bangalore’s Carbon exhibition last year, and it opened to the public mid-January. This exhibit highlights our work on remote sensing methods to estimate carbon sequestration by mangrove ecosystems, combining research conducted over by TfW over the years using drone and satellite data. We collaborated with visual artists who brought our scientific findings to life through multimedia interpretations. We are deeply grateful to our collaborators - Himanshi Parmar, Svabhu Kolhi and Gayatri Kodikal, for their continued support throughout the year of preparation. The digital material from the exhibit is also available on our website.

Screengrab from Part-I of an internal workshop on series on the different aspects of working with images.

In February, we held an internal workshop series on the different aspects of working with images within our organisation, including drone, satellite and hand-held camera imagery. Since we use all three types, the workshops provided an opportunity to discuss how each of us approaches and analyses these images, and to establish a shared vocabulary for smoother collaboration. Part-I of the series, led by our Data Analyst, Ishan Nangia, covered the use of computer vision, particularly in drone imagery.

Group picture from the day-long working meeting with team members and collaborators on the Restoration in the Western Ghats project, February 2024.

Later in the week, we held a day-long working meeting with team members and collaborators to explore how technology can support ecological restoration in the Western Ghats. Our field partners, Alex Carpenter, Cristina Toledo, and Aishwarya Krishnan, joined us, along with Dr. Madhura Niphadkar and Dr. Kartik Teegalapalli, who served as experts in labelling degradation factors in our drone imagery. Arjun Singh from ERA India also participated in the discussion. Learn more about this project here.

Nandini Mehrotra in the field with students from ATREE in Bagepalli, Karnataka.

In mid-February, we compiled our comprehensive workflow for using drones in conservation mapping and data collection. This was immediately implemented in a workshop initiated by Dr. Rajkamal Goswami for students of ATREE at their field station in Bagepalli, Karnataka. Conducted by TfW team members: Sravanthi Mopati, Nandini Mehrotra, and Nancy Alice, the workshop provided a technical overview of integrating UAVs and their data into the toolkit for landscape restoration. The sessions covered drone fundamentals, applications in conservation, flight planning, and post-processing of data. Participants also engaged in hands-on training with various software tools and participated in a field demonstration.

The TfW team with the '(Understanding) Mangrove Carbon' exhibit in the background.

After the workshop, our team returned to Bangalore, where we had the opportunity to view the (Understanding) Mangrove Carbon exhibit in person at Science Gallery Bangalore.

Project teams from WCT and TfW in action, Bihar.

Towards the end of the month, we travelled to Bihar with the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) to study behaviour of Ganges river dolphins. This also marked our third season of collaborating with WCT to study these river dolphins. Using small quadcopters, we captured videos of dolphins in pre-identified hotspots, gathering valuable information that was previously difficult to obtain. The data is now being analysed to estimate the size, body condition, and age brackets of dolphins in this region, with plans to publish the findings in a paper later this year.

Group picture from our field trip to Mhadei, March 2023.

In March, following up on our day-long workshop in early February, we visited our site partners Alex Carpenter and Cristina Toledo, in Mhadei with conservationists Benhail Antao and Arjun Singh joining us on this field trip. Since 2022, TfW has been collaborating with the Goa Botanical Sanctuary to explore the use of technology for ecological restoration on their 150 hectares in the Goan Western Ghats. Our work focuses on developing open-source methods that integrate ground, UAV, and satellite data to assess land degradation and guide restoration efforts. We hope that the methods we are developing, which will soon be published, will benefit others working on similar projects in the Western Ghats.

Screengrab from Part-II of an internal workshop on series on the different aspects of working with images.

As our field season slowed, we were able to focus on other projects, including our report on using drones for conservation in India. Towards the end of the month, we conducted Part-II of our internal session on image analysis, led by Nancy Alice. This session explored the different ways team members interpret images, reflecting on our earlier team discussion about varying perspectives on image analysis.

The TfW core-team and its Directors in Goa, April 2024.

In April, the TfW core-team and its Directors gathered for a heartfelt discussion about the difficult decision to close the organisation. These conversations marked the beginning of a careful process to complete our existing projects and slowly wind down operations.

Team members conducting drone calibration experiments in to get accurate error margins.

While off-the-shelf drones are useful, we still need to adapt them for specific tasks. During our analysis of field data from Bihar, we discovered that certain values, like height and camera angles, required calibration. Led by Ishan Nangia, our team worked in April and May to refine error margins in the drone's measurements, experimenting with simple materials and available spaces. These findings are now featured in a blog post on calculating real-world object sizes from drone images. For a detailed breakdown of the process and results, read Ishan’s blog post here.

