COMMUNITY-LED CONSERVATION IN NEPAL
Protecting Wildlife. Restoring Nature. Strengthening Communities.
MWT works with communities across Nepal to protect wildlife, restore habitats and create a safer future for people and nature.
Wildlife protection begins with understanding, care and community action.
WHY MWT EXIST?
Much of Nepal’s wildlife lives outside official protected areas, including forests managed by local communities. MWT works with community forest groups, young people and local leaders to protect habitats and help people and wildlife live safely together.
Wildlife beyond boundaries
Many species depend on community-managed forests and unprotected habitats.
Local people at the centre
Communities understand their land best. We support them with knowledge, training and practical conservation work.
Working together since 2013
MWT works with community groups, youth clubs and local leaders to protect nature and support peopl
Founder's Statement
Nepal’s protected areas do important work, but many wildlife habitats lie beyond their boundaries. A significant number of wild animals live in community-managed forests, where local offices often have limited resources.
At Mithila Wildlife Trust, we believe local people must be at the centre of conservation. Since returning to Nepal in 2013, I have worked with community organisations, youth clubs and local leaders to protect wildlife, restore forests, support resource-dependent families and provide disaster relief.
Our work has shown what communities can achieve together, but much remains to be done. I invite you to join us in helping people and wildlife live together safely.
Join Us in Restoring Nature!
At Mithila Wildlife Trust, we work side-by-side with Division Forest Office, local communities and Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) to restore public land and unused riverbeds across Nepal’s Madhesh Province. By doing so, we are creating vital, safe movement corridors for wildlife traveling between the Siwalik Chure range and the Terai plains.
Our habitat restoration strategy blends tradition with innovation: we use proven local planting methods to rehabilitate fragile riverbeds, while pioneering the high-density Miyawaki Method in Nepal to transform degraded public land into thriving, biodiverse forests.
But healthy forests require thriving communities. We believe long-term conservation is only possible when people benefit alongside nature. That is why our work directly supports local livelihoods and provides education to children from highly marginalized families—building a truly sustainable, community-led model for conservation.
Partner with us to restore ecosystems and uplift communities.
What Volunteers Do (Impact & Activities)
Habitat Restoration & Reforestation: Participate in hands-on tree planting initiatives using traditional methods for riverbeds and pioneering Miyawaki native forest techniques to convert unused public lands into dense biodiverse forests.
Wildlife Corridor Development: Help restore seasonal riverbeds and degraded lands to maintain vital migration pathways for wildlife traveling between the Siwalik Chure range and the Terai plains in Madhesh Province.
Community Engagement & Education: Support educational programs for children from marginalized communities, helping foster environmental stewardship and human-wildlife coexistence from an early age.
Rescue & Conservation Support: Assist team members in localized conservation awareness, biodiversity surveys, and community-driven wildlife protection efforts outside protected areas.
Livelihood & Empowerment Projects: Work alongside Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) on eco-friendly alternative livelihood programs that reduce pressure on natural forests.
Why Volunteer With Us? (Benefits & Call to Action)
Real Field Experience: Gain direct, grassroots experience in community-led conservation, habitat restoration, and native tree plantation techniques in rural Nepal.
Cultural Immersion: Experience the rich heritage and warm hospitality of Madhesh Province while living and working alongside local communities and youth clubs.
Tangible Impact: Leave a lasting legacy by planting native forests that shelter threatened wildlife and protect soil and water systems for generations.
Pioneer Eco-Innovation: Get hands-on training with high-density Miyawaki mini-forest creation—one of the world’s most effective rapid reforestation methodologies.
Our Mission
Mithila Wildlife Trust protects local wildlife and restores degraded ecosystems through community-led solutions. Driven by education, habitat restoration, wildlife rescue, and local empowerment, we foster sustainable coexistence between people and nature
Wildlife
Forests
Education
Conservation
Empowerment
Community
Animals Rescued
Reptile, Amphibian, Avian, Ungulate, and Mammal throughout Province No.-2.
Project Implemented
Wildlife conservation, Habitat Restoration and Humanitarian job.
Conservation Education Program
Organized awareness-raising activities in the working area.
Hectors Habitat Restored
In collaboration with local community and Department of Forest.
Part of the Achievements
– Dhanushadham Forest Conservation Area announced as Open Grazing and Illicit Felling Free Zone at Zeero budget.
– 2 Community Forests in Makawanpur district announced as World’s First Community Managed Pangolin Conservation Area. Replication of the same modality is going on in another 2 community forests of Dhanusha district.
– 360+ Alternative Livelihoods created for financially marginalized communities of 4 CFUGs.
– Bhatighari CFUG, Dhanusha ranked First position as best managed community forest in the nation, awarded by Ganeshman Singh Consrevation Award in the Year-2021.
– Restoration of 51 hectare river bank in Shiwalik Chure range with 93%+ survival rate through traditional plantation method.
– Created 3 numbers of dense forest patches using Miyawaki Plantation method in Mithila Bihari Municipality, Dhanusha, Madhesh Province.
You can Support us in many ways!
Nepal’s Madhesh Province faces intense human-wildlife conflict, making community-based conservation both urgent and essential. As the most densely populated province in the country with the smallest share of natural resources, every drop counts!
Reach out to explore how you can get involved—we are always eager to collaborate with partners, volunteers, and supporters who share our vision.