Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary
In the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary , Ashoka Trust for Research in
Ecology and the Environemnt (ATREE) is working along side Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana
Kendra (VGKK), and the Karnataka Forest Department to help Soligas conserve their natural
resources through forest-based enterprises, capacity building, and institutional reform
with a primary focus on regeneration of non-timber forest products.
BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, is located in southern Karnataka, at the eastern-most edge of the
Western Ghats. It encompasses a variety of climates and topographies, and, as a result,
has a range of vegetation types within its relatively small 540-sq km area. The dry scrub
forests at lower altitudes give way to woodland savanna and deciduous forests at mid-elevation.
At higher altitudes, where it is wetter, one finds evergreen forests, shola forests and
grasslands. The forests of BRT are home to a number of animals and more than 245 species of
birds including 12 endemic and several endangered species. 1000 species of higher plants.
36 mammals excluding bats and rodents. 145 species of butterflies. An indigenous community,
the Soligas, has traditionally inhabited the area. The BR Hills was declared a wildlife
sanctuary in the 1972, at which time logging by the forest department, hunting and shifting
cultivation by the Soligas were discontinued. The Soligas were given land to cultivate,
and settled in hamlets, called "podus," within the forest.
ATREE's current and past efforts relating to conservation and livelihoods involve
- Monitoring Non-Timber Forest Products
- Assisting better agricultural practice
- Collection and preservation of indigenous seeds
- Restoring Biodiversity - In degraded lands, farms and forests
- Environment education
- Antiplastics campaign
Monitoring Non-Timber Forest Products together
The Soligas in BRT have historically collected a wide range of non-timber forest products (NTFPs).
Such extraction of NTFPs has been a major source of cash income for the Soligas. The most important
NTFPs include Gooseberry, honey, lichens, soapnut and soapberry.
An enterprise based approach to conservation was tried in BRT, alongside which a program to monitor
the performance of enterprise units and their impact on the income of the Soliga household was initiated.
At the outset, planned parameters for monitoring included household determinants of forest resource use,
overall changes in biodiversity, production, extraction and regeneration levels of selected non-timber
forest product species. Monitoring was also designed to describe the ecological and the interacting
social systems, identify key drivers of change, formulate interventions to bring resilience to the
system, and to evaluate the impact of interventions. The interventions not only included the enhancement
of financial capital through development of enterprises, but also the social and human capital through
capacity building and strengthening of institutions and also the community (harvesters).
The system parameters and key drivers of the change in the system were identified in a series of meetings
held from 1994 onwards. The participants in these meetings included the Soligas, representatives of the
Soliga elected bodies, the representatives of VGKK and ATREE. Soligas identified fire, invasive species
such as Lantana camara, and harvesting as the potential drivers of the system.
Pre-harvest sessions were carried out to make people aware of the importance of resource monitoring and
following sustainable harvest practices. These harvesting guidelines were then reviewed during the
pre-harvest meetings, along with recording other data about amount of harvest, etc. Estimating fruit
production, extraction and regeneration were carried out both by harvesters and ATREE scientists.
The records of quantities available and extracted are maintained by the harvesters as well as the
staff of the enterprises.
250 pre-harvest and 200 post-harvest group discussions were conducted over a period of five years.
Total attendance over this period was around 10000, which including men, women and children. Soligas
now have a five years of record on productivity, extraction and regeneration, in the form of resource
maps. There was a close correspondence between estimates of amla productivity carried out by Soligas
and by the ATREE scientists (Fig 1). Using these maps they can track temporal changes with the
productivity. In the past two years the BRHills LAMP society has been agreed to fund and adopt
participatory resource monitoring techniques.
The community through a managing committee, which meets every month, constantly monitors the
performance of enterprises. The enterprise units operated by the Soligas also monitor the prices
received by the harvesters from the LAMPS, and the profits distributed to the Soligas by the
enterprises as well as the LAMPS.
Lessons learned from PRM were that sustained participatory monitoring would require incentives,
community empowerment and strong institutional structure. Soligas realized that conservation
of NTFPs helps them a lot for their economy and their forest health. People responded positively,
indicating that the whole PRM process was useful. Monitoring of production and extraction
levels can be easily and accurately done by the soligas. The monitoring of regeneration is
time consuming, and incentives will be required for it to be fully incorporated in participatory
resource monitoring.
Figure 1:Comparison of researcher-led (transect) and community(visual)
estimations of amla productivity
Assisting better agricultural practice
The Soligas have traditionally praticed a very rudimentary form of agriculture, derived
from while they were still shifting cultivators. Water run-off is high in agricultural
land because most of the cultivated land is sloping. Hence, simple, time-tested
techniques of contour sowing, with bunds at regular intervals are being tried.
Instead of customary broadcast sowing, farmers are being introduced to row planting
with legumes, maize, millets. Bunds are being stabilized with native fruit yielding
trees.
We have had a small number of farmers participate in on-farm demonstration trials of
contour row cropping of traditional crops. Yields were 30% higher on demonstration plots.