We also conducted online workshops with Earthfocus on methodologies for the use of drones to plan and monitor a restoration project, during these two months.

Playtesting the Elephant Board-game amongst friends in Goa.

Over the past few years, we have been developing a board game focused on elephant corridors and human-wildlife interaction. We have play-tested and subsequently refined the game in various settings, including work environments, home, and structured forums. In May, we conducted a playtest with a control group in Goa, which included wildlife biologist Dr. Nandini Velho. The feedback from this session has also been documented for incorporation.

Aerial view of olive ridley turtles recorded during the joint field survey in March 2023.

Later in May we also published a case study of our work on tracking near-shore olive ridley turtles using UAVs in collaboration with WeRobotics, a global network of practitioners using drones for public good.

Over the years, we’ve explored and learned how to use appropriate softwares to create an efficient workflow with off-the-shelf quadcopter drones for conservation and scientific research. In June, our team focused on documenting this process in simple ‘how-to-?’ blogs so other conservationists can benefit from it and continue to do impactful work with it. This section on our website can be accessed here.

Illustrated by Svabhu Kohli, the artwork depicts TfW’s technology-driven conservation efforts across various ecosystems.

At the end of the month, we publicly announced the closure of the organisation, alongside the release of Svabhu Kohli's illustration showcasing TfW’s technology-driven conservation efforts across various ecosystems.

Screengrab of Ishan's last team-call with TfW.

We also bid farewell to Ishan Nangia, who is moving on to his new role, while working on his independent initiative, ReefBuilder. At TfW, he used computer vision and mathematics to extract conservation-relevant data from drone footage.

Additionally, Nandini Mehrotra appeared on the Heart of Conservation podcast with Lalitha Krishnan, discussing the legacy of ethical and collaborative processes with technology at TfW for impactful grassroots action.

We published our fourth Grove update in early July, covering the period from mid-April to December 2023.

TfW team picture from the final retreat in July 2024.

In mid-July, the TfW team held our final retreat in Mollem, which included a night walk in the forest and we were able to observe bioluminescent fungi. This retreat provided an opportunity for the team to reflect on our conservation journey and share closing thoughts.

We also hosted a heartfelt farewell for our team members and collaborators to share stories and experiences from our time together at TfW. It was a warm occasion where we reflected on our achievements, discussed the impact of our work, and conducted interviews to capture our journey. The evening was marked by gratitude and nostalgia: a celebration of meaningful connections and dedication that defined our efforts at TfW.

Over the past few years, we’ve been dedicated to creating a report that documents the use of UAVs for conservation in India. We owe a special thanks to Shivali Pai, whose MPhil research at Liverpool John Moores University laid the foundation for this important work. Toward the end of 2022, Shivangini Tandon joined us, conducting additional interviews in a semi-structured format, adding valuable insights to the project.

Wings for Wildlife team-members (L-R) Nandini Mehrotra, Nancy Alice and Shivangini Tandon.

In July, we were proud to publish ‘Wings for Wildlife’  highlighting how drone technology is being applied to wildlife and environmental conservation in India. Through 15 case studies, the report showcases drones' potential in biodiversity conservation, animal behaviour studies, and habitat mapping, while also addressing their limitations. The report is available for free download on our website. We also began printing the final copies of the book and celebrated this milestone in-person with team members Nandini Mehrotra, Nancy Alice and Shivangini Tandon (above L-R).

With this, our ongoing projects concluded, and we began documenting and archiving our work. Throughout July and August, the TfW website saw major updates, including new information and blogs. The website will continue to serve as an archival resource after the organisation's closure.

In-person workshop with consultants reflecting on our conservation efforts in Goa, July 2024.

As part of this effort, we held an in-person workshop with consultants from Imago as well as with Sanket Bhale of WWF-India to document our work. Additionally, we began impact assessment meetings to reflect on our collective learnings. These meetings are helping us evaluate our initiatives, celebrate successes, address challenges, and ensure that our experiences make a meaningful contribution to the wider conservation field. The study is ongoing, and we look forward to sharing it publicly soon.

TfW team (L-R): Sravanthi Mopati, Nandini Mehrotra, Ishan Nangia, and Nancy Alice, July 2024. Picture courtesy of Svabhu Kohli and Farai Divan Patel.

