A little more about Sacred Earth Trust
Sacred Earth Trust (SET) believes that the environmental stewardship of our sacred groves can play a key role in the protection of our forests.
By bringing eco-spirituality to the fore, SET’s larger goal is to create a community of individuals who feel a deep connection to nature. SET’s reasoning behind this is simple; what we feel connected to, we protect.
This approach to eco-spirituality focuses on inculcating an awareness of all life and an individual’s relationship with our planet, thereby highlighting each of our roles when it comes to all issues related to conservation and environmentalism.
Their primary approach to conservation
SET's flagship project is the Sacred Earth Project, which broadly involves:
Documenting the sacred groves that remain in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
Researching these forest areas to understand their ecology and relationship with local communities
Conducting awareness-building activities for locals to reconnect with their natural heritage and adopt conservation practices, which include maintaining plantations and restoration efforts
Driving on-ground efforts aimed at the long-term protection of these forest areas, via community engagement and government support
Other work: post forest-fire land restoration
SET has also been restoring areas of land in Nainital District where forest fires and invasive species have degraded forests. Using a technique called Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), SET also engages local communities in their restoration and fire-prevention activities.
Published reports/research
SACRED EARTH TRUST'S IMPACT (SO FAR)
Documented close to 40 groves across 4 states as sacred groves
Conducted the first-of-their-kind ecological and socio-economic studies on the groves in the Braj Landscape
Engaged ~5000 adults and students in awareness programs on sacred groves
Trained over >50 forest staff of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in a 1st-of-its-kind conservation module
Undertaken 2 pilot projects in Nainital District for forest fire prevention and restoration
Why we love Sacred Earth Trust
Their approach of tapping into an ancient belief system and reviving a spiritual connection with our forests is all about community involvement
Their dedication to research and documentation makes for a process that can be scaled across forests, country-wide
Their first-of-its-kind modules and awareness programs have the potential to be pathbreaking in both their novelty and success
FUN FACT
Some sacred groves, like the Naimisharanya forest located in Uttar Pradesh, were mentioned in ancient scriptures like the Vedas and Puranas.It’s considered a highly spiritual forest, where it was believed that the divine essence of nature was particularly strong.
A message from Radhika Bhagat, CEO & Founder, SET
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" This famous quote by George Berkeley aligns with our predicament today. We are unaware of these beautiful and sacred forests, and so we remain detached from their terrible destruction. These are the last remaining areas where communities are so connected with nature; we must protect this way of living at all costs.