Exposure trips of farmers, and local school children (most of who work in these farms)
to the demonstration plots brought about the transfer of these simple innovations to a
wider community. This work is being carried out from past three years. First year 7
farmers were followed this demonstration techniques, second year 21 farmers and this
year a larger number of farmers have agreed (more than 40) to have demonstration
plots on their fields this year. ATREE researchers helped farmers to do sowing
as the row sowing techniques are new to them. Farmers who take part in the trials
are expected to put in their labor for weeding and thinking the crop and return
twice the amount of seeds they received for the following year's trials. We also
introduced simple and appropriate technologies for sowing seeds and weeding.
These on-farm trials are a means of in situ conservation of traditional crops grown in
the BR hills. The individual and multi-crop yields obtained in demonstration plots were
much higher than in the conventional plots. The yields of various companion inter-crops
were also increased under line-sowing. We are promoting vermi-composting and green
leaf compost techniques were adopted to increase the fertility of the soil in their
agriculture land. Trainings were given on the same and compost production has started.
Efforts in restoration, collection and preservation of indigenous seeds
In order to collect and preserve the indigenous varieties of seeds that have been
traditionally used by the Soliga community in their farming practices, ATREE
established 4 indigenous seed banks. These seed collections are to identify,
preserve and restore indigenous seeds to BR Hills. These seeds will be used
for increasing productivity in agricultural lands through organic farming and
also to create conservation awareness in the Soliga community. Further, the
indigenous seeds will be promoted in farming practices as against the hybrid
varieties, since the native species are better suited for later value additions.
Seed Preservation
With the help of GREEN foundation Bangalore, Karnataka seed preservation techniques
are carried out for different species. While documenting the various methods of
preservation and traditional techniques for seed treatments, it was learned from
the locals that crops like Ragi, Mustard, Fox-millet, Amaranthus and Maize did not
require any special treatment for longtime storage except for protection from
rodents. Also, a very interesting practice of preserving Maize cobs by hanging
them inverted from tall trees was noted. Documentation of seed storage and
treatment methods of different agricultural crops will be continued.
Restoring Biodiversity - In degraded lands, farms and forests
Restoration is a complex process, especially when balancing human needs with natural
functions for a given ecosystem. Fundamentally, our restoration efforts seek to understand
and mimic natural processes. Restoration combines traditional wisdom and scientific
insights to transform land to healthy and vibrant ecosystems.
Root training for native species
One of the requirements for restoration is access to locally relevant nursery
technology. This includes the availability of good quality native species and
socio-economically appropriate means to care for these planted seedlings.
We are conducting research to adapt root trainer technology for native species.
Initial results suggest that under harsh planting conditions, root trainer
grown species show better survival during the first season than seedlings
grown in poly bags. Root trainers require a larger initial investment and
also careful water management. However, the smaller volume of available
root trainers can only accommodate seedlings for a very short duration.
We are experimenting with seedlings initially grown in root trainers to
induce fibrous root growth and then transplanting them to larger poly
bags before planting in the field.
Decentralized Nurseries
ATREE wants to build the capacities of local community members in nursery
technology. In addition to having a demonstration nursery at the field station,
we supply seeds, bags and know-how to selected individuals in the community
to grow seedlings to meet the needs of the various sites. Selected individuals
need to have access to water and some experience in growing seedlings. Seedlings
are bought back from individuals at a fair price.
Environment Education
MALEYA MAATHU (Voice of the forest).
A ninety-minute play on conservation of forest with special reference to sustainable
harvest of Non-Timber Forest Products was evolved and played by the local school
children. Based on folk traditions in the area, the play picked up on traditional
songs on beauty of the flowers, plants, animals, water, rain, tribal life etc.,
and was constructed on the traditional belief that priest possessed by the god
stresses conservation of forest.
The play was developed and directed by ATREE scientists who were involved in environmental
education program with involvement of tribal school children at the Vivekananda Girijanan
Kalyna Kendra school. It was performed in 7 settlements and around 1500 people including
men, women and children attended. This program has been carried out during 2002-03.
Antiplastics campaign:
Over the course of 2004, 3 to 4 meetings were carried out with shopkeepers in the
temple area to discuss the conservation value of the site and create awareness
about the disadvantages of the plastic use. Alternative to plastic bags cotton
and palm bags were showed and paper cups were shown as an alternative to plastic
cups. They well accepted the palm bags as one of the alternative for plastic bags.
Shopkeepers were encouraged to stop giving plastic carry bags and plastic cups for tea.
To create awareness to the local people and to clean up entire temple area from plastic,
around 350-400 school children, teachers and 26 non Soliga SHG women participated in a
Jatha held in March 2004 Pledge was made to keep the sanctuary and temple premises plastic
free. The Jatha started with the slogan from VGKK through different podus, bus stops and
temple area. 40-45 gunny bags of disposed plastic materials were collected. Chamarajanagara
DCF awarded prizes to the children who prepared the best slogans for Jatha. VGKK and ATREE
co-sponsored cloth carry bags by making it available at subsidized rates to the shopkeepers.
Anti plastic Slogan in Kannada and English has been printed on the bags. As a part of temple
restoration activity 100 seedlings of 12 native species were planted around the temple and
protected.
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