30 years of Environmental Endeavour

This non-governmental organization was founded in the year 1975 to strengthen UN Stockholm 1972 Conference 1972 Conference mission, with headquarters in Vadodara (Baroda), India, as the Indian Society of Naturalist (INSONA).

It was renamed in 1989 as the International Society of Naturalist, continuing the official use of its familiar acronym INSONA, which stands for promoting harmony between Humankind and Nature.

With the cherished objective of fostering the cause of environmental conservation for improving the general quality of human life as well as Nature, INSONA came into existence in a modest way in the last quarter of the 20th Century.

INSONA commenced by educating the otherwise educated to realize that the well being of all depends upon the well-being of all depends upon the well-being of earth. Hence, INSONA's conservation movement Slogan - 'Conserve Today and Save Tomorrow' - was gladly received and its theme became firmly rooted in the minds of Nature - lovers - primarily in India but, gradually, and far more widely.

INSONA's commitment to living resource conservation for sustainable existence was sensed much earlier, indeed in its formative years. That INSONA was on the right track seemed to be supported by the revelation that the resource-base of some major industries and development projects were already shrinking, development projects were already shrinking, and that INSONA endavours could be helping to carve out a crusade to save the natural habitats, ecosystem, forest and threatened species of plant and animal life_ inter alia for human well-being.

INSONA is clearly one of the key agencies involved in the environmental conservation and biodiversity protection of India and neighbouring states. More particularly, over the years the Society has been at the forefront of education and training on its subcontinent as well as of more direct efforts on behalf of wildlife and protected areas.

INSONA cooperates actively with the World conservation Union (IUCN), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the other key international non-governmental organizations, thereby helping to draw India into the global environmental movement.

Focus on Young and Decision-makers

To carry on INSONA campaign effectively, it focused on the local schoolchildren and decision-makers as its main target to attack. This has now set a worthy example for other countries and regions.

INSONA's quarterly journal - Environmental Awareness is devoted to the cause of environmental conservation especially for human welfare. Launched in the year 1977, and now in its 23rd year of sustained publication, the journal is considered to have been the first of its kind from any Asian or African country to become widely recognized and welcomed among international non-governmental organization as a result of some impact on the global environmental movement. The journal has been effective in spreading the message of hope in the field of environment protection. During this decisive-phase nearly 500 authors from all the continents have contributed their thoughts and research findings on biodiversity, climate change, international waters and ozone delpletion (focal areas of Global Environment Facility).

Other main types of contributions considered for publications include: Animal Ecology, Avian Biodiversity, Biological Productivity, Biosphere Maintenance, Costal Ecology, conservation Policy, Ecosystem Research, Ecotourism, Endangered Biota, Energy Crisis, Environmental Laws, Environmental Security, Ethnobotnical conservation, Fresh Waters, Human Behaviour towards Nature, Natural Resources conservation, Plant Ecology, Protected Areas, Pollutants and disposal, Population Impact, Resources conservation, bad Soils and Erosion.

The Panel of consulting Editors of Environmental Awareness constitutes 35 mostly internationally- know leaders in the environmental movement, and nearly half of them are United National Environment Programme (UNEP) 'Global 500' Laureates.

INSONA and its journal have made monumental contributions in spreading the urgency for achieving harmony between Humankind and Nature, with a view to fostering a better common present and future.