As we wrap up our operations, we are proud of the legacy we've created together and the lasting impact of our efforts. The resources, reports, and insights we've developed will remain accessible on our website, continuing to support and inspire conservationists and enthusiasts alike.

2023 at TfW

As we step into the new year, we reflect on the progress, challenges, and collaborations that have defined our journey in 2023. The loss of our founder-director, Shashank Srinivasan, has been a profound moment for our organisation. Despite the challenges, we remain committed to our mission of amplifying conservation impact and express gratitude to our collaborators, donors, and well-wishers for their continued support.

TfW core-team in discussion, Jan 2023.

We commenced the year with an in-person team meeting to discuss our objectives and goals for the first quarter.

At the end of the week, we made simultaneous in-person presentations. One was at Ganpat Parsekar College, Arambol as part of a state-level workshop supported by the Directorate of Higher Education, Goa. We spoke to students about the use of technology for conservation. The other was a presentation on the transmission line through Mollem at the inaugural meeting of the Goa Development Group at a seminar on Goa's economy and society, hosted by the Goa Institute of Management.

Nandini Mehrotra presenting on the use of conservation technology.

TfW with Dr. Nandini Velho in Mollem National Park.

In the following week, we undertook our first field trip of the year to Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park. We looked at linear infrastructure features cutting through the park.

Alex identifying boundaries of the forest land in Mhadei.

TfW mentoring students of Srishti for a studio. Picture courtesy of Himanshi Parmar.

In mid-January, we visited Alex Carpenter and Cristina Toledo near Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, where they focus on restoring private forest land. Here we initiated our collaboration of experimenting with a combination of ground, UAV and satellite-based data to aid restoration activities.

Also in January, we mentored students at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology for a studio on environmental design taught by Himanshi Parmar.

 Nandini Mehrotra in discussion with the CILS5 cohort. Picture courtesy of Pakhi Das.

In February, we took part in the Fifth Central Indian Landscape Symposium (CILS5) near Kanha National Park. Hosted by the Network for Conserving Central India (NCCI), this acts as a platform for stakeholders to discuss conservation challenges in the region. Nandini Mehrotra, our Programme Manager, attended the conference and held an interactive session on the use of technology for wildlife and environmental conservation.

TfW conducting field-work in Bihar.

We have been working with Wildlife Conservation Trust, India (WCT) exploring the use of UAVs for the study and conservation of Gangetic river dolphins and gharials. In February, we successfully completed our second field trip to Bihar with WCT, conducting aerial surveys of behaviour and population estimation of these vulnerable species.

Introducing Bihar FD to the use of UAVs for conservation.

Following the field surveys, both organisations jointly organised a comprehensive day-long training workshop for the Bihar Forest Department. The workshop, centred on monitoring threats to river-floodplain wildlife in the Gandak River, served to enhance the skills and knowledge of frontline forest staff.

Team viewing live-stream of olive ridleys through the drone-controller.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of olive ridley turtles nest on the beaches of Odisha before returning to the sea. In March, we conducted fieldwork in Odisha to assess the feasibility of using drones for studying near-shore olive ridley turtle aggregations, as part of a three-way collaboration with WWF-India and Dakshin Foundation.

During a joint field survey we captured aerial footage revealing these turtles as small white dots off the coast of the Rushikulya mass nesting beach. Additionally, we gathered aerial video-transects of near-shore turtle aggregations and generated orthomosaic maps of nesting beaches.

During the first weeks of March, Goa's Western Ghats experienced intense fires. We created burn scar maps to identify affected forest areas, to inform future restoration projects. Our conservation geographer, Sravanthi Mopati, detailed the steps to create these maps in a blog as well.

In March, we also crafted a story map explaining the linear infrastructure projects proposed through Mollem in 2020 and summarising updates on the proposed projects since then.

Aditi Ramchiary presenting to high school students on TfW’s work.

We also spoke to high school students about our work and the use of technology for conservation on an educational trip organised by Journeys with Meaning.

Towards the end of March, the core-team gathered in person to review the first quarter, assess ongoing tasks, and plan for the upcoming months.

Also during this month, we unveiled the illustration created by Aashti Miller for TfW. Highlighting some of the different species that we have had the privilege to work with, the illustration conveys the nature of our work towards creating meaningful impact, by the use of appropriate technology for the conservation of wildlife and the environment.

We conducted phase one of an internal capacity building workshop on the use of vector design tools for cartography, and refined our spatial analysis workflow.

In April, we made the most of our time away from the field by analysing data, documenting methodologies, and creating communication material from our field work.

