Himalayan Frontiersenvironment Andtourism Development Foundation

We are based up in Old Manali, which most people know is a pretty busy spot during the tourist season. Our office is right here in the VPO, and we’ve been part of this community for quite some time. Living and working in a place like Manali means you see the environment changing right before your eyes. That’s why we got started with this foundation. It isn’t about making a lot of money or getting famous. We just wanted to do something about the way tourism and nature interact around here. It’s a lot of work, and often we feel like we are just scratching the surface. The roads get blocked in winter and the crowds get thick in summer, but we stay through it all. We don’t have any fancy brochures or a PR team. It is just us, talking to locals and trying to figure out better ways to handle things. Sometimes we sit around the tea stall and just listen to what the elders have to say about the old days. It helps us keep our perspective. We don't claim to have all the answers. We are just a group of people who live here and want to see things go well for the mountains. It's a simple thing we're trying to do, but it takes up all our time. We wouldn't want to be anywhere else though, despite the cold.