Partner Stories

The Mhadei region, part of the Western Ghats, is home to an extraordinary diversity of life. On 3rd and 4th September 2026, Brinda Upadhyaya and the Upadhyaya Foundation team, along with Mitesh and Dipal Damania from Nature Future, joined Nirmal Kulkarni, Director of the Mhadei Research Centre, for a nature walk through the region. We discovered a world of fascinating creatures, many hiding in plain sight. The biggest lesson for us was that coexistence begins with learning to

Listen to the conversation here: https://youtu.be/7lKacVdKVKE What does it take to understand a forest? For an ecologist, conservationist, photographer, and artist, Nirmal Ullas Kulkarni, it begins with walking, observing, and, most importantly, listening. During the Upadhyaya Foundation team’s visit to the Mhadei region on the 3rd and 4th of September 2026, we sat down with Nirmal, Director of the Mhadei Research Center, to talk about his journey with nature, species discov

When extreme weather reshapes the landscape, burrows fill with water. Nesting sites disappear. Eggs are washed away. Forest floors become inaccessible. Animals are forced towards unfamiliar spaces in search of higher ground. As heavy monsoon rains and flooding affect Mumbai and surrounding areas, these disruptions become more frequent. Our partners at SARRP and Green Works Trust (GWT) work on the ground, responding to rescue calls while navigating challenging conditions. We

"I'm trying to build what I envisioned as a young girl, just caring for animals and doing whatever I can in this lifetime." - Dr. Rina Dev Animal welfare is often measured through rescues, rehabilitation, and conservation successes. But behind every rescued animal are people who dedicate their lives to this work, often quietly, and always with immense compassion. As part of the Upadhyaya Foundation team's visit to Riwild Sanctuary in Karjat on 23rd July 2026, we sat down with

Every July, as Disability Pride Month draws to a close, we're reminded that inclusion isn't a single line item in a grant agreement - it's a practice that has to show up in how we engage with an ecosystem and promote collaboration. At Upadhyaya Foundation (UF), we work across two areas that don't always get invited into the same room: arts and culture, and disability inclusion. Project Khushi emerged from an attempt to bring them together. AI generated picture The idea didn't

Every year, Global Accessibility Awareness Day asks us an important question: Who gets left out when we design the world without accessibility in mind? At first glance, accessibility is often misunderstood as something meant only for a “specific group” of people. A separate feature. An additional effort. A box to tick. But accessibility is much bigger than that. It is not about creating special systems for a few people. It is about creating better systems for everyone. In man