Meet the Team

Our team brings together lifelong conservation enthusiasts and newly inspired change-makers, all driven by a shared mission: to restore and protect endangered savanna grasslands and the communities that rely on them.

Leadership

Mihir Godbole

Founder & President An exceptional storyteller with a deep passion for grassland ecosystems, Mihir founded the trust to address the urgent need for their conservation. He leads the trust, spearheading its projects and managing partnerships and stakeholder relationships. His working philosophy centers on crafting compelling narratives that drive meaningful conservation action.

Viraaj Apte

Founder & Head - Finance and Legal Affairs With over a decade of field experience which drives his passion towards wildlife conservation, Viraaj leads the financial operations for the trust, managing accounts, compliance, and legal obligations with meticulous attention to detail. His working philosophy is grounded in integrity, ensuring financial transparency to support the trust's mission.

Vishwatej Pawar

Founder & Head - Human Resources and Creative Media Vishwatej oversees Human Resources, and a part of trust operations while creatively directing videos. He leverages his keen attention to detail for camera work for which he draws on over a decade of field experience in wildlife content creation. He also uses this quality to strike the right chords for full-filling the trusts human resource requirements.

Team

Vijayraj Jare

Field Manager

Akshata Joshi

Research Associate

Prasad Memane

Field assistant

Nishnat Deshpande

Project Manager

Priti Nikam

Jr. Data Manager & Analyst

Nitin Pansare

Field assistant

Rishabh Bagawade

Lead – Data, Research & Conservation Analytics

Shashank Munjamkar

Field Coordinator

Diksha Dhamdhere

Research Associate

Shubham More

Research Associate

Extended Team

Milind Raut

Founding Member

Siddhesh Bramhankar

Founding Member

Samyak Kaninde

Outreach Support

Makarand Datar

Restoration Support

Rohit Joshi

Data Automation Support

Pratik Joshi

Scientific & Outreach Support

Shaunak Chitgopkar

Field Support & Donor

Siddharth Damle

Photography Expert

Shreyas Dudhane

Field Support

Advait Phadke

Field Support

Ameya Chandrachud

Field Support

Rohit Kolhatkar

Field Support

Wildlife Watchers

Our mission is driven on the ground by an expanding network of Wildlife Watchers across 10 districts of Maharashtra. 45+ Wildlife Watchers have been onboarded as of 2026. Coming from various rural backgrounds, these frontline protectors undergo hands-on, on-the-go training with TGT to master ethical, accurate wildlife documentation. Equipped with used wildlife photography gear generously donated by the photographer community, they capture high-quality evidence and submit vetted data via the TGT Wildlife Watcher App. From tracking Indian wolf packs and resolving human-wildlife conflicts (like wolves damaging farmers' irrigation pipes) to clearing blocked underground burrows so wildlife can safely breed, they serve as a vital bridge between local communities and the Forest Department. Exceptional watchers receive advanced training as research assistants and drone pilots, graduating into professional and semi-professional roles as TGT Field Assistants.

This critical work is made possible entirely through donor support, and its future relies on continued donations to sustain our field team and equipment.