The more I travel, the more passionate I feel about sustainable tourism, wildlife conservation, environmental protection, digital empowerment and animal welfare.
I’ve partnered with local organizations to develop innovative ways to address the single-use plastic crisis, raise funds for a community-centric reforestation project, and build digital storytelling skills among rural communities whose voices are seldom heard.
REFORESTATION
A project to bring back our forests in Uttarakhand – fighting climate change while creating alternate livelihoods for rural Himalayan communities.
(2019 – 2021)
About the project: Collaborated with Alaap, an Uttarakhand-based, female-led non-profit, to support their reforestation efforts in some of Uttarakhand’s most economically-challenged districts. Using the revolutionary Miyawaki Method, these native mixed forests grow upto 30 times denser and 10 times faster than conventional forests and are calculated to have greater carbon sequestration potential.
- Raising INR 1,50,000 to grow two mixed native forests in Uttarakhand, each with 300+ trees across 25 species, while creating temporary employment for 15-17 locals.
- Channeling funds towards Alaap’s reforestation efforts through the sale of sustainable travel-inspired clothing.
I LOVE SPITI
An initiative to create awareness and alternatives for plastic bottled water in the Spiti Valley of India, with an aim to reduce non-biodegradable plastic waste.
(2017 – 2019)
About the project: Partnered with Spiti Ecosphere to address the growing plastic bottled water menace in India’s Trans-Himalayan region through art-based communication, workshops with women’s self-help groups, dialogue with local hospitality establishments and corporate partnerships.
- Built a lifesize “I Love Spiti” art installation using discarded plastic bottles to encourage travellers to pledge to say no to plastic bottles.
- Held the world’s highest Instagram Meet to highlight the issue and discuss solutions.
- Began the conversation with local businesses to provide alternatives to bottled water.
- Partnered with LifeStraw to experiment with public refill stations across Spiti.
- Project featured on Hindustan Times, The Better India and Scoopwhoop.
VOICES OF MUNSIARI
A project to empower rural Himalayan storytellers to tell their stories digitally using Instagram – resulting in India’s first Instagram channel run entirely by a village community.
(2016 – 2018)
About the project: Collaborated with Himalayan Ark and Maati Sangathan to create @voicesofmunsiari – India’s first Instagram channel to be run independently by a rural village community.
- Trained potential photographers from rural Uttarakhand villages to use Instagram constructively.
- Held a Photography and Instagram Workshop in Munsiyari to train budding photographers.
- Crowd-sourced smartphones through my blog to make the project more inclusive.
- Project featured on Times of India, Conde Nast Traveller, Homegrown, The Better India and Business Insider.
ANIMAL ETHICS AND TRAVEL
A creative effort to raise issues around animal welfare, and share the joys and challenges of travelling as a vegan.
(2013 – present)
About the project: Since I decided to embrace veganism in my diet and lifestyle, I feel passionate about spreading awareness about the plight of animals that regularly make it to our dinner tables, wardrobes and travel attractions.
- Wrote stories about vegan travel for:
- National Geographic Traveller India (Magazine): Chronicles of a Vegan Traveller
- National Geographic Traveller India (Digital): How a Chicken Bus in Nicaragua Changed the Way I Travel
- Travel+Leisure India: A Vegan Trip Through Meat-Loving Countries
- FirstPost: Vegan Movement Makes Strides in India
- GQ: 10 greatest vegan meals in the world you should try, even if you’re not vegan
- Partnered with Welfare for Animals in Goa and leveraged my social media channels to raise INR 1,00,000 for their animal rescue sanctuary.
- Spoke at the Ahimsa Fest (Mumbai’s annual vegan festival), the Vegan India Conference and other events to raise awareness.
- Initiated “VeganSundayChallenge” on Instagram Stories to talk about veganism in the context of travel, life, the environment and our health.
SOLO TRAVELLER (ASIA) SERIES
A blogging series to share the journeys of intrepid solo travellers from across Asia – typically from countries under-represented in the digital space.
(2018 – present)
PARTNER WITH ME
If you’d like to collaborate with me to further one of the above causes, especially in a way that I can leverage my blogging and social media work, I would love to hear from you at [email protected].