Ecosphere

2025 in Review: A Journey of Growth & Impact

This year has been a journey of growth, learning, and deeper commitment. 

From grassroots initiatives in Spiti that addressed everyday challenges, to expanding our travel experiences across new regions of India from Ladakh to North East India, each step was guided by purpose. 

Along the way, we worked closely with local communities, volunteers, partners, and travellers who believed in creating impact beyond travel. 

This blog brings together the stories, initiatives, and milestones that shaped our year.

Expanding Access to Oral Healthcare

Oral healthcare continued to be a major focus this year, with sustained efforts across North India and the Himalayas to reach communities with limited access to quality dental care. Through our Oral Health Treatment & Awareness camps, we focused on free checkups, treatments at nominal costs and preventive care awareness sessions.

Punjab Dental Camps

A month-long dental camp was held in Punjab at the beginning of the year. The camp moved to various locations wherever there was a need - from the Patiala School for the Deaf and Blind to Gurudwaras, Charitable Schools and Colleges, impacting over a 1000 persons with oral health awareness, 748 assessments and 163 treatments.

A heartfelt thanks to Karanbir Singh Sibia from Akal Group of Institutes, Col Karminder Singh from Patiala school of Deaf & Blind, Principal Amandeep Kaur Sidhu of Baba Sahib Das Charitable School along with others in Sangrur & Patiala and Haider without whose invaluable support none of this would have been possible.

At the end of the year, a dedicated 3 week oral health treatment and awareness camp was conducted again at the Patiala School for the Deaf and Blind in Punjab, resulting in 197 assessments and 175 treatments.

Uttarakhand Camps

A 20-day dental camp was held at Raphael Ryder Cheshire Home, Dehradun, providing much needed care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with 171 assessments and 116 treatments.

Dental camps were also conducted at Rajaji National Park among the Van Gujjar community where oral health awareness and access to dental care does not exist and at the Arthur Foot Academy at Biharigarh. These camps resulted in 145 assessments and 65 treatments. Thank you to Maee, Nature Science Initiative and Arthur Foot Academy for partnering with us. 

Himachal Camps

A 10-day dental camp was organised in Gushaini, Tirthan Valley in collaboration with Himalayan Ecotourism where 50 patients were assessed and 44 individuals received treatment. Now we are ending the year with another camp at Ghurali, Banjar. A big thank you to Stephen Marchal and Team Himalayan Ecotourism (Heco) for their on-ground support for both camps.

A 20-day oral health and awareness program was conducted across villages in the Kullu Valley, with 210 assessments and 50 treatments. Heartfelt thanks to Jagriti, a local NGO, and Mamta for collaborating with us on the ground.

All these camps went beyond clinical care and included education on oral hygiene, preventive practices to ensure long-term oral health.

MUSE Charitable Dental Clinic: Affordable and Accessible Dental care

Our charitable dental clinics continued to provide quality dental care and treatments at nominal costs, ensuring that rural and urban marginalized communities have reliable access to essential oral healthcare, especially in regions where treatment is often inaccessible, expensive or neglected.

Spiti

Over the summer, at our Kaza clinic in Spiti, we assessed 380 patients, providing over 700 treatments in this remote Himalayan region where access to dental care is limited.

Delhi

At our Delhi Clinic, 400 individuals were assessed and more than 1,000 treatments were delivered. 

Healthcare Awareness & Education with the University of Utah 

Since 2019, we’ve been collaborating with the University of Utah for their study abroad program where students visit us in Spiti and work alongside our team to create impact on the ground especially in the area of healthcare. 

This year, their efforts focused on raising menstrual health awareness especially among men, assessing vision health needs, and promoting hygiene and sanitation practices, reaching the villages of Demul, Langza, Komic, Pangmo, Kwang and Chicham. 

A heartfelt thank you to all the students from the University of Utah who joined us this year. 

