I, Akash Patil,  am a young conservationist working for the conservation of the forests of the Western Ghats. Currently, I am working as a Field Researcher at Applied Environmental Research Foundation, an environmental NGO which has been contributing to the cause of conservation of wildlife for the past 25 years. I have been leading the Camera Trapping cell and the Mammals research under the Applied Biodiversity Research Programme of AERF for the past two years. I have also been appointed as a Conservation Fellow at Rainforest Trust, USA for the recognition of my two-years camera trapping and research work in the Northern Western Ghats. (https://www.rainforesttrust.org/about-us/our-team/fellows/). Camera Traps has been a significant tool that has helped us record and study the ecology of endemic and endangered mammals and their habitats in the tough terrains of the Western Ghats.

Most of the area of the Northern Western Ghats is unexplored, so we are collecting baseline data about the biodiversity using camera traps and ecological surveys. I have been practicing camera traps significantly on the field and getting helpful results.

We have a piece of good news. My application got selected recently for a 10 days professional camera trapping course at Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, the USA in June 2019.  This professional course will be an important platform for my early career in conservation. The course will help me learn more about the standard camera trapping techniques, data analysis models, different software, presentation of collected data using GIS systems and planning of long-term conservation projects in India. It will build my capacity in conservation science. My learnings will contribute in strengthening the long-term conservation strategies at the landscape level.    

The course dates are from 10th to 21st June 2019 and course fees is $2,200.00 with travel cost at $1,385.00.
I need help to collect a total of $3,585.00, to cover the course fees and travel expenses. I would like to request you all to kindly donate and help me boost my career, supported by your choice of contribution. I assure you that your donation will be used for the cause of conservation of the rich biodiversity of India.