Ramesh

Invasive plants like Lantana  and Senna  are a serious problem in our forests. They spread fast, block native plants, and reduce space for wildlife. Removing them is necessary—but doing it every year  needs money and people. Most removal work depends on CSR funds or project grants . These funds help, but they do not last forever. Once the funding stops, the work often stops too. The government also does not have enough money to remove invasive species on a large scale every year. Large-scale...

My name is Ramesh. I work in The Shola Trust as a wildlife conservationist. In this blog, I am writing about my conversation with my grandfather, Bomman thatha (grandfather), about the bonding between Adivasi people and the forest. Bomman thatha is from the Bettakurumba tribe. He lives in the village, Kanjikolly, along the edge of Mudmalai and, of course, has great knowledge about forest and honey collection, fishing, and collecting tubers and medicinal plants. Bomman thatha told me that our...