I’m the managing trustee of the Sai Sanctuary Trust. The Sai Sanctuary is located in the Western Ghats of southern India – the heart of the watershed area for the entire south Indian peninsula, and one of the hottest ‘Hot Spots’ of biodiversity in the world.
From its initial area of 55 acres of private forested land in 1992, the sanctuary now covers hundreds of acres, with at least 300 acres under its protection. Dubbed ‘Noah’s Ark’ by an Oxford University scientist – the Sanctuary’s rich variety of flora includes hundreds of different indigenous trees and plants, many of which have precious medicinal value for the local rural community.