Applied Environmental Research Foundation

Historically, tribes have guarded remnant forest portions known as Sacred Groves out of respect for a particular deity. Sacred Groves serve as crucial habitats for several plant and animal species that are critical for conservation and serve as vital repositories of forest biodiversity. There are well over 13,000 known Sacred Groves in India.

Sacred Groves play a significant role in India's social and ecological fabric. The local population depends on the environmental benefits provided by these deity-protected woodland regions. Sacred groves are still common in the Northern Western Ghats.

AERF, with community support, uses FairWild accreditation to preserve massive trees like Terminalia bellirica from sacred groves. This plan has raised fruit prices, rewarded villages for grove preservation, and attracted foreign herb companies to local woodland conservation. Over 100 villages in the North Western Ghats are involved in this program.

The majority of rural hamlets and villages in the Western Ghats' isolated locations are off the grid, meaning they lack access to electricity. It is extremely detrimental to these already marginalised individuals. They are denied the chance to advance sustainably. In Maharashtra, there are still over 500 villages where there is no electricity. In 15 villages in the districts of Raigad and Pune, AERF has successfully worked to lessen the suffering of these marginalised communities since 2009. In these villages, AERF has provided 500 LED lamps, and in the Alibaug block resident school for tribal children, 100 LED study lamps. These communities now have better living circumstances, higher levels of productivity, and—above all—more confidence thanks to our program.