Here’s how You Can

1.

Volunteer your time, ideas, and resources to engage purposefully in one of our projects in exchange for a peaceful, comfortable stay at our beautiful premises nestled amidst the hill of the Nilgiris in Kotagiri. Learn more

2.

Help us sustain indigenous ways of life relevant in today’s world: we are constantly working to encourage the indigenous communities in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve to find their rightful place in the current context while also harnessing indigenous sustainable practices as catalysts for sustainable living at large. You could volunteer your time or donate to a project that resonates most with you.

3.

We are working hard to build one of the largest, state-of-art indigenous archive hubs in the south of India called People and Nature Collectives, to disseminate indigenous knowledge and preserve artifacts. See our work-in-progress here and help us complete this important, substantial initiative.

4.

Donate! If any of our projects appeal to you, consider a gift of donation. However small it may be –– it would mean one more leap in the direction of sustainability and change.

5.

You can also donate and receive our beautifully curated sensorial Nilgiris Gift Hamper and enjoy words, pictures, organic produce, and artisan-made crafts from our mountains.

6.

Get to know our work in developing local resource centres that actively assist and enable indigenous communities to become self-reliant by using their skills, knowledge, and craftsmanship to generate sources of income. Volunteer with your time and ideas to help augment our efforts with new perspectives. Write to us at contact@thenilgirisfoundation.org to know more. As always, consider a small donation.

7.

Volunteer your time and knowledge to help us conserve the land, water, and biodiversity of this pristine region located in the UNESCO-declared biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats.

8.

Subscribe to our newsletter. Read our journal to learn about our work on-ground. Share and amplify our work by following us on Instagram or Facebook.

A note on the significance of the grid presentation above:

Keystone’s genesis is rooted in its work with honey bees and indigenous honey collectors. Bees and indigenous people of the Nilgiris have a symbiosis. Bee songs, knowledge of traditional honey harvest, ropes, ladders, barter system.

Bees are a great example of ecology and economics conversation. They pollinate more than 75 percent of fruits and vegetables. Without them, there is no food on our tables. The bees work through their wax glands to make cells in which they store precious honey and pollen. These miraculous hexagonal cells are incredibly sturdy structures that represent hubs for teamwork, collaboration, partnerships – each cell/each thematic area is important, has deep dive options, a world of its own – yet together they weave magic like bees.