Mithila Wildlife Trust

Mithila Wildlife Trust was set up in 2013 by Dev Narayan Mandal (shown above) to help local people in Dhanusha get involved in conservation efforts and benefit from them.  This has been achieved through reforestation, education, animal rescue and livelihood training and development.

Snake Rescue and Mitigation Training

In 2024 a grant from the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust enabled Pipal Tree to set up a programme to rescue snakes and educate the local population on snakes and snakebite mitigation.  This includes training in how to identify snakes that are beneficial to farmers (e.g. in rodent control) and how to catch and return non-beneficial species to the forest.  First aid training teaches local people modern methods instead of relying on local 'faith healers'.  The programme currently runs in Dhanusha district but will be rolled out to the other seven districts in Madhesh Province.

(Click on the video player below to see a snake rescuer at work!)

Gurkha Memorial Forests

In order to provide a safe transit route for animals from the Baluwa River to the Dhanushadham Nature Reserve, Pipal Tree is funding 13 'stepping stone' mini-forests with ponds.  These are named after famous Victoria Cross winners from Gurkha Regiments.  (The one in the photo above is named after Captain Lalbahadur Thapa VC).  As at 1st April 2025 eight have been built and a further two are under construction.  They use the very productive Miyawaki method of ground preparation and planting which ensures quick growth of healthy, dense forests.

The Dhanusha Bird Park

The Bird Park was the first Pipal Tree forest planted using the Miyawaki method to promote fast growth and tree health with timber-producing saplings donated by the Department of Forestry. (The photo above shows the transformation in just over two-and-a-half years).  It has been very successful and transformed a barren, over-grazed area of land into a lush forest (see photograph).  It is increasingly well populated by a variety of wildlife, particularly birds.

The Wildlife Corridor

The wildlife corridor from the Chure Hills to the Dhanushadham Nature Reserve is a well-used transit route for animals and birds, most of it along the Baluwa River.  At its northern extent it links to the west/east transit route for animals across the Terai.  Pipal Tree education and conservation efforts seek to enable humans and animals to co-exist safely along the whole of the route so that each can benefit from the other.  The picture shows a Blue Bull (Nilgiri), one of the most magnificent of the animals that use this route.

Kamala River flood defences/reforestation

The Kamala River regularly floods in the monsoon season.  One reason is unstable soil on the river banks.  To try and mitigate this, and provide habitats for animals and livelihoods for local people, Pipal Tree is funding forests on the river banks using the Miyawaki method to promote fast growth and healthy trees.  The photo shows one of the recently-planted forests on the riverbank.

Dhanushadham Community Learning Centre (CLC)

As part of its livelihood, education and outreach programmes, Pipal Tree funds the construction of Community Learning Centres.  These function as supplementary training centres where training and extra education can take place in addition to that carried out in schools.  The CLC shown in the picture is in Sarlahi, but similar designs are used elsewhere.

The Chure Hills

The Chure (or 'Churia') hills are part of the Siwalik Range.  Sparsely-populated, forested and rising to a height of 4000 feet, they provide a safe and secure habitat for a wide variety of animals including Asian elephants, one-horned rhinos and Bengal tigers.  They migrate east and west along the Siwaliks and south (into Dhanusha District) to feed and breed, bringing them into contact with humans.  Pipal Tree programmes, some carried out in conjunction with the World Wide Fund for Nature, seek to mitigate the risk to both parties through conservation efforts and (in the case of humans) education.

Dhanushadham Nature Reserve

 
The Dhanushadham Nature Reserve was set up in 2014.  Consisting of 360 hectares of uncultivated land, it acts as a safe haven for a variety of wildlife, and a focal point for eco-tourism and sustainable livelihoods in agroforestry for local people.

(Click on the video player below for a short guided tour of the reserve)