SPROUTS Environment Trust

A peaceful Human Chain to save Mumbai’s mangroves has been stopped. Police objection + FIR threats = citizens silenced? When people stand for the environment, why are they being stopped? Today’s protest is cancelled — but the fight to save 45,000 mangroves and will stand against the Maharashtra Martime Board's Ad Policy and will continue. @pawarspeaks @supriyasule @adityathackeray @sanjay___raut @vandanahchavan @fauzia_khan_speaks @priyankac19 @vidyachavanspeaks #SaveMangroves #Mumbai #Bandra #Khar #EnvironmentMatters SaveMumbai Mangroves ClimateAction SpeakUp BandraWest KharWest MumbaiActivism UrbanEnvironment NatureVsDevelopment BandraThirdEye

Dear friends, I hope you are doing well. I'm writing to you on behalf of Grandala Enviro Foundation (An Initiative of SPROUTS). We are pleased to inform you about a set of 40 Butterfly Flashcards that cover over 100 species across India, from Ladakh to the Andamans and Kutch to Arunachal Pradesh... Finally, the Flashcards have been printed and the sets have arrived at the SPROUTS' Office. Order your sets by filling out the form via this link /forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlppMvOa4NIIeLd8y6Zf8n1rXV4yUVjNPo53Yi6KKm8KwZtQ/viewform and transfer the payment via GPay on 9820140254. We also request you to share the attached poster and put up a post about the flashcards on your social media. Do share this post among your friends and associates who are into outdoor education and nature exploration. The sets should reach you within a week to 10 days after ordering. Green Cheers, Anand Pendharkar CEO & Ecologist, SPROUTS

To celebrate the World Earth Day @sproutsoutdoors had organised a Marine Walk at Juhu Beach on Sunday, April 19, 2026. The walk was lead by @pendharkaranand CEO and Ecologist, SPROUTS, who showed us an amazing diversity of Crabs, Shells, Conches, while navigating through hundreds of Mumbaikars who were enjoying the beach, oblivious to the fantastic biodiversity sprawled out right in front of them. This walk was joined by A wide variety of people from two year old Prithvi, her mother @priyankakeshari , Ex-intern @trollekar , his brother @sp.401 , as well as Dr. Savitri Gupta (a blind person), @probablyvihaan and @conain_rizvi8 . The group noted a huge amount of plastic waste at the Juhu Koliwada end of the walk. #beachwalk #marinediversity #wildlifephotography #mumbaiwalks #coastallifeofmumbai

*World Earth Day 2026 Special Event* *Theme: Leveraging our Social & Environmental Potential* A Conversation between Ms. Nandita Das @nanditadasofficial (Actor, Director & Social Advocate) and Anand Pendharkar @pendharkaranand (Author, Ecologist & CEO, SPROUTS), in partnership with the *NSS Wing of R D National College, Bandra, Mumbai* , on Wed April 22, 2026, from 11:30am to 12:30pm. *Venue* : Conference Hall, 1st Floor, R D National College, Bandra (W), Mumbai. *Registration* is FREE, but Mandatory, by messaging your full name on +91-98201-40254 Dont worry, those who are not in Mumbai can watch the *Instagram Live* on the IG handle of @sproutsoutdoors Please share this among your friends, colleagues and those interested in the protection and recovery of our Planet Earth!

Earlier this week, I moderated a panel at the Urban Youth Climate Policy Conclave (UYCPC 2026)—a continuation of @Mumbai_Climate Mumbai Climate Week—organised by @FESinAsia Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung India Office, SPROUTS @sproutsonline & Project Mumbai. But beyond the policy talk & climate buzzwords, one moment stood out. Questions also came from participants who are specially abled—asked with the help of a translator, but with absolute clarity. Because climate conversations can’t just be about the future. They have to be about everyone in it. Here are some glimpses.

Attended the Urban Youth Climate Policy Conclave at Novotel Juhu - Mumbai — a thoughtful and engaging platform that brought together youth, policymakers, corporators, environmentalists, and urban experts to discuss the future of climate-resilient cities. Appreciation to SPROUTS Environmental Trust, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung & Project Mumbai (the key organisations behind the conclave) for curating meaningful discussions under Mumbai Climate Week. Special thanks to Anand Pendharkar,Mandvi Kulshreshtha, Anurag Shaker, and Sundeep Narwani, for their efforts in bringing together such an impactful dialogue. It was a pleasure interacting with the youngest Corporator Kashish Fulwaria, Corporator Ritesh Rai, Ex-Corporator Ruksana Siddiqui, NCP SP National Spokesperson Anish Gawande, INC Mumbai VP Akhilesh Yadav, Arif Sayed, and several other distinguished participants working towards sustainable urban development. The discussions highlighted the importance of: ✔ Strengthening urban resilience and disaster preparedness ✔ Enhancing coordination and accountability in implementation ✔ Creating structured opportunities for youth participation in governance As an environmentalist and social activist, I strongly believe: “Youth participation is essential to translate climate policies into effective ground-level action.” Encouraging to see diverse stakeholders come together with a shared vision for a more sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient Mumbai. Looking forward to continued collaboration and actionable outcomes. 🌱 @sproutsenvironmenttrust @pendharkaranand @fesonline @mumbai_climateweek @mandvikulshreshtha @shishirjoshiindia @sundeepnarwani @anishgawande @kashish_fulwaria @riteshrai__official @_rukhsanasiddiqui_ @akhileshly @arif_abbas_sayyed #MumbaiClimateWeek #ClimateAction #UrbanResilience #Mumbai #BMC YouthLeadership ClimatePolicy Sustainability CivicEngagement Bandra EnvironmentalAction FurkanShaikh ClimateJustice CollaborativeAction Kashish Fulwaria Ritesh Rai Rukhsana Siddiqui Anish Gawande Arif Sayed Sundeep Narwani

