Breif Profile

For the last 27 years, Ramnarayan Kalyanaraman (Ramnarayan) has worked in the remote Gori river valley region of Greater Himalayas located in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, India. He is currently working in multiple Himalayan landscapes in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. His principal role has been that of a conservation facilitator & practitioner, rural livelihood specialist, community mobilizer, nature educator and guide, and as a researcher in ecology and environment along with being an advocate of community rights and environmental justice. From 1995 to 2006, Ramnarayan worked in leadership roles for the Spearhead Team (SHT) of the Gori River Valley Project of the National Tree Growers Cooperative Ltd. and later as the Team Leader for the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) Gori River Valley project. While in NTGCF / FES as part of a team that he subsequently led, he worked in nearly 100 villages across the region, some of them very remote. The work was principally forest and natural resource conservation and improvement; livelihood improvements; along with direct implementation of activities. All of these involved significant time in community organization, and planning and coordination. Specific activities included Forest protection, planting and seeding operations, nursery development, micro and pico hydropower development, energy conservation, animal husbandry, irrigation services, and training & capacity building.    Subsequently, in 2006, he helped found Himal Prakriti - A Trust for nature - working on community rights, strengthening livelihood, natural history and cultural education along with disaster relief and long term recovery from disasters. Soon after he also helped found Himalayan Ark - A Community based nature tourism enterprise, which is currently a leader in rural homestays and nature and culture based tourism. Since 2019 Ramnarayan has been working as an Independent Consultant to Livelihoods, and Conservation Projects while being involved in Biodiversity Research & natural History education. Through his career Ramnarayan has had the opportunity to take on multiple roles. This has included team leadership roles, practical hands-on work in the design and implementation of rural livelihood and energy technologies, as a conservation practitioner, as a researcher,  and as a consultant to regional and international projects.  This has been alongside with a consistent role as a public communicator and educator. While working as a co-investigator on some research projects, or natural history education  Ramnarayan has contributed to papers, articles along with some films and audio publications. Ramnarayan's technical competencies includes design and fabrication of / or construction of low cost or suitably appropriate improved structures or devices - like improved watermills, low cost polyhouses, improved low smoke and efficient wood stoves. As part of this he also worked on producing and disseminating detailed documentation. He is also conversant with open source software and has worked as a digital tools educator with a focus on appropriate open source software and tools. His current technical expertise includes coordinating online Citizen Science events, online talks, and organizing mini workshops. Ramnarayan enjoys being outdoors and sharing knowledge of the landscape, its people, culture and nature with visiting groups. He is a good communicator & story teller in the oral traditions of outdoor education, with many years of hands-on experience. Ramnarayan has significant experience in organizing group and bespoke treks for either research or tourism– both as an organizer and as a guide. He has significant experience in the higher altitude regions of the Himalaya and was an expedition support member for the First Indian Women's Expedition, in 1997, that traversed the Himalaya (from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh). Role included providing logistical and crew support and as a member of the trekking team from Uttarakhand to Ladakh In multiple trips, Ramnarayan has trekked a significant section of the Indian Western Himalaya traversing many glaciers and high altitude passes (from Lipu Lekh bordering Nepal and Tibet - China to Khardungla pass in Ladakh).  The longest being 66 days. This is along with many other treks in the Himalaya (Nepal, Tibet, India -Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh) Ramnarayan's professional education has been in forest management and later through research, training and practical education is now a Certified Ecologist. Spending time in the greater Himalayas, working with professionals and specialists,  along with the rich knowledge gained while living and working with rural mountain communities has provided Ramnarayan with a keen insight and deep connection with the Himalayan landscape and its people.

Summary:

1 Himalaya’s Nature Fellowship and Mentoring programme would seek to create a supportive environment to nurture nature guides and biodiversity conservation & climate change leaders, in rural communities, with a special focus on assisting women and those from less privileged backgrounds. 1.1 The Fellowship and Mentoring programme would support people with financial aid, mentorship, engagement with domain experts, resources like field guides, binoculars, travel and exploration support. 1.2 In the long term term the programme proposes to create more mentors from vulnerable communities as well as sustain short and long term opportunities for less privileged people. 2 Under the aegis of Himalaya’s Nature - a series of programmes and events, will be organized, to engage a larger community of natural historians, nature lovers and communities dependent on nature to observe, document, share and learn about Himalayan Ecosystems, Climate change and Biodiversity conservation. 2.1 Through public events and e-talks the programme will connect with a large group of nature enthusiasts, nature photographers, community scientists, interested people, interesting people, and experts to contribute, share and learn about Himalayan Diversity and Himalayan Ecosystems. 2.2 Helping using Community Science to document Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss and

Main Objectives of Project:

• Biodiversity and Climate Change Documentation in areas currently under-studied. During this process to collaborate on Biodiversity and Climate Change Surveys and registers with Village Communities
• Organize Community Science Biodiversity and Conservation Events. (Natural History Guide Trainings, Nature Festivals, School Programmes, E-lectures)
• Publications of Guides, Posters, Pamphlets (Natural History, Biodiversity , Climate Change)
• Writing, Blogs, Popular Articles, and Journal Papers on Biodiversity and Community Science

Main Activities of Project:

• Support fellows and mentors people with financial aid (fellowships and mentoring support), resources like field guides, binoculars, engagement with domain experts, consistent guidance, and a network of people sharing similar interests and backgrounds.
• Support for representation of women, specially from from rural communities in activities of biodiversity and climate change research, nature tourism livelihoods entrepreneurship, and natural history guiding and education
• In the long term term the programme would establish a system to create more mentors from vulnerable communities as well as sustain short and long term opportunities for less privileged people
• Under the aegis of Himalaya’s Nature - a series of programmes and events, will be organized, to engage a larger community of natural historians, nature lovers and communities dependent on nature to observe, document, share and learn about Himalaya’s biodiversity.**
• Outreach to highlight less known biodiversity hotspots and document and inform about rare or poorly documented taxa.
• Convergence of local knowledge& biodiversity information through documentation and dissemination
• 2.3 Through public events hosted on Citizen Science Platforms the programme would connect with the large group of nature enthusiasts, nature photographers, community scientists, interested people, interesting people, and experts to contribute, share and learn about the Diversity of the focus area.
• 2.4 To use already existing powerful, customizable platforms like inaturalist.org for the biodiversity documentation programmes while accessing other portals for information and expertise.
• 2.5 Designing and publishing writing, translations of writing or any form of displayable communications.
• 2.6 Workshops on communications and outreach skills while exploring any feasible medium.
• 3. **Climate Change and Adapation**
• 3.1 Monitoring and documenting impacts of climate change by consultative development of local indicators
• 3.1 Workshop and training in Climate Change adaptation

Outline of Prospective Projects:

Project-1

Project-2

Project-3