Artificial Glacier: Tackling Water Scarcity in Spiti

Spiti is facing a growing water crisis. With decreasing snowfall, many natural springs—vital for drinking, farming, and daily use, are drying up. To address this, we’re building artificial glaciers, using a series of check-dams to capture surface runoff during the winter months to help recharge springs. 

This year, volunteers from Manipal University joined us in Demul village to help expand and strengthen an artificial glacier in Demul. A sincere thanks to everyone involved.

Greenhouse: Year-Round Nutrition in Spiti

In Spiti, growing vegetables is difficult and accessing them in winters is nearly impossible due to snow blocked roads.

This year, travellers joined the Greening the Desert program to build a greenhouse in Kee village. This initiative ensures year-round access to fresh vegetables, improving nutrition even during the harshest months.

Our gratitude goes out to all who made this possible- Vijay, Harshita. Mamta. Bhawna, Meenakshi, Urmi, Mini, Anukriti, Gayatri.

Eye Camps: Bringing Vision Care to Spiti

In Spiti, even a simple eye check-up often requires a 1–2 day trip to the nearest city. To bridge this gap, we’ve been conducting free eye camps in the region for the past two years.

This year, a week-long camp across Spiti included eye check-ups, spectacles distribution, awareness sessions, BP and sugar tests, and identification of cases requiring further treatment such as cataracts and pterygium. Over 1,000 people were assessed, and 106 cataract patients were identified for follow-up care.

A heartfelt thank you to our partners, Eicher Group Foundation and Dr. Shroff Charity Eye Hospital, for making this possible.

Spiti Water Project Ride: Creating Access to Water

In collaboration with Royal Enfield Social Mission, we addressed one of Spiti’s toughest challenges: water scarcity during winter. When water sources freeze, villagers often walk kilometers or have to resort to melting snow to meet daily needs. 

As part of this ride, participants helped build a solar passive facility to house insulated water tanks, ensuring water remains usable even in sub-zero temperatures. This was further connected to a solar water pump that lifts water from near the riverbed up to the village, making water easily available close to one's house, reducing daily struggles, improving health and hygiene, and giving families more time for education and livelihood.

Thanks to Royal Enfield Social Mission and all who helped bring this project to life- Anikait, Tanveer, Surbhi, Wafa, Prerna, Priyambara, Ravi, Vaibhav, Ravi, Utkarsh, Aswin, Ramakrishna, Vignesh, Shubham, Amit, Rushikesh, Issa, Himashi, Saba, Dr. Pankaj, Dr. Pranay.

Solar passive rooms: Reducing Cold & Carbon Emissions

In a region where temperatures can drop to -30°C, families often rely on burning large amounts of wood 24×7 to stay warm, huddling in smoke-filled rooms. This practice not only fills homes with smoke but also emits significant CO₂ and black carbon into the fragile Himalayan environment.

Solar passive rooms change this reality. Using a simple design that captures and stores the sun’s heat, indoor temperatures stay above 10°C without external heating, reducing emissions and dependence on costly fuel.

This year, we built 3 Solar Passive Rooms in Demul, 3 in Lidhang, and 1 in Langza. Each household reduces over 2.5 tonnes of emissions annually, leading to a combined reduction of over 17.5 tonnes every year. We’re grateful to Crystal Crops for collaborating with us on this initiative.

Ensuring Food & Care for Spiti’s Stray Dogs

Stray dogs in Spiti face hunger and risk going feral during the harsh winters, leading to larger problems of livestock killings and wildlife conflicts. Together with local women and fellow dog lovers, we ensure these dogs are fed, even in the coldest months.

This year, we fed over 200 stray dogs in and around Kaza. Thank you to all the dog lovers who contributed to this initiative- Abhay, Haider, Mahesh, Priyanca, Purnima, Pranay, Gayatree.

Expanding Horizons and New Beginnings

This year, Ecosphere trips went beyond Spiti to explore the broader Himalayas, both in the north and the east, offering travellers new adventures and experiences.

