ATREE has been selected as one of the 40 world’s most innovative changemakers focused on environmental sustainability at the Stanford Sustainability Summit. Dr Bawa addressed the audience of entrepreneurs, NGOs, policymakers, leaders in health & education as well as students and faculty of Stanford University.

Dr. Kamaljit S. Bawa, Founder and President of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru, India, was awarded the ‘Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award for Leadership in Agriculture for 2023.’

In 2008, the Stanford Social Innovation Review (Summer 2008) described ATREE as a globally unique conservation and development organization for its pioneering work crossing diverse sectors and linking sound research with strategic action. 

Since 2011, the Think Tank and Civil Societies Programme at the University of Pennsylvania has ranked ATREE among the top 20 environmental think tanks in the world. 

In 2009, ATREE was awarded the Ryutaro Hashimoto APFED (Asia Pacific Forum for Environment and Development) Gold Award for its flagship program on “Promoting the ingenious use of a plant invasive, Lantana camara, to enhance the livelihood of the forest dwelling communities in India”. 

In 2010, ATREE’s Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre Team was awarded the prestigious ‘Future Conservationist’ award by the Conservation Leadership Programme and Save Our Species campaign for their study on the anurans and their habitat. 

The prize recognises ATREE for its contribution to participatory approach to improving environmental conservation, applied in its initiative in India’s northeastern Sikkim and Darjeeling regions involving conservation planning and the creation and promotion of sustainable livelihoods. The prize also recognises significant contributions towards the discovery of new species in the Western Ghats, and exceptional outreach to raise awareness of India’s biodiversity and train environmental leaders. 

Weeds to Wealth project was awarded for training over 650 people across India in lantana crafts; 40% of these are women. The artisans created beautiful artistic life-size elephants, a testament to their craftsmanship. These trained artisans derive nearly 80% of their cash income from lantana crafts.