CONSERVATION AT THE GRASS ROOTS 

South India’s vanishing rain forests, the Western Ghats are an area of exceptional biological diversity and conservation interest. They testify to several million years of geographical history and stretch nearly 1500 kms along the southwest peninsular India. The Adventurers, A Wilderness School, has devised an effective conservation strategy. 

Kanoor is a quaint village tucked in the forests of the Western Ghats. Kaanu meaning forest in Kannada, this little village is named after its location. Situated on the border of Uttara Kannada and Shimoga district, it has a countable number of homes. Wet evergreen forests envelope the area. The River Sharavathy flows close by. She is the lifeline of the area. The hill people here are accustomed to tough life. A link to any buss route is at least a few trekking hours away. Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood. The homes are far and few. 

For an onlooker, Kanoor might seem like any other village nestled in the hills of the Western Ghats, but a little interaction with the locals and we notice something startling, Rama Naik’s ( the village chieftain) words rings in my ears. He speaks of the forest with nostalgia. The days when he’d wander into the forests and go about picking on mushrooms and fungi. But as the conservation veers to the present scene, a subtle sadness overtakes the emotions. He does’nt speak as cheerfully any more. Deep inside anger motivates his speech. 

However, there is a stern scene sense of commitment in the voice. Commitment to a cause very close to his heart. He is hell bent on saving the forests in his backyard. Pained by the deforestation in the area, his aim is to create awareness among his fellow companions. His sense of eco-consciousness and awareness about the threats facing the Western Ghats in mind boggling.

In the environment surrounding Kanoor, not a tree is felled without opposition. The people are more aware and eco-conscious about conservation concerns. It is this awareness amongst the locals that makes Kanoor special. Kanoor is a model village under the purview by the Western Ghats Restoration Project.

South India’s vanishing the Western Ghats are an area of exceptional biological diversity and conservation interest. They testify to several million years of geographical history and stretch nearly 1500 kms along southwest peninsular India. Nearly hugging the southwest coast , they extend from Gujarat to Tamilnadu passing through Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.

Thanks to the ghats, India can boast of possessing mega diversity of species. They are full rich resources that are veritably the lifeline of peninsular India. It shelters innumerable varieties of flora and fauna, many of which are close to extinction. Even today, researchers stumble upon species that experts believed had disappeared long ago from the face of the earth. For developing hybrid varieties of cultivatable plants of medicinal value, the immense potential it beholds in terms of bio-diversity, the ghats is a coveted treasure trove whose worth is immeasurable. It is indeed a powerhouse of the region. Most commercial crops such as coffee, cashew, rubber, and tea are grown here. Species are the pride of this belt. It is also rich in mineral deposits. This has resulted in the ghats being commercially exploited to quench the needs of international and domestic markets.

With the various destructive factors at play, the ghats have been at the heart of controversy and abuse for the last few decades. Previously, the approach to conservation was one that concentrated on preserving the bio-diversity and increasing the green cover. It was observed that the locals and forest dwellers do not relate to this conservation approach. On the other hand, even a city person does not relate to the issue of conservation. With both the urbanite and the person at the grassroots passing on the buck, conservation efforts have suffered over the years. 

Everybody was sure that somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but nobody did it. It ended up that everybody blamed somebody when nobody did what anybody could have done. This is representative of the brickbats faced by conservation efforts in the ghats area. 

But here’s whom everybody was looking for – The Adventurers, A Wilderness School. As many put their heads down to devise an effective conservation strategy, The Adventurers A Wilderness School, an organization working in Karnataka’s rainforests have come up with a ground breaking approach to abet conservation efforts. The Western Ghats Restoration Project taken up by the organization in holistic in the true sense. The project is broad based effort involving every aspect of the ghats, as well as local communities from all cross sections of the society, both public and private sectors, representatives, from government ministries to the international community. 

In todays money driven world, economic independence and stability have become prime pointers in everybodys life . As Nomito Kamdar a core team activist of the The Adventurers explains, even for the person living on the fringes of the forest, the concept of conserving one’s environment is not worthwhile without an economic incentive. The shift in priority –from a moral guided approach to one that is money driven has emerged a serious problem facing the hill people in the Western Ghats. Apart from being a treasure trove of natural resources and an area rich in bio-diversity, the Western Ghats is a cultural mosaic too. Several tribal communities tucked away in these forests make a living out of their close kinship with the natural surroundings, Venkatesh a full time volunteer with the organization, enunciates the visible problem with these hill communities. Any attempt to protect the eco-system and conserve the bio-diversity, without keeping in mind the aspirations of the local will prove futile. Reviving the traditional lifestyle of these tribes and thus instilling a sense of pride in the community is something the The Adventurers has been working on. This would cement the symbiotic relationship with the natural surroundings and so it naturally aids in conserving the rich landscape of the area. The Adventurers strive to make the issue of conservation meaningful to the person living in the fringes of the forest. Empowerment at the grassroots has been their focus. To further cause of conservation The Adventurers have embarked on the Western Ghats Restoration Project (WGRP) The project includes, action-oriented programs aimed at conserving the existent forests, establishing new and supplementary eco systems and highlighting the special culture of the tribal life. 

