At Rainforest, our silent strength has been the natural heritage along a perennial river in the central Western Ghats of Kerala- the Chalakudy river. This forested landscape is also home to indigenous communities – the Kadar, Malayar, Muthuvar and Mannan people. In more ways than one, we find insight and wisdom in the way they interact with nature. Our partnership with Forest Post is an offshoot of this philosophy, this urge to preserve the wilderness that the communities depend on. To help conserve their knowledge of the forest. This page features some of the community-led conservation work carried out in partnership with Forest Post and some cultural revival stories in this landscape. For some stories need to be told and again, retold.
While Anamalai hills - upstream Chalakudy river - are the ancestral domain of the Kadar people, the adjoining landscapes in Periyar and Karuvannur river basins are inhabited by other native people, each with a distinct cultural identity. Forest Post engages with forest-dwelling communities in the region, trying to create meaningful livelihoods using the knowledge, skills and rights around forest resources. Minor forest produce, which is a source of income for many Adivasis, are being value-added locally to boost the grassroots economy. This kind of enterprise building supports conservation, since communities have a choice to continue a lifestyle that is mindful of their land, water and forests.
Knowing when to collect what from the forest, and where to find it: that's an explorer's skill, that combines an understanding of forest botany, phenology, biogeography, all rolled into one. And deciding just how much to collect, leaving a share for wildlife and enough for the next season: that's wisdom and sustainable living. To always give back more than you take. To be patient when resources are scarce.
Accompanying Raman on a fishing expedition in the Vazhachal stretch of Chalakudypuzha was a much-awaited trip. Dusk is when he embarks on his catamaran, accompanied by loyal “Puppy”, to find a spot for spreading out a net for the night. To return for his catch the following morning.
Chandrika has her home in the Sholayar forests, several miles upstream Athirappilly. One evening we got carried away by her spirit, simply following her footsteps in the wild, looking for herbs, roots and trees with bee hives. That evening we witnessed the extraction and processing of Palm Sago. Chandrika’s brother had selected a dying palm from a steep rock face, a tree that he knew an elephant wouldn’t be able to reach.
Puhaari are ancient bamboo combs that belonged to the forest-dwelling indigenous people of the Sholayar region. Through an exciting journey of discovering old British sketches and descriptions, unearthing memories and stories, hunting for the right bamboo, searching out and motivating craftsmen who still remember, this ancient treasure was revived by Forest Post.
Exactly a year ago on a warm summer morning, Forest Post was on a monthly visit to meet the bamboo artisans in the Edamalayar valley. There is something soul-nourishing about the trek into the valley. The path is flanked by tall evergreen trees, covered in moss and epiphytic ferns. Above, in the canopy, you will hear the playful giant squirrel and the loud flapping of the occasional Malabar Pied Hornbill.
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