Ladakh

Experiencing the high-altitude lakes, dramatic mountain passes, and vibrant local culture of the northern Himalayas.

Zanskar

Exploring remote valleys, ancient monasteries, and the pristine wilderness of this untouched northern region.

North East India

Discovering the lush landscapes, waterfalls, hidden villages, and unique tribal cultures of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Nagaland, showcasing the beauty of the eastern Himalayas.

India Bike Week

We were at India Bike Week in Panchgani, to launch our 2026 bike trips across India and abroad, marking the start of our international adventures in 2026.

Our New Hospitality Ventures

Sol Eco Hotel & Black Pea Cafe

This year, we opened the doors to our boutique Sol Eco Hotel, an eco-friendly stay built with mud and natural materials, surrounded by the raw beauty of the Trans-Himalayas. 

Our in-house Black Pea Café serves multi-cuisine dishes in Kaza, Spiti, offering a cozy spot for travellers.

Taste of Spiti Rooftop 

Meanwhile, our Taste of Spiti restaurant in Kaza shifted to the rooftop, serving local flavours fused with global cuisines alongside panoramic views of the valley.

Volunteer and Making a Difference

At Ecosphere, volunteering is about becoming one with the place you visit—living local lives, hearing their stories, and making a tangible impact. From managing our social cause Sol cafe and helping locals in farming to teaching at the nunnery, their time and effort directly goes into meaningful, on-ground work.

Thank you everyone for being part of the change- Sreejan, Barsha, Yashica, Ishaanth, Neev, Madhava, Ridhima, Nandini, Musfera, Samina, Om, Pragya, Ranjit, Vallari, Richa, Disha, Payal and Sneha.

Awards and features

Our founder, Ishita Khanna, was featured in Outlook Traveller.

 

 

Ishita Khanna was selected as a jury member for the 8th TOFT India Wildlife & Nature Tourism Awards 2025.

She was also selected as a Jury for the Indian Responsible Tourism State Awards – Rajasthan 2025.

She was invited  to the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference at Ganpat University as a key speaker for the National Seminar on Adventure Tourism.

Our team member, Chhering Norbu, was featured in Outlook Traveller, for his work preserving the ancient tradition of Amchis in Spiti.

New Team Members

We welcomed Vaishali Singha who joined us in December as the Partnerships & Communications Manager at MUSE. She brings valuable perspective to building meaningful partnerships and strengthening our communication efforts.

Deepak Santosh joined us full time, curating immersive adventure experiences, blending culture, sustainability, and offbeat exploration. He also plays a key role in developing new travel programs and enhancing outreach efforts. 

Partners

We’re grateful to our partners for standing with us through every initiative — your trust and collaboration made this impact possible. 

None of this would be possible without several individuals and volunteers who support us along the way, and while we can’t name everyone, we remain truly thankful to all.

Abijit Bora 

Arthur Foot Academy

Col Karminder Singh from Patiala School of Deaf & Blind

Crystal crops

Dr. Shroff Charity Eye Hospital

Dr. T.P Singh

Eicher Group Foundation

Haider

Karanbir Singh Sibia from Akal Group of Institutes

Maee

Mamta & Jagriti

Manipal University

Nature Science Initiative

Principal Amandeep Kaur Sidhu of Baba Sahib Das Charitable School 

Raphael Ryder Cheshire Home

Royal Enfield Social Mission 

Stephan Marshal & Himalayan Ecotourism (HECO)

University of Utah

As this year comes to a close, we carry forward more than milestones — we carry stories, shared effort, and the quiet impact created on the ground. None of this would be possible without the trust, time, and belief of our communities, volunteers, supporters, partners, and travellers.

This is not the end of a chapter, but a continuation of work rooted in purpose, responsibility, and long-term change. We move ahead grateful, committed, and ready to do more.