Fellowship Bulletin
Priyanka Das and Amir Chhetri
Mediating Human-Elephant Coexistence In Dooars, West Bengal
The team established fuelwood reserve plantations in four villages (Fuelwood reserve plantations provide an alternative source of fuelwood, potentially reducing dependence on forests). They arranged a training workshop on constructing improved cooking stoves. The improved cooking stoves are designed as an alternative to reduce dependence on fuelwood.
Sunil Harsana and Nitesh Kaushik
In The Shadow Of National Capital: How Wildlife Is Thriving In Haryana Aravallis
The team discovered a new species (Elongata tortoise) in Damdama, Aravalli and provided support to the biodiversity board in developing the PBR (People's Biodiversity Register). Sunil participated in a discussion organised by Mongabay, Vidhi Center, and Climate Rise Alliance on the topic "Media Roles in Shaping Perception about Human-Wildlife Interaction."
Sherab Lobzang and Rigzen Dorjay
Facilitating Herder And Wildlife Coexistence By Reviving A Traditional Practice
The team travelled to Kargil village to retrieve the barley that had been collected earlier and went to Chummur village to provide the barley. A total of 50 buri (each weighing 50 to 60 kg) of barley was delivered to the villagers. They are also in the process of conducting their post-intervention surveys.
Mahesha J & Vinay K Kumar
Role of Soliga Community’s Traditional Fire Knowledge in Ecological Nurturance for Wildlife and Humans,B R Hills, Karnataka
The team participated in the setup and operations of Kaanu Library (South Indian Adivasi Study Centre) and conducted interviews with Solega elders and youth from Biligiri Ranganna Hills (B.R. Hills) to understand the Solega traditional practice of Taragubenki (Litter fire). They also attended the "People of the Bamboo: The Solega" event organised by the Indian Music Experience in Bangalore. During the event, Mahesha presented the history of policy and indigenous communities around the world, with a special focus on B.R. Hills and the Solega community.
Manikandan R & Devaki B Nair
Echoes of the Ippimala Children- Exploring the Bond between Paniyas and Nature, Gudalur, Tamil Nadu
They conducted a workshop for basket weaving and successfully created two different kinds of objects (one was a moram and the other was a basket that is also used as a chicken coop).They completed village mapping for five areas—Devala, Ponnani, Pattavayal, Devarshola, and Sri Madurai—in Gudalur. The mapping includes collecting basic information regarding the number of households, and the location of sacred groves and burial grounds.
Vishal Mistry
Harmony in Habitats: Mitigating Human-Crocodile Conflicts and Promoting Wetland Conservation in the Charotar Region, Central Gujarat
Vishal collaborated with the Forest Department and Police Department on rescue operations during the floods. This included successfully rescuing crocodiles from areas near human settlements, which were released into the nearest wetland. He also worked with the community to create a resource map.
Yadukrishna K R & Akhila George
Exploring Traditional Knowledge and Fisherfolk Perspectives on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity In Thrissur and Kollam, Kerala
They published their dried fish article on Point of View(POV). They initiated the cleaning process at the Government Fisheries Higher Secondary School Nattika museum and collected shells for making shell craft. They also started work on setting up aquariums to showcase various marine ecosystems.
Taju Pujen & Vivek Kumar Singh
Coexistence Through Cultural Revival and Responsible Tourism, Monigong, Arunachal Pradesh
They spent 15 days on the hunter's trail in collaboration with Green Hub and Royal Enfield. During this time, they documented places of old cultural importance, forest rituals and beliefs, hunting practices, and survival tactics of the Bokar community in high-altitude areas. They also documented the farming practices and crop patterns of the Adi Bokar tribe.
Ramlal Punaji Kale and Vasanta Dhaju Bethekar
Community Forest Rights, Traditional Knowledge, Forest Conservation and Management, Melghat, Maharashtra
They organised multiple focus group discussions within the community to delve into the concept of showing kindness towards wildlife, referred to as 'Jada' locally. The focus group also discussed the implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act and the Forest Rights Act and their effect on traditional customs and practices.