Invitation: The Urban Youth Climate Policy Conclave, Mumbai Dear Young Friends, Are you aged between 16-35 years and passionate about climate action? As fast evolving Mumbai and cities of Maharashtra face frequent climate extremes, the power to drive real, sustainable and long-term change lies with its youth. However, in most cases, youth lack access and opportunity to engage with policy makers to put forward their thoughts, demands and aspirations of a climate-just and resilient urban environment. Join @fesonline (FES)-India Office @project_mumbai @sproutsoutdoors @sproutsenvironmenttrust for the Urban Youth Climate Policy Conclave a spoke event of the Mumbai Climate Week (MCW) and be part of the movement shaping the future of Maharashtra's cities. This Conclave envisages to be an interactive platform designed for young students, researchers, educators, think tanks, actionists, changemakers, entrepreneurs, CSOs, NGOs, CSR and ESG professionals, and general citizens who are keen to turn sustainability ideas into collective action, to engage with policy makers. This conclave will feature talks, group discussions, and panel discussions between climate experts, urban planners, young politicians and bureaucrats and the young audience members. Together, let’s redraft our Urban Climate Policy and catapult it to the next level of climate action and resilience. Date: Wednesday March 18, 2026 Time: 0930 am to 0130 pm Venue: Champagne Hall-I, Hotel Novotel, Juhu Beach, Balraj Sahni Rd, Mumbai - 400 049. Key Focus: Urban resilience, disaster management, green livelihoods, energy and mobility transition, biodiversity and landscape conservation, sustainable development, climate policy and governance. Registration (Free but Mandatory): https://forms.gle/NV3TNXZ8hSnegKKh7 and share this message with other youth who will be interested in joining this conclave Green Wishes, @mandvikulshreshtha , Senior Adviser, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung - India Office Shishir Joshi, Chief Executive and Founder-Trustee, Project Mumbai Anand Pendharkar, CEO & Ecologist, SPROUTS

Good News: The True or Sita Ashoka tree sapling which I had planted nearly a decade ago in my society complex has finally started to blossom and has given out it's 1st set of Orangish-Red Inflorescence... I'm hoping it will bring happiness and prosperity to our building and it's residents this year and all throughout its life ahead... Sita Ashoka (Saraca asoca) generally takes 6 to 8 years to start flowering when grown from seeds, although some may take longer to mature. The trees are slow-growing, with the best, most profuse flowering occurring as they mature into trees, often during the spring season between February and April.  Key Details on Flowering: Time to Bloom: While some trees might show initial, sparse blooms earlier, 6-8 years is the typical benchmark for a mature, flowering tree. Flowering Season: The tree produces dense clusters of fragrant orange-yellow to red flowers, primarily from February to April. Growth Rate: The tree is slow-growing and can take decades to reach its full height of 6-8 meters. Ideal Conditions: They thrive in shade or semi-shade conditions when young and require well-drained soil.

Hypocrisy 101...

Pyjamas or no pyjamas, these odd-toed ungulates—zebras and wild asses—are vital to our grasslands. Keeping ecosystems in balance, one stripe at a time. Happy International Zebra Day! (Jan 31) . . . Poster created by Vidushi Jaiswal . . . #InternationalZebraDay2026 #grasslandconservation #ungulates #wildlifeawareness #threatnedspecies

#RestoreAareyForest project is an eco-restoration project started in 2020. It’s a citizens' initiative approved by the Forest Dept. of Maharashtra guided & supported by many wonderful ppl- aareytribals, @renee.vyas @sproutsoutdoors @earth4everindia , Dr. Sashirekha S., mymicroforests.com & many more ! In the first four years, we focused on research work, planting of local species, maintaining them, rejuvenating the soil & creating recharge pits.The Result: we saw native grasses, vines, plants & trees grow and flourish , supporting the local wildlife. Now we see so many more butterflies, frogs, bees, reptiles & birds than a few years ago! We are super happy to share many saplings that we planted which were a few feet tall have grown to four times human height & many parts have transformed into natural wild areas as we once dreamt! In 2025, we added a few more actionables which were: - Removal of foreign species - Enabling the soil to germinate the seeds fallen from the mature trees - Reducing litter/waste dumping by encouraging local community participation - Organising nature-based fun events so that more people & youth can visit and experience this wild space within the city - Creating pathways which can also act as fire-break lines to enable access & limit the spread of fire. Watch all this and more in the video as we conducted a variety of more than 20 events in just one year! 2025 has also been a year of a lot of monitoring and observing as we established a simple yet effective bi-monthly monitoring technique. The team draws a lot of insights through this discipline for example which plant would need watering support and when. In 2026, our broad objectives are: - Conduct an impact research to understand various aspects of this project including wins and failures & publish it (This is a carry forward of 2025) - Deepen the monitoring to species level so that we listen to the forest more. - Water & community would be two most important resources we will be working upon to safeguard the land from erratic weather and political conditions that are expected. If you wish to join or support this project head to the bio for the relevant links. Stay tuned!

Nuts about squirrels! 🐿 On Squirrel Appreciation Day, January 21, 2026 let's celebrate these furry fruit-hoarders who always seem to have a plan. Poster by @vidushi_jswl26 #SquirrelAppreciationDay #squirrelsofindia #forestoration #awareness #conservation