Upstream Ecology Foundation

Up here in the Nilgiris, things move a bit slower than down in the plains. Our office is located at 170 C/1 on Commisoners Road. It’s often quite chilly in the mornings, so we usually have a heater going or we’re all wearing heavy sweaters while we work. The air is fresh though, and you can see a lot of greenery right from the doorstep. We deal with ecology stuff, which mostly means we spend time looking at maps or talking about the local environment. It’s a small space, mostly filled with books about plants and dusty files from years ago. The road outside is fairly quiet, mostly just local residents and the occasional tourist driving by. We don't have a big staff, just a few of us who care about the hills. Sometimes we spend the whole day out in the field and the office stays locked, but usually, someone is here to answer the phone. The wooden floor is a bit worn out from all the boots walking over it. We don't really do big meetings or fancy presentations. Most of our planning happens over a hot cup of tea in the kitchen area. It’s a practical way of working. We’ve been in this building for a bit, and it suits us fine. It isn't perfect, but it’s where we do our thinking and organizing for the projects we have going on around the district.