SALIM ALI CENTRE FOR ORNITHOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY

The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) is the centre of the Wildlife Institute of India, located in Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, near the foothills of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It serves as a national centre for information, education and research in ornithology and natural history, with a mission to help conserve India's biodiversity through research, education and people's participation, with birds at the centre stage. The main campus, 24 km northwest of Coimbatore near the trijunction of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, spans 223,000 square metres with about 3,438 m2 of buildings including offices, a laboratory, library and student hostel. The distinctive round buildings were designed by eco-friendly architect Laurie Baker and dedicated on 11 February 2000. The laboratory, spanning 1,022 m2, is equipped for ecotoxicological studies with advanced instruments such as spectrophotometers, chromatographs, and atomic absorption spectrophotometers. The library, covering 1,394 m2, holds thousands of books, periodicals, maps and CD-ROMs. Research is organized into five divisions: conservation ecology, ecotoxicology, environmental impact assessment, landscape ecology and restoration ecology, staffed by senior scientists and a nature education officer, undertaking numerous research projects.