Illustration by Aashti Miller.

Artwork by Svabhu Kohli.

On 22nd April, 2023 we faced an unexpected and heart-wrenching loss with the sudden passing of our founder-director, Shashank Srinivasan. His vision for conservation, with his leadership, passion, and conviction are the driving forces behind this organisation's existence. While in this profound grief, the outpouring of support from all quarters helped us regain stability in the ensuing months.

TfW in Mhadei, May 2023.

TfW core-team, June 2023. Picture courtesy of Supriya Roychoudhury.

For our final field trip before the monsoon, we revisited Alex and Cristina's restoration project near Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. We used our UAVs to look at the effects of recent forest fires, the detrimental impact of invasive species and map parts of their plot as pilot sites for targeted assisted regeneration as well as control sites.

Later in May, we gathered in person at a co-working space in Goa to work together as a team on alternative days of the week. We also completed the second phase of our counter-mapping work with our collaborators for NID Ahmedabad.

Map output from the counter-mapping exercise.

Through the summer, from April till July, we produced 21 maps for 10 stories as part of our collaboration with Mongabay-India to use cartography to broaden conservation communication for environmental journalism. August marked the completion of our two-year commitment with them. Read more the stories we have worked on together here and explore our blog-posts for the process of visualising them


In August and September, we worked on cartography for 'Fish Curry and Rice' - a book detailing Goa's ecology and environment. Written and compiled by the Goa Foundation, it was first published in 1993, and is currently being updated for republication. As the cartographers, our goal for this project is to provide a spatial view of Goa's environmental landscape and create meaningful visuals for readers. We created over 20 outputs for publication- with revisions in October and December.

Screengrab from an internal capacity building workshop.

In September, we conducted the second phase of our internal workshop, focusing on the effective utilisation of vector design tools for cartography. During the same month, we had a meeting with WWF-India in-person in Goa to explore collaboration opportunities based on our joint efforts earlier in the year. 

Also in September, we were profiled to be part of a climate report 'Our Uncommon Future,' created by Dasra and the Observer Research Foundation. The report lists us alongside fellow CSOs championing for creative climate solutions through collaborative, multi-stakeholder methods.

In October, we extended our support to citizens in Assagao on using free and open-source tools to document the forests around them. Simultaneously, we marked the beginning of the final phase of our report on the use of drones for conservation in India, by seeking reviews and feedback from the interviewees. 


A special photo exhibit showcasing Shashank’s work in Ladakh was featured as part of the GDN Conference 2023 by the Global Development Network in Quito, Ecuador, during the first week of November. This exhibit, curated by Supriya Roychoudhury and TfW offers a glimpse of his work in this incredible landscape.

Aerial view of mangroves in Goa.

We have been selected as exhibitors and grantees for Science Gallery Bangalore’s exhibit on Carbon. We began work on the exhibit in the monsoon,continuing to refine our outputs through October and November. Our exhibit revolves around remote sensing methods to estimate carbon sequestered by mangrove ecosystems. We have compiled research and methods conducted over the last two years combining drone and satellite data. For this exhibit, we have also collaborated with visual artists who have interpreted our scientific outputs and analysis through multimedia. The exhibit will be open for the public soon in Bangalore and will also feature a website with digital material.

Aditi Ramchiary at her farewell. Picture courtesy of Nandini Mehrotra.

In November we bid a bittersweet farewell to our core-team member, Aditi Ramchiary, as she embarks on her journey towards an academic career. In her time with us, Aditi had numerous firsts and achievements. She skillfully blended her artistic and technical abilities, resulting in a distinctive aesthetic that made her a highly effective cartographer. In her parting blog, she talks about her experience with TfW which was also her very first job.

In December, we had exciting changes in our core-team. We welcomed Ishan Nangia, who will contribute to computer vision analysis in various projects. Ishan is a coder and a diver and is presently working with us on using computer vision to aid restoration planning. We also welcomed Dr. Madhura Niphadkar as an advisor to the same project.

TfW in discussion with the Asian Flying Labs. Picture courtesy of Anuj Pradhan.

At the beginning of December, our team travelled to attend conferences. In Delhi, we partook in the WeRobotics hosted Asia Retreat for Flying Labs, representing our work in conservation drone technology as co-leads of India Flying Labs. Simultaneously, Nandini Mehrotra, attended Ecological Restoration Alliance’s Restoring Natural Ecologies 2023 retreat in Panchgani, Maharashtra.

