Ashmita Shrestha
- Project name: Protecting critically endangered Elongated Tortoise through community participation in Trijuga Forest
- Project site: Trijuga Forest, Eastern Nepal
- EDGE species: Elongated Tortoise, Indotestudo elongata
- Active: 2022 - ongoing
Biography
Ashmita is currently a research associate within Greenhood Nepal, before which she obtained an MSc in Environmental Science from Tribhuvan University.
Ashmita hopes that the Fellowship will help her gain the confidence she needs to be able to make her dream career a reality. She also hopes that she can make good, long-term, connections with both her peers and mentors to further build her knowledge base.
EDGE Project
Ashmita’s project aims to ensure the long term survival of the elongated tortoise in Eastern Nepal.
Her objectives are to:
- Document the distribution of elongated tortoise in Trijuga forest.
- Understand local threats to the species.
- Develop site specific I. elongata conservation awareness tools and engage communities in its conservation.
- Sensitize local authorities to control poaching and trade of elongated tortoise.
