Two Arunachalees, Anoko Mega and Takam Nabam have been awarded the Grassroots Conservation Leaders for 2017-18 by the Sanctuary Nature Foundation.
A resident of Roing in Arunachal Pradesh, Mishmi tribal Anoko Mega is determined to change attitudes towards hunting within his community. A driving force behind a local youth conservation group called the Abralow Memorial Multipurpose Society, Mega works to educate locals on the need for environmental protection, and has been documenting the immense biodiversity of the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary, read a statement Sanctuary Nature Foundation, the organizers of the Grassroots Conservation Leaders
Chairman of the Ghora Aabhe Society that comprises elder Nyishi tribals from villages around the Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, Takam Nabam won a Sanctuary Award in 2010 for leading community conservation initiatives. Though they are the guardians of Pakke, they struggle to raise funds to keep the society afloat and develop basic infrastructure as none in the society have more than a sixth grade education, said a statement.

Nominated by Green Oscar Winner Rita Banerji and Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award Winner Nandini Velho, the two green crusaders will receive an amount of Rs 3 lakhs each to implement their project over a period of two years.

The Sanctuary Nature Foundation launched the award under the Mud on Boots’ Project, designed to empower and support grassroots conservationists in India.
As its first initiative, the Sanctuary Nature Foundation has selected 12 field conservationists, each of whom is already contributing significantly to biodiversity conservation and community engagement, to lead projects across the country. These individuals were selected by inviting nominations from some of India’s leading wildlife conservationists.
Bittu Sahgal, Founder of Sanctuary Nature Foundation, said, “As the name implies, the project was developed to empower those conservationists who are doing valuable work in the field, who have mud on their boots, but who tend to fall under the radar of governments, large wildlife organisations and the media. By giving these earth heroes even minimal support to execute their projects and by spotlighting their contribution, we intend to magnify the impact of their conservation work and connect them with a wider network of wildlife and protectors across the world.