Friends of GHNP

In 2000, Sanjeeva Pandey and I founded, Friends of GHNP (FoGHNP) as an informal group of GHNP supporters who have worked together on rural community development and Park conservation. Park awareness and educational outreach projects included posters, booklets, video documentaries, job training, local product development, Park education and conservation. FoGHNP developed the distinct graphic identity, color scheme, type and logo for the Park working with the well-known Indian designer, CJ Singh (Corepr.com). The Park’s brand has been in use since 2000 and is recognized throughout India. FoGHNP also developed the Park’s website in 2002 and revised it in 2012 for the World Heritage Site Application.

FoGHNP also focused on environmental protection, not only in the Park (756 sqkm), but also the surrounding EcoZone (254 sqkm) where currently between 16-17,000 villagers live. FoGHNP supported community efforts in preventing small hydels (hydro-electric dams) from being built in the EcoZone by providing technical assessment of their negative environmental impacts.GHNP became a UNESCO World Heritage Site/WHS in 2014, after six years of work, by a small group of FoGHNP volunteers (from India, USA, Canada, and UK). Their efforts were primarily responsible for the Park’s successful WHS inscription, further ensuring its conservation/protection for the future.