Agrobiodiversity

2016 - Present

Indigenous Plant Nursery and Seed Bank

Our savannah ecosystems are under siege, threatened by rapid habitat destruction and biodiversity loss. Endemic florae are critical for creating microhabitats and retaining genetic, ecosystem and species diversity. This project is an on-going effort to save wild seeds and propagate them in community-conserved areas as well as farmlands. It is an experiment in savannah ecosystem restoration by creating micro habitats and exclusion zones to safeguard against ungulate herbivory.

We restore areas to ensure host plants for pollinators, foraging plants for birds and also grow species that help with soil retention. Additionally, we focus on wild edibles that play a critical role in fortifying nutritional sovereignty and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma), Dyers Oleander (Wrightia tinctoria), Phoenix date palm (Phoenix sylvestris), Anjan (Hardwickia binata), Ceropegia juncea and Abrus precatorius are just a few of the plants we are propagating.

2015 - Present

Deccan Savannah Diaries

This project works towards creating a holistic approach to landscape ecology that takes into account biodiversity centric farming, environmental sustainability and climate resilience. In addition, the project also documents traditional foods and recipes to map out the critical links and impacts they have on farming cultures, fragile ecosystems and nutritional sovereignty.

2014 - Present

Wild flora and Traditional Ecological Knowledge

With the onset of new farming methods in the region, the impact on nutritional sovereignty has been quite severe. TEK always addressed a community’s requirements from the natural world with a deep understanding of ecology. This project works on documenting wild flora and the roles they have played in TEK while also propagating these species. With climate change impacting lives and livelihoods across the world, the role of TEK is more critical than ever in providing stability, adaptability and resilience to create truly holistic sustainable food systems.

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