Bio Diversity Learning & Experience Centre: Betegaon
BGM Foundation has embarked on an ambitious ecological education initiative aimed at creating a first-of-its-kind Biodiversity Learning and Experience Centre in Palghar. Designed in partnership with Ecosphere Connect and RSA Architects, the Centre will serve as a living classroom that integrates biodiversity conservation, agro-ecological heritage, and experiential learning for rural and urban visitors alike.
Located on a 100-acre site at Betegaon, the Centre will showcase native flora and fauna of the Konkan coast, traditional agro-pastoral practices, and sustainable land-use systems. A biodiversity baseline survey conducted in 2025 recorded more than 80 species, laying the groundwork for ecological planning. Phase-1 activities have included microhabitat mapping, community consultations, and design workshops with local schools, farmers, and researchers.
The Centre envisions the establishment of demonstration zones including herbal gardens, indigenous seed banks, composting systems, and an animal observatory. It is expected to engage over 5,000 visitors annually, ranging from school children and researchers to eco-tourists and local youth trained as eco-guides.
Sustainability will be at the core of its development, with construction relying on locally sourced, eco-friendly materials such as bamboo and mud, alongside solar power and water conservation systems. In the long term, the project aims to become a hub for rural ecological education, generating local employment and cultivating a deeper community commitment to environmental stewardship.