Jungle Belles 4th Anniversary!


 On the Occasion of Jungle Belles 4th Anniversary today - 23rd August.












Jungle Belles is a venture exclusively for women by women started by Hemangi Vartak and Aarti Karve and supported by wildlifer - Sanjay Deshpande in August 2019. Our vision is to build empathy and engagement in the minds of urban women regarding wildlife and conservation so that we can work towards creating a sustainable future for wildlife.

First time I visited forests was in 2010 and fell in love with it. Thereby every year i started going to different types of Forests. I used to share pictures over social media of wildlife and the different habitats of Forests. Our friends would ask us, how to go about it? is it safe for women to go? Hence we thought of starting  Jungle Belles which would have a trifold approach - awareness, conservation and exposure to forests/ wildlife or simply nature. 

Organising getaways for urban women from their stress-filled routine and giving them and opportunity to be amidst nature by introducing them to various habitats and wildlife is one way to build love and awareness. Visiting forests and being in nature is a great to rejuvenate from the daily grind and to get a break from the concrete jungle that we live in!

We achieve this objective by organising trips exclusively  for women to various forests like Tadoba, Kanha, Pench (to name a few) and to habitats such as Ujani Bird Sanctuary, Mayureshwar, Sinhagad Bird Valley etc. Our tours  are a platform for women to go out on their own with other likeminded women and spend time on their passion. This also gives them an opportunity to make new friends with women who share their interest. 

We also organise women's only photography contest which is one of its kind in India. We are also into Wildlife Films which help in creating awareness about the rich bio-diversity around us. 

On Social front, we organise donation drives in the form of shoes, food supplies, gum boots, raincoats, sweaters, clothes to help people who work for forests. 
 
We are also facing a few challenges in trying to get women in to the wild - 
Lack of awareness and empathy in the urban women regarding wildlife and conservation.
Women are unsure about travelling to Forests alone and also they are worried about their safety. 
If the family is not interested in these types of trips and if only the women is interested it gets pushed in the background.
Women want to explore but are bound by home duties so getting them out into nature and making them take their me time is a challenge
Lack of resources in terms of manpower and funds 

Its been a slow but organic growth and we would continue to keep our efforts going - getting more women into nature!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Re-Union and Love!

Image
 Recently I witnessed a fascinating and dramatic scene in the wild. A drama unfolded in the heart of Kolsa - Tadoba, amidst the serene meadows and winding roads. It began with the majestic Kuwani - the reigning tigress of Kolsa sitting by the roadside in the early hours of our morning safari. We had just entered the park and within minutes we found her lounging in the tranquil grasslands, her eyes scanning the surroundings with vigilance.  Soon Kuwani rose from her resting spot and walked into the meadows. Her cub, which was a little inside in the grass ventured cautiously on the road. He was oblivious to the dangers that lurked around. Suddenly, a new figure emerged from the periphery - Hirdinala tigress - the matriarch of this lineage and Kuwani's own mother. her arrival was a mere coincidence, she had accidentally walked into the territory of Kuwani. Spotting her daughter's cub on the road, Hirdinala's instincts surged into action. With an unpleasant growl, Hirdinala cha
Read more

Jhalana Leopard Reserve - The Urban Forest

Image
 Imagine living in a crowded city of 4.3 million people and learning that amidst all of this human world, huge buildings and maddening crowd, lies a small, happy, peaceful forest where wild leopards rule. Urban dwellers who may have heard about leopards but rarely come across one would find this hard to believe.  There does exist a place such as this, right within Jaipur, the capital city of the state of Rajasthan in Western India. Extending over 7.7 square miles, the Jhalana Leopard Reserve is Home to flora and fauna of great variety. However its most famous denizens are its leopards. Over the years, the forest and the leopards and other biodiversity withstood the pressure of rapid urbanization and population growth, yet have been able to flourish here. To have a forest like that in one of the more populous cities is truly marvelous and a great story about conservation.  The revival of Jhalana's ecosystem health has also been a blessing for the resident and migratory birds. The av
Read more

Maya, The Vanished Enchantress.

Image
I have been visiting various parks and sanctuaries for almost 14 years now. And have observed different tigers in their natural habitats. I have realized that some tigers are destined to rule, dominate, and regal. Machali, the queen of Ranthambore, is a prime example. She was single-handedly responsible for bringing throngs of tourists and photographers. A similar story is of Maya – the queen of Tadoba. She is the one who has redefined the experience of sighting a wild tiger in Tadoba. Tourists, enthusiasts, and photographers regularly visited Tadoba just to get a glimpse of her. One would be extremely lucky to see her casually zig-zagging her way through safari rides.  She would gladly oblige her admirers with regular photo sessions oozing with her lazy grace. If we look at Maya’s biography and lineage, she is the daughter of Leela and Hilltop Male. The territory she controlled was left for her by her mother - Leela. The original Empress of Tadoba, Mahua Khadda tigress transferr
Read more