Symposium Program

This program has been updated to reflect the actual 2014 symposium events. A PDF of the program is available in the symposium booklet. 

Keynote talks are also available for download:
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16

4:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Arrival and registration
Welcome table with symposium materials in the Tuli Tiger Resort lobby

7:15 PM – 7:30 PM: Welcome
Ruth DeFries (Columbia University), Chair of the Organizing Committee

7:30 PM – 9:30 PM: Welcome reception and dinner

 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Breakfast

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Introductory remarks
Ruth DeFries (Columbia University), Chair of the Organizing Committee

9:30 AM – 10:30 PM: Keynote address (download here)
Kanha-Pench Corridor and the larger issues beyond
HS Panwar, Member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Retired Founding Director of the Wildlife Institute of India

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Session 1: Wildlife in the Landscape – Connectivity and Conservation
Session Chair: John Seidensticker (National Zoological Park)
  • Jyotirmay Jena (WWF-India): Tiger occupancy in the Kanha-Pench Corridor
  • Prachi Thatte (National Centre for Biological Studies): Theoretical perspective on genetic differential in mammals in the fragmented Central Indian landscape
  • Trishna Dutta (Clemson University): Genetic diversity and population structure in tigers, leopards and sloth bears in the Satpura-Maikal Landscape
  • Sandeep Sharma (Clemson University): Are forest corridors functional in the Satpura-Maikal Landscape?
  • Facilitated panel discussion with speakers

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM: Lunch

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Session 2: Wildlife in the landscape – Species status and monitoring
Session Chairs: R Shukla (Kanha Tiger Reserve)
  • Ujjwal Kumar (Wildlife Institute of India) – Role of Kanha-Pench in sustaining landscape dynamics
  • Neha Awasthi (Wildlife Institute of India) – Abundance and spatial distribution of ungulate community in Kanha Tiger Reserve
  • Belinda Wright (Wildlife Protection Society of India) - Poaching in the Kanha-Pench landscape
  • Jennie Miller (Yale University) – Attack risk modeling as a tool for predicting and preventing tiger and leopard livestock depredation in Kanha Tiger Reserve
  • Facilitated panel discussion with speakers

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Coffee break

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Session 3: People and livelihoods in the landscape
Session Chairs: JS Chauhan (Kanha Tiger Reserve) and HS Pabla (Former PCCF, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department)
  • Archana Sharma (Aranya) – The nomadic hunting tribes of Madhya Pradesh: Possibilities to wean from poaching by addressing challenges in rehabilitation
  • Forrest Fleischman (Texas A&M University) – Understanding forester decision-making for improving landscape management in the Kanha-Pench region
  • Pinki Mondal (Columbia University) – Winter crop sensitivity to inter-annual climate variability in central India
  • Meghna Agarwala (Columbia University) – Forest degradation: Drivers, quantification and management
  • Aditya Dhanwatay (TigerTrails Jungle Lodge - Tadoba) - Concept of ecotourism
  • Facilitated panel discussion with speakers

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Keynote address (download here)
Conservation in the Kanha-Pench landscape
JS Chauhan, Field Director of Kanha Tiger Reserve   

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Panel on public-private partnerships across sectors
Moderator: Kartikeya Singh Chauhan
Panel: Suhas Kumar (Madhya Pradesh Forest Department), HS Pabla (Former PCCF, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department) and Dilip Khatau (The Corbett Foundation)

7:30 PM – 9:30 PM: Reception and dinner

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Breakfast

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Keynote address (access here)
Building a collective engagement conservation platform in the Central Indian Highlands: Are we to be visionaries or undertakers?
John Seidensticker, Head, Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Session 4: Coexistence between wildlife and people in the landscape
Session Chairs: Suhas Kumar (Madhya Pradesh Forest Department)
  • Madhu Verma (Indian Institute of Forest Management) – Economic valuation of tiger reserves in India
  • HS Pabla (Former PCCF, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department) – Wildlife corridors in India: An impossible dream
  • Pragateesh Athiappan (EIA Resource and Response Center, Nilgiris) – Impacts of National Highway-7 on habitat use and movement of wild animals in Kanha-Pench corridor, Madhya Pradesh
  • G Krishnamurty (Madhya Pradesh Forest Department) - Myths and realities of ecological effects of roads on sensitive habitats
  • HS Mohanta (Madhya Pradesh Forest Department) – Minimizing animal deaths in the Kanha-Pench Corridor
  • Facilitated panel discussion with speakers

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Group photo and lunch

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Session 5: Coalitions towards conservation in the landscape
Session Chairs: Madhu Verma (Indian Institute of Forest Management)
  • Ishan Agarwal (Foundation for Ecological Security) – Reconciling biodiversity and livelihood demands in the KPC
  • Kartikeya Singh Chauhan – Reversal of local extinction of gaur in Bandhavgarh: A leading example of public private partnership to achieve conservation victories
  • Aniruddha Dhamorikar (Corbett Foundation – Kanha) - Initiatives to secure wildlife in Kanha-Pench landscape through research and community based interventions
  • Chittaranjan Dave (WWF-India) - To be announced
  • Keshav Varma (Former Director, Global Tiger Initiative) – Global Tiger Initiative
  • Facilitated panel discussion with speakers

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM: Coffee break

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM: Open brainstorming session
Discussion with all participants about symposium outcomes and future directions 

5:00 PM - 5:15 PM: Closing remarks
Ruth DeFries (Columbia University), Chair of the Organizing Committee

7:30 PM – 9:30 PM: Reception and dinner

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Morning: Optional safari in Kanha Tiger Reserve

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Breakfast and departures