By Reshma, Technical Coordinator, Climate Change
Header photo credit: Reshma
The International Analog Forestry Network (IAFN) is a network that supports the promotion and implementation of analog forestry around the world. The Analog Forestry Collective in Sigur (consisting of 10 promoters) also receives support from IAFN with online sessions and training in AF Methodologies and Ideas. The word Promoter refers to interested participants who practice and promote analog forestry on their land. They are the ones who spread this ideology to the rest of the world.
Prema, an Analog Forestry Promoter
Prema, a young Indigenous woman from a village called Vazhaithottam, is one among the 10 promoters. She is a climate educator, and barefoot ecologist who is keen on observing and monitoring nature, she is also an enthusiastic birder who identifies several birds in the Muduhumalai Tiger Reserve. She is also a skilled beekeeping trainer who provides training to school children. All these skills make her capable of working more with AF, primarily through data collection and plot monitoring in Sigur. She helps other promoters to identify and monitor their plots.
Prema has been selected as one of 7 participants for the Analog Forestry Asia Training of Trainers (ToT) Course which began this month. The duration of this online course is two and a half months. The course is structured with 5 sessions that occur once every two weeks. We hope this course will help her to disseminate the knowledge and practices of AF to the community, and upskill her to train more upcoming promoters in her field. Quoting Prema, “I hope this training will help me to become more confident with the concept, and help me to transfer the knowledge to a greater audience.”
The primary goal of the ToT is to equip participants with the knowledge and abilities needed to mentor future promoters and to be an Accredited Analog forestry trainer. The training session began on September 17th. The facilitator provided a brief overview of the course’s structure. The session had an introductory session with Dr. Ranil Senanayake, the founder of analog forestry, where he talked about the
importance of the course and AF in the current economy. This session was a perfect start for all the participants and gave immense enthusiasm for the upcoming sessions.
