Self-sustenance through seed selection
A sequence of seed selection workshops has been conducted in Aracode and including one in Semmanarai . The aim of these workshops is to equip the community to select good-quality seeds from the farmland. Seed selection techniques are used to get a good yield by choosing the best speed to ensure survival. Usually, seeds are […]
Nature stewardship in a place of worship
Recently the community stewards from Kotagiri- Bharati, Ponamma, Shailaja and David, along with Chandrasekar and Kaveri from Keystone- restored about 12 cents of the Redemptorist Novitiate near Longwood Shola. The area under the church’s ownership includes tea fields, kitchen gardens, flower gardens and some infrastructural facilities that supports and runs priesthood training programs. The institution […]
Farmers are bearing the brunt during Covid
The COVID-19 has taken the world by surprise and it is creating a lot of issues in everyone’s day to day life. None were prepared for a pandemic of this stature. Many media outlets and experts believe that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the Indian Agriculture sector. The corona virus impact on […]
Nilambur and the Teak
Nilambur railway station. Photo by- Vighnesh K The tree ‘Teak’ comes to the mind of any Keralite when they hear the name ‘Nilambur’! Nilambur teak is the first forest species to receive Geographical Indication (GI) status. Geographical indication is a tag which helps to identify the place of origin, quality, reputation or other characteristics of […]
Landscaping the Native way
Shalini, a resident in Anna Nagar-a settlement in Kookalthorai- identified a plot in front of her village for restoration. She has been working with Keystone Foundation as a steward for over a year. When she is not involved in restoration efforts, she works with other stewards from the area to identify and support farmers to […]
Sanctuary Asia Feature
While in field, Chandrasekar- a staff from Keystone- had a rare encounter with an unusual cat family. Here is his story about Leopards in Kotagiri which also got featured in the Sanctuary Asia June 2020 Edition. As part of my work with Keystone Foundation’sBiodiversity Management and Restoration programme,I routinely monitor two gaur herds in the […]
Cleaning the natural way in Kotagiri
While it is important to improve access for humans and wildlife by creating separate access points and providing necessary infrastructure to mitigate negative interactions, it is also our responsibility as humans to ensure that we do not pollute water sources for wildlife as well as our future generations. To bring about such awareness and behavior […]
The grasslands of Bikkapathymund
Nestled in the higher elevation of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve is the the Toda hamlet-Bikkapathymund. Surrounded by grasslands, shola forests and plantations, Bikkapathymund is home to the Toda community who are traditionally patoralists also practicing agriculture, currently. Photo taken by Nayantara Photo taken by Nayantara At the center of their identity, is the Toda buffaloes, […]
The Changing Climate And Monsoons Of Fear In Nilambur
In 2018 and 2019, Kerala experienced extreme rainfall which resulted in floods and landslides. Apart from loss of lives, there was significant amount of infrastructural damage caused in Nilambur. Overflowing rivers washed away some Adivasi villages displacing many families. With these memories fresh in their mind, the people await another dreaded monsoon. Satellite image showing […]
The Adivasi hamlets of Aracode
Situated at the eastern flank, Aracode enjoys a much warmer climate as compared to other areas. Scattered around this region are mainly Irula villages, with one or two Kurumba villages as well. Owing to climatic conditions, coffee is mostly grown as the major cash crop, leaving very little space for tea cultivation. The main occupation […]
