Hans Dalal is a sound engineer by profession and a wildlife and nature enthusiast at heart. He taught me more about tiger conservation in 15 minutes than I have probably learned in my whole lifetime. I’m sold.
Action | Time | Cost | Impact |
Email a conservationist | 2min | Rs.0 | Encouragement |
Comment on a blog | 2min | Rs.0 | Awareness |
Buy merchandise | 5min | Rs.100 + | Fund raising |
Read his list of over 20 things you can do (some just sitting at your desk, right now) to make a significant difference, and do at least one, pretty please?
Action | Time | Cost | Impact |
Sponsor a tribal kid | 10min | Rs.22,000* | Rehabilitation |
Go see a tiger | 3 days | Rs.23,000* | Eco tourism |
Watch a film on conservation | 12–20min | Rs.0 | Awareness |
Teach kids in your locality – schools/colleges | 30mins | *** | Motivate the next generation |
Teach music, art, crafts to kids in the forest | 3 days + | *** | Motivation + Education |
Download a song | 30secs | Rs.50 | Funds projects |
Watch a music video | 4mins | Rs.0 | Awareness |
Action | Time | Cost | Impact |
Work on a music track | *** | *** | Encouragement + Awareness |
Sponsor distribution of solar lights | 5mins | *** | Habitat Preservation |
Sponsor blankets, binoculars, cycles, shoes for forest guards | 20mins | Postage | Helps protect forests |
Avoid unnecessary use of forest-derived products, such as paper and timber. | 0mins | Rs.0 | Habitat Preservation |
SMS a friend | 2mins | Rs.0.50 | Spread the message |
Don’t buy tiger products like teeth, skin, claws, bones | 0mins | Rs.0 | Reduces poaching |
Be a responsible tourist | 0mins | Rs.0 | Habitat Preservation + Healthy environment for tigers to flourish |
Action | Time | Cost | Impact |
Write a letter to the authorities; Prime Ministers office/Environmental minister | 10mins | Postage | Increases pressure on decision making authorities |
Support a cause | 10mins | Rs.0 | Encouragement to NGOs and people on the ground |
Demand harsher punishment for poaching by emailing the chief justice | 5mins | 0 | Scare poachers into cutting down their activities |
Buy a piece of land adjoining a forest and not develop it | *** | *** | Habitat Preservation Expands forest + controls encroachment |
Write an article in a local newspaper, magazine or on a blog | 30-60mins | Rs.0 | Creates awareness about what’s going on |
***For more information on any of the items in this list please leave a comment below.
More about Hans Dalal…
In December 2008 his passion for wildlife, tigers in particular, drove him to shut down his studio and take up wildlife conservation full time. A conservation course from NGO Tiger Watch, Ranthambore and volunteering with a number of other NGOs helped to build his knowledge of the jungles and animals.
In March 2010 with the support of Tiger Watch and a few friends, Hans along with musician Sidd Coutto, recorded music by the Moghiya poaching tribe with the intent of getting them an alternate source of income as part of their rehabilitation program. A documentary was made on the recording process, while illustrating briefly the lives of the tribes.
Through this concept Hans put together his knowledge of sound and love for wildlife and educated himself on some of the problems that still threaten our tigers.
His vision for the future is to continue to work with people who either affect or are affected by our forests and wildlife and make efforts towards getting them an alternate source of income by harnessing their talent in the field of music and handicrafts.
email: hansdalal@gmail.com