Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Chhattisgarh's YUVAN programme brings youth closer to nature
A place called Chhattisgarh in India has a special program for young people.
It is called YUVAN, which mixes the words for 'youth' and 'forests.'
The program wants to help young people love nature instead of spending all their time on screens.
Young people go into forests, watch birds, learn about butterflies, and even learn how to rescue snakes.
One young man named Tikeshwar saved a bird called a red-wattled lapwing.
Another young man named Kumbhaj used to think snakes were harmful, but now he rescues them.
The program teaches by doing fun activities instead of giving long lectures.
School children can join too, becoming 'Junior YUVANs' who plant trees and explore nature.
So far, 500 young volunteers have joined the program.
The goal is for every village to have young helpers who can protect forests and wildlife.
Chhattisgarh's forest department launched YUVAN, a Youth Volunteer Programme to bridge the gap between young people and nature.
YUVAN uses experiential learning—forest visits, bird and butterfly observation, and snake rescue—instead of long lectures.
The initiative has created a chain of 500 volunteers and sensitised several hundred school students as 'Junior YUVANs.'
Volunteers like Tikeshwar Nishad, Kumbhaj Sahu and Narendra Verma now rescue birds and snakes and spread awareness against harming wildlife.
The goal is for every village to have one or two youth acting as primary responders during human-wildlife conflict, forest fires and environmental emergencies.
- Who
- Youth volunteers in Chhattisgarh, including Tikeshwar Nishad, Kumbhaj Sahu and Narendra Verma, along with the state's forest department under former DFO Ganveer Dhammshil
- What
- YUVAN, a Youth Volunteer Programme that uses hands-on, practical activities to connect young people with forests, wildlife and conservation
- When
- Ideated at Raipur's Nandanvan jungle safari in 2024 and expanded to Baloda Bazar district last year
- Where
- Chhattisgarh, India—including Raipur, Baloda Bazar, Sonbarsa Reserve Forest and Barnawapara wildlife sanctuary
- Why
- To bridge the growing gap between youngsters and nature, which Dhammshil calls one of the biggest challenges for conservation today
- Programme
- YUVAN (Yuva + Van) Youth Volunteer Programme
- Organiser
- Chhattisgarh Forest Department
- Launched
- 2024, at Nandanvan Jungle Safari, Raipur
- Expansion
- Baloda Bazar district (last year)
- Volunteers
- 500 youth volunteers plus several hundred school students ('Junior YUVANs')
- Learning approach
- Experiential learning—forest walks, bird monitoring, snake rescue, plantation drives, seed ball campaigns, wetland restoration
- Objective
- One or two youth per village as primary responders for human-wildlife conflict, forest-fire prevention and environmental emergencies