The FEJI ATREE Media Fellowships

Call for Applications

The Forum of Environmental Journalists in India (FEJI), in collaboration with the Ashoka
Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), is pleased to invite applications
for the second edition of the FEJI- ATREE Media Fellowships in Environmental
Conservation, 2015. FEJI will select four applicants from English and/or regional language
media, of which two will be from print media, one from TV/radio, and one from the new
media. The fellowship will help journalists of calibre to travel, explore, study and write on
select themes and their complexities in conservation today.
Holding only 2.4% of the worlds land area, Indias varied physical features and diverse
ecosystems host nearly 8% of the worlds total number of species. However, increasing
habitat fragmentation, industrial development, urbanisation, diminishing genetic diversity and
over-exploitation of resources are just some of the threats facing Indias natural resources.
Climate change is adding an additional dimension of uncertainty over Indian enviornment.
Increasing consumption patterns in urban areas have now given rise to a new set of
governance and environmental issues. Cities have engulfed adjoining small towns and
villages resulting in most urban areas facing infrastructural and governance issues, water and
sanitation being prominent. The environment has paid a hefty price in all of them.
Fellowship Themes: Applicants can choose one or a combination of the following themes
for pursuing their fellowship, broad outlines to which are detailed below:
1. Forest canopies : the last biotic frontier
2. Restoring the destroyed
3. Migratory birds and their fate in developing India
4. Water and wastewater in Indian cities
Bursary Amount: Rs. 1 lakh per Fellow, payable in three instalments based on the progress
with the fellowship. This includes Rs 20,000 payable only on reimbursement of travel
expenses on the submission of bills.
Eligibility: Professional journalists, including freelancers, in TV, Print and New Media in
English and any Indian regional language, with at least five years of demonstrated experience
in journalism on environmental issues. Regional language Fellow will need to know some
English for communication.
Duration of Fellowship: Three months, during which Fellows must complete their
submissions.

Fellowship Criteria: Fellows must co-ordinate with ATREE for field visits/research and
produce at least FIVE stories (1000 words each) on each Fellows selected theme. Close
interaction with FEJI too will be needed. Two short news items (500 words each) will
constitute one story, and if a fellow opts to produce only news stories then TEN stories will
be required for the fellowship. Word length will be calculated on a per-story basis, not as a
total count. The number of stories to be produced by TV can be discussed with FEJI after
selection of Fellows.
Application Requirements:

Curriculum Vitae

Online link or scanned copies of three published stories on environment or

environment and development. Scanned copies must have the publication title, date of
publishing and byline.

Regional language stories to be accompanied with a competent translation into

English.

A letter of support from an Editor that the Fellows work will be published.
Freelancers too will need this letter.

One-page cover letter, outlining briefly why you have chosen your themes and what
you intend to do with it.

Application deadline: 28 May 2015.. Selected applicants will be notified within 15 days.
Send applications via email to: fejifellowships@gmail.com To ensure that your
application has reached us, ensure that you get an acknowledgement within 48 hours of
sending the same, if not resend the application.

1.Forestcanopies:thelastbioticfrontier:Contact person: Dr. Soubadra Devy

Considered as the next biotic frontier, forest canopies are among the most species-rich and
highly-threatened terrestrial habitats. Unlike the sheltered understorey in the forest, the forest
canopies are a highly variable environment. They are exposed to greater daily temperature
and humidity fluctuations, experience high levels of solar radiation, strong winds and pelting
rain that could make the habitat extremely inhospitable for most organisms. Despite these
extremes, canopies contain a major portion of the diversity of the organisms and constitute
the bulk of photosynthetically active foliage and biomass in forest ecosystems. Unlocking the
secrets in the forest canopies has been a fascinating topic of research and adventure in the
past and continues to be one of the priorities of biological research today. Canopy research in
India is still in its infancy. Despite encompassing four of the 25 biodiversity hotspots of the
world, the canopies of our forests remain relatively unexplored.

2. Restoring the destroyed: Contact persons : Drs Priyadarsanan and Ravi Ramalingam
Many countries are involved in restoring ecosystems damaged due to development activities and
India is no exception. There is a growing awareness of the need to develop different restoration
strategies based on diverse priorities, goals, strategies and techniques. And, such advances in the
field of ecological restoration have prompted a few countries to implement robust public policies
for assuring its effectiveness in achieving the goals of these compensatory processes. Although, a
diversity of restoration projects ranging from species recovery, habitat restoration and multipurpose eco-restoration are undertaken by governments, non-governmental organizations and
individuals in India, there is seldom a clear consensus of what is to be restored and for whom.
India being a huge country with a variety of biogeographic regions and cultures, popularising
theses concepts and strategies is the need of the hour.

3. Migratory birds and their fate in developing India : Contact person: Dr. T Ganesh
India attracts a large number of migratory birds ranging from extremely small warblers to
large birds of prey during the winter. These birds require appropriate habitats during the
winter but given the large scale changes happening to the landscapes in the sub-continent
many of these birds are probably not finding enough habitats or the habitat is completely
transformed. This could lead to population reduction as seen in many breeding areas in North
America and also in Europe. This is an issue that needs to be highlighted in media as many
of these species are also popular with citizen science initiatives and therefore good stories can
gather enough support for their conservation.
4. Water and wastewater in Indian cities: Contact person: Dr. Veena Srinivasan
Suggested Topics:

Challenges Indian cities face in obtaining water and disposing wastewater?

Urban lakes and their role in urban water supply

Sustainability of using groundwater as a supplemental water source

Sewage treatment - centralized and decentralized and policies

Commercial and industrial water use - challenges

Pricing, metering versus rationing - implications of different approaches to urban

water supply

Water supply in small towns

Equity issues in slum water supply

Field visits: Sites on the chosen themes from ATREEs areas of work in India

http://www.feji.org.in