Between 2002 and 2008, I worked with Foundation for Ecological Security (www.fes.org.in) in Udaipur, Rajasthan. At FES, I was a Team Leader, and my responsibilities included, but were not limited to, the following:

– Supervising a multidisciplinary team of development professionals, scientists, and field associates
– Overseeing the implementation of a number of large projects funded by the UNDP, the World Food Program, the British High Commission, CIDA, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), NABARD, and the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India
– Organizing village level institutions for forest protection and governance under the Joint Forest Management program; facilitating federations of village institutions at the tehsil level; coordinating various capacity building programs, especially with women groups; and facilitating environmental education programs at the village level
– Advocacy and networking at the district and state level in Rajasthan, and
– Supervising dozens of student interns from universities around the world

Under my leadership, the FES Udaipur team received the prestigious “Best Tree Grower of Year” award in Udaipur district from the Forest Department, Government of Rajasthan in 2008.