Tree Foundation

TREE Foundation is an Indian NGO, with a primary focus on marine conservation, founded by Dr. Supraja Dharini in 2002, through inspiration and guidance by Dr. Jane Goodall DBE. Our mission is to educate and engage marginalized fishing communities on the ecosystem around them and how to preserve the habitats of sea turtles. TREE Foundation establishes community-based sea turtle conservation programs to educate and engage marginalized artisanal fishing communities from a large number of villages along the east coast of India in Tamil Nadu initially and subsequently Andhra Pradesh and Odisha protecting nearly 700kms of nesting habitat coastline. Through the three states, 363 local young fishermen, who previously were turtle egg poachers and school dropouts, are now engaged as Sea Turtle Protection Force (STPF) members. Their efforts to protect sea turtles have been recognized at national and international levels. The Sea Turtle Protection Force has protected tens of thousands of olive ridley nests in hatcheries, which has resulted in the safe release of millions of hatchlings back to the sea. STPF members educate other fishers in their villages about the importance of conserving turtles, retrieving ghost nets, reducing pollution, and caring more for their ocean environment in general. Over the years, we have managed to bring together 222 marginalized fishing villages all collectively working towards saving sea turtles.