Introduction to Climate Change Concepts
A three-day workshop on Climate Change introductory concepts took place between 9-11th June 2021, for the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA) partner networks alliance. On the second day, participants got to learn more about the scenario in our country – both for Climate Change impact and also got to hear examples of collective community action. The […]
Team meeting at the Field Ecology Centre
Last year, the COVID 19 pandemic has helped establish a new normal in terms of work methods, meetings and exchanges within a professional space. Like most responsible individuals and organizations, virtual meetings and interactions have become the norm around which we organize our work. A distinct downside has been the impact of increased screen time […]
Barefoot Ecologists from Nilmabur are making a video of their conservation efforts
For Rajesh and Sumitra, the camera is an essential thing to be carried while they head out to the forest; whether they go to the forest to collect NTFPs or just on leisure walks. Jalaja and Krishnan have become wedding photographers at their family occasions. Babu likes to cover the various events happening in his […]
Western Ghats Plant Specialists Group – A meeting to formalize assessment of native flora
Core members of the Western Ghats Plant Specialists Group (WGPSG) – Dr. Aparna Watve (Red List Assessment Coordinator) and Anita Varghese (Chair of the group; Director-Keystone) recently met at Keystone Foundation. The WGPSG group was formed with the objective to assess the present restraints concerning endemic plant species in the Western Ghats region. Along with the Biodiversity & Restoration team […]
A Virtual Field Course
Since the pandemic lockdowns there have been requests to conduct field courses ‘virtually’, and for us – virtual field courses became a reality! 2nd years PGDFM students (20) of the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal who opted for the ecology and society internship with Keystone were engaged in a 10-day program. The course that […]
Intertwined relationship between biodiversity, bees, people, food and markets
“Our lives and culture are always intertwined with these bees.”- quote by Mudhan – a honey hunter from the Irula community in Masinagudi – in a scroll article published in March 2020. Photo by Chadrasekar Das The article was published on grass-root organizations that are working with locals to help preserve traditional practices. Justin Raj- […]
Rejuvenating the Massakal stream through community participation
As part of one of the ways to reduce negative interactions between humans and wildlife, the Massakal stream was cleaned of invasive plants. Overgrown invasive plants serve as ideal resting spots for wildlife like sloth bears, wild boar and gaur. Moreover, these areas have become informal dumping areas for garbage-serving the purpose of out of […]
Understanding interactions between humans and wildlife in a semi-urbanized landscape
We often look for wildlife in forests, oceans, grasslands and all pristine habitats tucked away from villages, towns and cities. Seldom does one realise that there is wildlife in our backyard, sharing spaces and resources with us. Once we start to observe different life forms that cohabit with us, we also start to realise that […]
Puzhayora Punarujeevanam – Riverbank Restoration
The river Kabani is one of the most important east-flowing Rivers in Kerala, with its origins in the Western Ghats (Banasura hills). The back-to-back deluges of 2018 and 2019 have largely affected the biodiversity found on Kabani’s banks, in addition to giving momentum to various direct and indirect repercussions. Soil erosion is one. However, the […]
The impact of repeated floods on the honey collection and the sale
The people in Nilambur area had started the practice of the bee-keeping just before the flood affected their lives in the year of 2018. After the bee-keeping initiative started in Nedunkayam and Pulimunda as part of the ABF project became successful, they acted as apiculture models that members from other hamlets, too, wanted to follow. […]