Identifying species from aerial footage as part of the workshop on restoration in the Western Ghats.

Mid-December, we conducted a day-long meeting cum workshop to make progress on the restoration project in the Western Ghats. Our team examined samples of our field data with Alex and Cristina- our partners on the ground. We were joined virtually by remote sensing expert Dr. Madhura Niphadkar and Dr. Kartik Teegalapalli, an expert in forest recovery. Based on our discussion on potential methodologies, we are currently testing a combination of computer-vision aided analysis of UAV footage along with satellite data and analysis, based on the input and on-ground expertise that Alex and Cristina provided.

We also began work on a new project with the Sciurid Lab of IISER Tirupati. In a virtual meeting, Dr. Nandini Rajamani and Harsha Kumar talked our team through the research that the lab is currently focusing on, and helped us understand more about the species they work with. We then explored avenues of research and the possibilities of using a combination of computer vision and spatial analysis to further explore data collected through our previous field work with the lab in 2022.

Last team-call of 2023.

As the year drew to a close, we concluded with a team call, summarising the events of the year, sharing personal and work reflections.

Reflections on 2023

TfW with collaborators in Mhadei, January 2023.

2023 was definitely a very unusual year at TfW. The year began in full steam- with workshops, conferences and lots of field work with travel. We were then suddenly presented with a situation nobody anticipated- finding ourselves without Shashank Srinivasan, our Founder-Director. While it was a year of irreplaceable loss, it came with its own learning and growth. This blog is a reflection of what it has been like navigating this change over the last few months.

When faced with this situation of suddenly being without our team leader, I found myself in a new position of leadership. The very first thing was to see if the organisation-really the people, a small team – remained motivated to keep going. Without hesitation, the entire team was sure of wanting to continue work and see projects through. It was a relief that we all felt this way, and I understood what it meant to be a mission-aligned organisation. We believed in the work we were doing, were motivated by it and unwilling to let it go. It strengthened my own belief in the work we did, that nobody needed any convincing to stay in a period of uncertainty.

Core-team, June 2023.

Team in discussion, July 2023.

The projects of course meant little without the team behind them. I cannot adequately describe the incredible resilience, understanding and grit of the team I’m so lucky to be a part of. Each and every person showed determination and growth, both technically and personally. They met commitments and created high quality work while showing endless patience and adaptability with me and changing circumstances. Aditi and Sravanthi upskilled significantly and grew more independent in their tasks. Nancy and Shivangini took on additional responsibilities and workload. These are the things that kept us going in the months since.

Unexpectedly, it felt like the team also grew- we began working with Sandhya Srinivasan as our Director, and our accountant Nikhila Ballal. As the Director, Sandhya Auntie, continued to provide the structural support the organisation needed to keep running as well as immense understanding, and kindness that helped us retain the character and culture of the organisation. Nikhila, our accountant was always a part of our set up but someone I hadn’t previously interacted with. I valued her presence more than ever as provided patient explanations and guidance while making sure our work could continue smoothly.

TfW in Mhadei viewing forest fire scars, May 2023.

Without planning for it, it also suddenly became a team composed entirely of women- managing everything from field work and GIS to communication and accounts. It was an unexpected but special and empowering experience for me. To be working in an environment where each colleague was a competent, empathetic and motivated woman was a support and inspiration I never anticipated I would experience, let alone this year. I know this is a rare phenomenon in any field, and it has significantly helped ease some of the difficulties in this transitionary period.

TfW in Odisha surveying olive ridleys, March 2023.

What also made it possible for us to keep working was the stable support and patience from our donors. To have continued belief in our work and ability was immensely reassuring and gave me the confidence I needed to keep going. It also gave us the ability to focus our energies on the work we were doing, rather than anything else.

The conservation community, especially that in Goa, further felt like a safe and valuable ecosystem to be a part of where our worth was acknowledged, and support extended. Trust, built over years was tangibly felt and helped us to continue to feel a part of the community in which we work. 

Professionally, for me the year was of learning to manage and adapt continuously. It was a journey of understanding personal and collective capacity- of knowing when and to whom to ask for help and finding the sparks that keep us motivated. Most of all, in everything, as I deliberated and thought- ‘What would Shashank do?’ I realised just how much difference a single person can make. Like him, every single person in the team has created so much wonderful work and change. This has provided me with inspiration and helpful reminders of what we are capable of.

With this as we begin the new year, more changes are to come and we hope we can continue to create positive change and share this journey with you all!

The team sharing a light moment while waiting to board a flight, March 2023.