Environment Conservation Group

Environment Conservation Group (ECG) is a non-governmental organization based in Coimbatore, India. It was founded in 2009. ECG works on wildlife protection, habitat conservation, and environmental awareness.^[1][2] It is headed by Mohammed Saleem. Stephen Joseph is the co-founder and vice president.^[3]

Environment Conservation Group

Company type	Non-governmental organization
Founded	2009 (2009)
Headquarters	Coimbatore
Area served	Pan-India
Website	ecgwild.org

The group is involved in monitoring the wetlands of Coimbatore to prevent debris dumping and encroachments.^[4][5][6][7] ECG is also involved in wildlife conservation, rescuing birds from the wildlife trade,^{[8][9][10][11][12][13]} stopping the felling of trees^[14][15] and conducting awareness programs.^{[16][17][18][19][20]}

Outreach

ECG conducts workshops, and campaigns in schools, colleges, and communities. Their stated motive is to empower citizens to embrace sustainable lifestyles and become active stewards of the environment. They also hold discussions, training programs, and participatory initiatives.^{[citation needed]}

During natural disasters, ECG provides emergency relief, rescuing of animals, and support for affected communities.^{[citation needed]}

ECG runs guided treks and nature walks that focus on local biodiversity, the value of the ecosystem, and the importance of protecting the environment.^{[citation needed]}

Click Your Pic

ECG’s Click Your Pic is a contest focusing on the photography of nature, meant to inspire people to enjoy nature.^[21]

2011

Click Your Pic 2011 is a national-level photography exhibition made to spread awareness about the rich natural heritage of India. The event was organized jointly with Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History and the Central Academy for State Forest Service from 3 - 9 January 2011 at CASFOS campus. Some of the eminent speakers during the event were Dr. Azeez- Director of SACON, Mr. Marudachalam of Photo centre, Mr. T.N.A. Perumal, and Mr. K. Jayaram.

2012

This second annual exhibition was held on 27–30 December 2012, at Hindustan College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. It has received a good response from wildlife photographers across the country.^[22][23] Photography workshops were conducted by Mr. Perumal and Mr. Balan Madhavan. Mr. Bittu Sahgal was one of the chief guests. The Judge of the event was T.N.A. Perumal and Balan Madhavan. The event was sponsored by Savithri Photo House and GLO Colour Lab.

2014

Click your Pic 2014 was held at Brookefields Mall from 14–19 November 2014. The photo exhibition drew visitors from across the region. Also on display were photographs by India's eminent wildlife photographers, including TNA Perumal, Rathika Ramasamy, Kalyan Varma, Balan Madhavan and Sudhir Shivaram. The Judge of the event was Mr. T.N.A. Perumal.^[24] The event was sponsored by Panasonic.

SEEK

SEEK (Save Endangered Endemic and Key species) expeditions are meant to document endangered species, roadkill, and fragile habitats.

PATH / SEEK2016

In February 2016, a group of five wildlife conservationists from ECG, led by its president Mohammed Saleem, travelled about 20,000 kilometres across 22 states of India to study roadkill and spread awareness on the impact of roads on wildlife. The team travelled through major wildlife sanctuaries and visited institutions such as IIT Guwahati, University of Jammu, American College, Madurai and University of Calicut to spread awareness among students.^{[25][26][27][28]} The expedition was sponsored by Hewlett Packard and Sanctuary Asia.

SEEK2017

A second international expedition named "Save Endangered, Endemic and Key Species" (SEEK) was headed by Mohammed Saleem. The team members Sisir, Srini, Abishek, and Aniruddha travelled for sixty days across India and the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal to visit various wildlife sanctuaries and spread awareness.^{[29][30][31][32][33]} The expedition was sponsored by WWF-India, Mahindra Scorpio, Wulf Pro, MapmyIndia, and CRI Pumps.

SEEK2019

The third expedition, SEEK2019, was organized to document the threatened birds of India, as well as to raise awareness about the importance of birds. The four members of the SEEK2019 team consisted of Dr. P.A. Azeez, Dr. Ravi Rishi, Mr. Makathan, and Mohammed Saleem. The team travelled across India for 79 days in search of elusive and rare birds. The team were successful in spotting the whinchat for the first time in India.^[34][35][36] During the expedition, the team visited various educational institutions and NGOs. The expedition was sponsored by Carl Zeiss, Coimbatore City Round Table 31, NM & Co., Wulf Pro, MapmyIndia, Pricol, Sulochana Mills, and Twin Birds.

Save Coimbatore Racecourse campaign

The Save Coimbatore Racecourse campaign was launched to protect the city's natural areas from unsustainable development. The movement was led by residents of the area, students, and policy makers, with ECG leading the campaign. They were able to stop the cutting of trees on the Coimbatore Racecourse.^{[37][38][39][40][41]}