OMCAR Foundation is a registered, non-governmental, non-profit organization with tax exemption of 80G and 12AA. We engaged in a multitude of activities for the conservation of coastal and adjacent ecosystems of northern Palk Bay,India. Insitu conservation and Environmental Awareness are among the chief areas of concern for OMCAR Foundation. The marine and coastal ecology research programme strives to promote and enhance the conservation of mangrove and seagrass ecosystems in the region by a participatory approach involving local community. Through our Environment Education Programmes in coastal schools, we aim to strengthen individual and team responsibility among school students in nature conservation.
Founder of OMCAR Foundation
Dr. V. Balaji, founder and Managing Trustee of OMCAR Foundation was born in 13th January 1980 in Pattukkottai, Tamil Nadu. He has completed his B.Sc., in Zoology (2000), M.Sc., in Marine Biology (2002), M.Phil., in mangrove ecology (2004) and Ph.D in Seagrass Ecology (2009). His interest in marine conservation was started since his school days that lead to perform his self motivated commitment in insitu conservation practices with local community in northern Palk Bay. His part time volunteering in local non governmental organizations helped to understand the concepts and to get the field experience since 2000. At the age of 22, he decided to work independently as a full time social worker and conservation biologist in local coastal areas. He conducted 1100km of solo bike expedition along the 540 coastal villages for a research and coastal environmental awareness programme in 2002 and sea turtle conservation campaign with WWF in 2003. He has paddled 600km in a sea kayak from Rameshwaram to Chennai to create awareness on conservation of coastal ecosystems of Tamil Nadu. He found OMCAR Foundation as a platform to perform his marine conservation, awareness and ecological research activities through a participatory approach of fisherfolk community.
Click the below links to know more about him
Ten years of Dr.Balaji's conservation activities
Youtube video clip on 600 km sea kayak expedition
The Hindu (18th Feb.2007)