Awards » Dr. C. Chandrasekharan Memorial Award

Dr. KH Amitha Bachan

Amitha Bachan K.H. is an ecological enthusiast with a decade of experience in forest related research, conservation and education. His Ph.D thesis was on the ‘Riparian Flora and its ecological significance (community structure, bioclimatic classification, dynamics and its significance in the landscape conservation and management) of the Chalakkudy River Basin, under the guidance of Dr. A.K. Pradeep, Dept. of Botany, University of Calicut. This was probably the first such study on the flora and community composition of riparian vegetation from the Indian Region.

Also he had initiated and volunteered his service to the Kerala Forest Department since 2004-05 for the participatory conservation and monitoring of Hornbill nests and their habitat in the Parambikulam –Vazhachal region involving primitive Kadar tribe. Now the Primitive ‘Kadar’ tribesmen of the Vazhachal Forest Division do regular monitoring and protection of the Hornbill nest trees with the support of Kerala Forest Department and maintain a long term data. This has succeeded in four important aspects. This has been regarded one of the successful participatory species monitoring and conservation program from the Western Ghats. The state Govt. and forest department have recognized it through accepting it as a regular programme of the Forest department – tribal participation. .