Study Abroad Programs in Pune, India

Working with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation has been a life-changing experience - if you are an adventurous soul dedicated to forest conservation you should definitely connect to AERF. It was a great opportunity for me to practice my skills in ecological methods and to expand my knowledge in community-led conservation. During four months I had an excellent balance in activities: I got the opportunity to participate in a conservation science training, with a team of researchers I traveled through the state Maharashtra to study different cultural and natural sites, and I conducted a socio-economic pilot study on sacred grove corridors. I am forever grateful for the guidance and help from the field team, local experts and the office. Their dedication to conservation and their knowledge is profound and I have learned a lot about the spiritual and cultural values underlying conservation practices in the Western Ghats. This experience has taught me how to be creative and resilient as a researcher, how to overcome challenges in an unfamiliar setting, and how to adapt to uncertain environmental conditions like heavy monsoon weather and extreme drought events; the challenges never felt impossible to overcome due to the passionate researchers I collaborated with.