OUR JOURNEY

Anish Andheria

Our Mission

Forest First endeavors to restore Western Ghats' forests with Adivasi communities, ensuring food, water, and habitat for life on land.

FORESTS FIRST

Forest First Samithi is the heartbeat of a small yet
profound journey — an intimate dance with invasive
suppression and the tender embrace of biodiversity.
What began as a humble endeavour on a modest
patch of land has unfurled into a grand quest across
vast, scarred landscapes, yearning for revival.

THE METAMORPHOSIS

In less than a decade, Ettaekkar, our cherished sanctuary, has
undergone a breathtaking change. Once, it lay shrouded in
the dense embrace of invasive lantana, choking the remnants
of a few remaining coffee shrubs. But now, a symphony of
Western Ghats tree species rises, each one a testament to
resilience. The canopy that has taken root is not merely a
collection of branches; it is the very essence of life, nourishing
the soil and rekindling the pulse of nature. After years of
parched earth, where Lantana reigned supreme, the first
whispers of moisture returned—leeches and frogs emerged,
their presence a promise of renewal. And then, like joyful
notes in a melodic landscape, birds arrived, feasting on wild
fruits and scattering seeds, weaving connections between our
sanctuary and the neighbouring forests.

THE RESOLVE

Our journey, meandering through private estates, sacred groves, and
forested realms, has been one of profound self-discovery — a
pilgrimage of restoration. Our vision is clear: to breathe life back into
landscapes long lost to the ravages of human greed, to nurture
healthy habitats that rise like a chorus of thriving ecosystems.

For the sake of present and future generations, we can no longer
tolerate the local extinctions of cherished species — from the delicate
bee to the majestic elephant. They are, after all, the true gardeners of
life, weaving the intricate web that sustains us all…

THE MARCH AHEAD

The journey of transformation unfolds, sowing the
seeds of conservation among the tribal restorers of
Wayanad and all who cross our path. With each step,
we cultivate hope, nurturing a bond with the land that
is as enduring as the roots of the trees we cherish.

STEPS along the way...

FLR focus includes removal of invasive Senna spectabilis
Mr. Anand supporting tooling
Use of handheld tools improves efficiency of Senna uprooting
Uprooting larger area of Senna spectabilis (dense, large, medium)
GRAAM conducts Social and Ecological Assessment
Crossed 1.2 Cr per annum
Kerala High court appointed committee recommends Forest First’s model of Senna removal

Planting diversity, ANR and mulching
Our first CSR donor joins us, & Mrs. Vijaya Deepti gets involved through Tata Group of companies
CSR support expands to 5 donors

Joining hands with Kerala Forest Department
Forest Land Restoration supporting tribal communities
Converting a makeshift nursery into a larger unit at Ettacre

Inspired by Junglescape's invasive management Forest Land restoration
Collaborating with KMFT
Implementing sacred grove restoration in Kodagu
Implementing coffee estate diversity planting in Kodagu and Wayanad
Implementing landslide ecorestoration model as response to landslides

Addition of Dhandapany, Mayank, Ram, Sushil and Uma to FFS
Learning from failure of Bylakkuppe - asked for land for conservation where the land owners where looking for profit from planting
Learning from failure of temple committees in Wayanad on sacred groves (Valliyoorkkavu, Thirunelli)

Connnecting with other private land owners for conservation of native/RET species (Jaidip, Saneesh)

Invasives fail to regenerate
Frogs, leeches and bird diversity return

Planting diversity in Ettacre
First private donor (Dr. MPC)
Connecting with experts and implementing rain water management, contour mapping + Applying permaculture principles on degraded private land restoration

Eradicating invasive species in degraded at Ettacre
Understanding and planting tree species of Western Ghats
Connecting with nurseries involved in conserving Western Ghats species

Recognitions

In the 13th JSW-TOI Earth Care Awards on 21st May 2026, Meera Chandran was conferred the Woman Leader in Climate Action Award for her leadership through a science-backed, community-led restoration model in Western Ghats, empowering tribal communities as primary agents of forest recovery.

In the 3rd Edition of Visionary Women Awards on Feb 15th 2025, the Visionary Sustainability Entrepreneur award was conferred on Meera recognizing her true spirit of visionary leadership in the space of eco restoration.

Cricketers for Wildlife Conservation awarded Meera Chandran with ‘Wildlife Service Award’ in Jan 2024 for leading FFS’s conservation efforts.

The Mananthavady Block Haritha Samithi (Social Forestry wing of Kerala Forest Department) awarded Meera Chandran for 'Excellence in Senna eradication' in 2022 for the Forest Land Restoration work done at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. This was an endorsement of the work from the prominent local organisation.