Wildlife Ecology 101: Deepening Community Knowledge in Sathyamangalam
October 13, 2022 By Vandana KannanTechnical Coordinator – Wildlife Biology (Sathyamangalam) Conservation education in rural communities is no streamlined task – there is no ‘best’ way to raise awareness among the public. Keystone’s Biodiversity Conservation teams at our field centres across the Nilgiris are constantly looking for new ways to engage with the people, with […]
Foundation Segré and Keystone: A Partnership for the Nilgiris
October 10, 2022 By Habeeba Fatima and Chandrasekar DasTechnical Coordinator & Additional Programme Coordinator – Biodiversity One of our committed donors, Foundation Segré has been supporting our Biodiversity Conservation team in several of its project activities. Segré is based in France and driven by the mission to build partnerships across the world for the protection […]
Steering the Shift to Organic Methods in Tea Farming Across the Nilgiris
September 19, 2022 By Harshavardhini AngappanTechnical Coordinator – Ecological Restoration In May 2022, our Biodiversity Conservation team began a three-month training programme on traditional and organic farming methods for tea growers in the Nilgiris from INCDOSERVE. Also called Industrial Corporative Tea Factory, INDCOSERVE members constitute around 30,000 small tea farmers in the Nilgiris and is […]
Learning about Gardening an Ecosystem at Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, Wayanad
Asish M An ‘ecosystem gardening’ training we received during the monsoon from June 27th to 30th at Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary was inspiring. We learned some new gardening techniques and got new perspectives on gardening and restoration. Suppi chechi is a great teacher; often, our philosophical discussions lasted till late at night. For all of us, one […]
Sharing experiences and learnings nationally and internationally
Keystone Foundation and Aadhimalai were invited by the Tamil Nadu State Biodiversity Board to represent the state at the celebration of International Biodiversity Day at Chennai organised by the National Biodiversity Board. Bhavya George, Habeeba Fatima, Ramajeyam and Silambarasan from Keystone set up the exhibition space and interacted with the visitors. Bhavya George and Habeeba […]
Keep Plastic Waste Away From Wildlife
Recently, social media went abuzz when the dung of a wild elephant at Maruthamalai foothills near Coimbatore was found to carry plastic waste in it including plastic covers, milk packets, masks and sanitary napkins. Shrinking forest cover and easy availability of food in human habitations are some of the reasons why wildlife is moving away […]
Enhancing Nursery Management Skills Through Knowledge Exchange
Community-managed nurseries across the globe have been lately explored as an approach to restoring forests. However, enabling them to actively engage in propagating native forest plants and managing nurseries requires the appropriate deployment of skill sets through trainings that will ensure seedling survival leading to successful forest restoration.
A Farmer Field School in the Making
In Kokkalthorai, a valley (10 km away from Kotagiri town) which is the hub for the so-called English and Chinese hybrid vegetables, farmers are heavily influenced by Agri companies that have a stronghold on crop diversity and farming practices. This is one of the many factors that limit/restrict the success and spread of organic farming across this region.
A case against Apis Mellifera: Why we need native pollinators to maintain biodiversity
Apis mellifera, the Western bee or European bee, known for its ability to produce large amount of honey, has begun dominating the Indian apiculture scene. In a capitalist world where productivity is performance and exploitation is normalised, Apis mellifera has turned out to be the Jersey cow of honey trade.
Looking for pure honey in the market? You may find none
Credit – Abhishek Chinnappa Have you ever been told not to add honey to a hot cup of ginger-lemon tea? Or not to use it in cooking? According to Ayurveda, heating honey makes it toxic and harmful for health. Government regulations through Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to make honey marketable, however, […]