Some of the highlights of the Western Ghats Restoration Project include, Enticing the larger population through adventure activities, exposing them to the bounty of Western Ghats and then engaging them in conservation speaks of the innovation adventurers. 

Setting up of Forest Co-operatives through these the forest dwellers have been able to harness renewable forest resources like wax, honey, species and wild fruits and sell it to the outside market and gain economic incentives. 

Providing the impetus to market these products is the role of The Adventurers. This not only results in the economic gain, but also initiates a need amongst the locals to protect the forests. It encourages them to plant more yielding, which in turn increases the green cover. Conservation becomes the part of the locals survival as days go by. 

The WGRP has pioneered a mass approach to conservation. By conducting eco-tours and heritage tours in the ghats area The Adventurers have successfully exposed to many urbanites to the natural beauty of the Ghats. Eco-tourism educates a large population about the threats facing the Western Ghats and instigates them to protect what they endear. In the process, the spirit of eco-consciousness continues to linger be it amongst the forest dwellers or the urbanites. 

But their approach to eco-tourism is guarded. SLN Swamy, President, The Adventurers cautions, Eco-tourism of us is not just going into the forest seeing animals or plants. It is that kind of tourism which enhances knowledge about the ecology. 

Their culture is a matter of pride for the indigenous people of the Western Ghats. The Adventurers have been promoting such interactions between the locals and urbanites. For the eco-tourists who come on these programmes, the interaction with the village folk is worthwhile experience. It clearly signals that the local ways of life are acknowledged by the urban world. Their art is appreciated, while their culture and lifestyle is envied. It reflects on the values of communion with nature. While this is fascinating for the tourists, it means income generation to the tribal folk. 

Under the purview of the WGRP The IIAA, The Indian Institute for Adventure Applications, Honnemardu was set up by The Adventurers to train people in the field of adventure and eco-tourism situated on the banks of the Sharavathy alongside of the Linganamakki reservoir, IIAA conducts a year long vocational training course to train hundreds of local youth as eco-managers. These trained eco-managers not only bridge the gap between the locals and the urbanites they also advocate the message of conservation. 

Mahesh, one of the senior leaders at IIAA was at ThunderBay Canada, recently. From a remote village in the ghats, Jellara, to Canadian Outward Bound Wilderness School he vows its been a worthwhile journey. Trained as an eco-Manager at the IIAA, Mahesh’s visit abroad has enhanced its perspective to work towards conservation of the ghats. 

The WGRP aims at conservation in the macro perspective. This involves creating a wide database of all flora and fauna found in the ghats. For a strong conservation strategy to be evolved, a basic understanding of the species is essential. The ghats have been historically very important. It has many forts poised at strategic location built in ancient eras. They are tucked deep inside the forest. Most of them are in ruins. Though they bear important historical evidence, their restoration is not high lightened. The WGRP has also taken up the daunting task of restoring their history and protecting them. 

Indeed the ghats are a treasure trove. They have been deprived to deserved attention for a long time. Identified as one of the 18 biological hotspots, very little conservation effort is focused specific to the ghats. Most tropical species of plants and insects have not yet been documented or catalogued by the scientists. If destruction continues at this rate, a quarter of the worlds biota will be gone by the year 2010.

Positive results have sprung from here and there. The ghats, which boasted over 60% of forest cover in the 1950s have decreased to a meager of 38% and is decreasing at ominous rate. Apart from losing one of the precious virgin rainforests and thereby creating an ecological imbalance, the resulting environmental repercussion is an exorbitant price to pay for economic progress. 

Perhaps efforts like that of the WGRP'S may not help the ghats see a new dawn, but they will surely go a long way in protracting that twilight period. For an eco—paradise as breathtaking as the ghats, every minute is valuable. And as they say, every second counts. 

CHITTARA
An amalgamation of art, history, and culture. Hasuvanthe is a small village tucked in the forests of Malnad. It was jubilation when a team of international tourists descended on this tiny village. In October, 1998, a team of eco-tourists from Canada visited Hasuvanthe. The foreigners were on an eco-tour with the The Adventurers to peep into the lives of tribal people. They were received by the Deevaru folk, who had stories to share about their ways of life. The Deevaru’s have a characteristic art form Chittara. 

Chittara is forum of comprising of tribal women and is working on nurturing and developing the art form by the same name. These women are committed to sustaining this art for and ensuring that this rich legacy is passed on to the future generations. Interestingly, the art form Chittara celebrates the beauty of nature.

TREKKING CORRIDOR 

To lure number of people to cherish the enchanting beauty of the ghats, The Adventurers are also working towards initiating a trekking corridor through the length and breadth of the ghats. 

The corridor would encapsulate beauty of the ghats. While being with nature is one part of the experience, interactions with locals, tasting their mouth-watering delicacies, mingling with communities adds value to the experience. It will be the first every comprehensive guide to trekking in the Western Ghats. The organization aims to make this corridor a window for eco-tourists to experience the ghats. A book on the trekking corridor is soon to be published.