Interpretation is critical to building understanding and appreciation for the natural world amongst tourists; which is crucial to protection and conservation. The pressing need for a ‘formal study program’ to enable individuals to acquire theoretical understanding, skills and hands-on experience in wildlife and nature interpretation has been articulated by multiple stakeholders in the recent years. However, India with a consistently growing market for ecotourism activities has very few opportunities for formal learning in this area. ‘The Naturalist School’- a pioneering capacity building initiative intends to close the skills gap by offering blended learning programs and courses to create a qualified resource pool to meet the needs of industry. The Government of India, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) under the ‘Skill India’ initiative has created a Nature Guide job role with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) through their Sector Skill Council, Tourism and Hospitality Skills Council (THSC). The Naturalist School (TNS) is the ONLY Training Provider (TP) for this job role in India. The Naturalist School (TNS) conducts short/long term courses on Wildlife and Nature Interpretation. This academy which is the first-of-its-kind in India has been created as a key human resource development initiative to cater to multiple stakeholders: locals whose livelihoods are dependent on ecotourism, visitors engaged in travel to protected areas (PA), employers who are facing a shortage of skilled staff, PA managers who are trying to spread awareness on conservation. SDG Goals GOAL 4: Quality Education GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth GOAL 15: Life on Land GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
