Earth Heroes ~ Bittu Sahgal

Bittu Sahgal with Julia Worcester, Maa Farm, March 2008.

"Bittu Sahgal’s innate affinity for nature, borne of frequent treks and camping trips to the Indian wilderness, has propelled his career in both publishing and on-the-ground activism for nature conservation. He publishes Cub Magazine, and The Ecologist Asia, plus an environmental features syndication service. He is founder and editor of Sanctuary Magazine and has produced over thirty conservation-oriented documentary films seen by millions of Indians over the national television Network, Doordarshan, in the 1980s. Bittu’s eloquent outspokenness against destructive development projects, the use of toxic chemicals, government usurpation of natural resources belonging to communities at large, and much more, has put him in high profile struggles too numerous to record. His ability to influence government policy through his enlightened activism is well known. Bittu has held several honorary positions on government and non-government committees including the Indian Board for Wildlife, Project Tiger, Environment Expert Committee, Animal Welfare Board, and the Maharashtra Advisory Board. In 2004, Bittu received the Society for Conservation Biology, Distinguished Service Award (Education and Journalism). He also founded the highly successful Kids for Tigers, an all-India initiative in which kids lobby to save the Bengal tiger." ~ The Wild Foundation

The above brief bio of Bittu does not succeed in capturing his genius for leadership in environmental politics in his beloved India, the thousands of adults and children whom he has motivated, cajoled, supported, prodded, helped, bullied, and inspired into action on behalf of India's environment, nor his deep spiritual passion for planet Earth. The tiger has no more stalwart friend.

photo: J. Scarlott