2025 Whitley Award awarded to WiNN Nepal’s Reshu Bashal

While Nepal is lauded for conservation of megafauna like tigers and rhinos, plant conservation has received far less attention. A community forestry scheme was introduced by the Nepalese government in the 1990s to tackle the rapid degradation of forests due largely to livestock grazing and wood harvesting leading to a near doubling of forest cover. However, whilst successfully boosting forest cover, biodiversity conservation has often lagged behind and many native plants – including orchids and yews that are traditionally harvested for their medicinal, ornamental and nutritional values – are now increasingly threatened by over harvesting and habitat destruction.

Working within the Makawanpur district of Nepal, Reshu and NGO Greenhood Nepal will use the Whitley Award to reduce plant poaching by establishing local task forces and training them to identify species and signs of poaching. They will also work with Nepal’s local community forest user groups to restore over 1000 hectares of wild yews and medicinal orchid habitat by clearing invasive species, rehabilitating fallen orchids, and planting 5,000 yews to make local habitats more resilient. They will also use the award to draft an orchid conservation action plan for Nepal and revise the existing survival blueprint for Maire’s yew and formalize a sustainable harvest and trade that will ensure that the harvesting of wild plants can continue to support local livelihoods while better protecting these sensitive and vitally important species.