CEE

A Common Heritage for a Common Future: Participatory assessment, monitoring and conservation of

genetic diversity among useful bio-resources in Western Ghats

A case story fromWestern Ghats Region, India

ByDhondiba Kumbhar, Teacher, Pune District Education Association

andSatish Awate

Programme CoordinatorCEE Central, Pune

CEEAbout the case story

Story of lost Dev Amba, Pimpalvandi...

• Mango -1.2m Hal and, over 10m MT production

• Formal horticulture research institutions do not have a mandate to study status of diversity of local useful plants

• This is a journey of exploring many shapes, sizes, colours, tastes and folklore associated with useful fruit trees found in Western Ghats region.

Context of the Journey• Western Ghats are the mountain

ranges running parallel to western coastline of India. Western Ghats are among Biodiversity Hotspots of global significance and recently inscribed as World Natural Heritage by UNESCO.

• Development vs Conservation debate• About 600 km long rages in

Maharashtra State for the geographical scope of this case story

CEEWestern Ghats Location map

India

Western Ghats

CEEWestern Ghats - Sahydri - Special Eco club Scheme

• Western Ghats –Sahyadri-Special Eco-club Scheme, supported by the Environment Department of Government of Maharashtra State

• Eco Clubs: 35-50 Students and one in charge Teacher

• Over 200 Eco-clubs at a landscape level

CEEBasket of Activities in 5 themes

• Biodiversity conservation

• Water• Energy• Waste

Management • Culture and

heritage

• Annual Trainings • Resource Material

development • Choices of the

schools groups and planning

CEEOverview of Eco-club Activities

Biodiversity • 60000 seeds of 25 local trees collected

for dispersal and nursery development • About 4500 trees planted• Understand sacred groves as

community conserved areas• Wildlife road-kill study and community

awareness through hoardings, stickers, talking to the drivers

Water• Study and conservation of water springs• Understanding value and human dependence, as 39

eco clubs undertook cleanliness campaigns in remote areas where communities are totally depend upon springs for drinking water purpose, in some places its is used for irrigation

• Low cost rain water harvesting • Low cost Vanrai Bandhara –check dams • H2S strip testing & water purification using drumstick

seed powder • “we never imagined that water tasting could be so

simple and when we shared the results with Medical Officer of our area, he was very happy and said that we could support you in purchasing H2S tube.” – Mr.Patil, local community organization chief

CEE

Energy• Energy Audits in school and homes• Replacing incandescent bulbs with CFL

& LED• “When we decided to do energy audit of

entire village of 622 homes, we faced challenges to convey meaningfulness of activity and with sustained efforts we could get 200 homes to voluntarily change old bulbs in their homes and also Local Village Council changed all 40 street lamps” – Eco club in charge Teacher, Adarsh H.S, Ambavade

Waste Management• Plastic carry bags survey• 19100 cotton bags made mostly from old

cloths • 1000kg paper saved by 119 schools from

burning and recycled in to handmade paper, paper Mache articles

• Composting

CEE

Culture & Heritage• Eco-friendly ways to celebrate

festivals such as Ganesh, Diwali, Holi, Naag Panchami,

• Promoting eco-friendly material such as traditional leaf plates

CEE

Focused work on People’s Varieties of useful fruit plants

• Mango (Mangifera indica) • Fanas (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

• Karavand (Carisa carandas)• Jambhul (Syzygium cumini)

CEEParticipatory Method

• Over 200 eco clubs• Students and teachers• CEE team• Farmers and local

knowledgeable individuals

• Botanists• Women traditional

practitioners• Trader representatives• Agriculture Official

Activities :• Basic documentation of varieties and its

characteristics• Tree exploration activities for students with

measuring tree height, girth and exploring life forms associated with trees

• Compilation of traditional knowledge associated with these trees and fruits in form of recipes, products, seasonality, historical incidences.

• Talking to farmers and other interested individuals for participation in conservation efforts

• Grafting techniques to preserve special varietal qualities in next generation

• School & community based conservation activities in form of nursery development and plantation

CEEStudy Protocol

In two seasons over 50 sites mappedand a systematic documentation was done

capturing following aspects of varieties:

• Name of the variety• Owner, information provider• Size • Weight • Any association of orchids, moss,

lichen etc• Color • Taste• Other characteristics related to skin

thickness, taste, extent of fibrous content

• Particular use of the variety • Photographs of fruit, tree and leaves• GPS location

CEE

People’s Varieties of Mango in Northern Western Ghats

CEEPopular Classification System

• Colour e.g. lal, keshari, rata, gulal, kala, hirava, pandhara, pivala• Shape e.g. raghu, keli, koyati, vakada, goti, kaju, tokyali, bhopali, ghagari,

ganapati, dodi• Size e.g. mogya, bitki, dhobya, narali • Taste e.g. sakhari, godya, madhgoti, amti, khobari, dahi, mosambi aalani,

madavya• Resemblance to other fruit or vegetable: saparchandya, shepya, bhopali,

narali, keli, methya, mosambi, ghevadi• Odour: Rockel, ghasletya, shepya, dhekanya, madhu, dahi • Texture: Godhadi, Narali• Amount of turpentine: chikkalya, rockel, fungashi, mirmita, shepu• Other properties: e.g. chandrya, vatacha, nishticha, ghadiya, chivat • Location specific: Satvai, Tahasildar, Dhasacha, bandhavaracha, devraicha,

dev, postacha

CEE

People’s varieties of Jambhul, Fanas, Karavand in Northern Western Ghats

CEEComments on the process

“We never thought that mango trees in our village can be a subject of study”- A village elder

“ I am so happy to do grafting and observe the bud emerging from it, now I can do grafting on my own” - a student

“I have planted over 400 Alfonso trees in my fields but yields are low, disease outbreaks are often…I want to do something…no one until now told us that monocultures can go wrong or a particular variety is suitable for a particular area only…thank you” –A farmer

“I am local council representative, in village we have made it mandatory for every household to plant trees, we would love to plant mango trees”

• Ghar ki murgi daal barabar (popular proverb meaning local chicken is often treated as vegetable), we did not realize that mango trees in our areas are so valuable and we need to pay attention to

-Villager

“ Till now we were used to simply buy the saplings and plant, but now are learning with our children how to do grafting, how to develop nursery” – Father of an ecoclub member student

• “We have participated in many training programmes till now but this hands on workshops and trainings are so joyful and effective”

– Teacher • “we as a farmers group are ready to plant 4-5

varieties each to conserve these over 20 varieties documented from our village alone, under this work

• “What? Your going behind finding mangos?”

CEETeacher’s perspective from FE sector

The highlights of this partnership from a teacher’s point of view are

• Linking learning process to local environment

• Constructivist tools for teaching topics related to different subjects

• Better understanding of project based learning by students and continuous comprehensive evaluation as envisaged in recent Education Policy changes.

• Enhanced ability to face challenge of cooperation management at school level with fellow teachers, head masters & community representatives

• Linking community members with formal learning process

• Opportunities of practical knowledge and skill development relevant to conservation and livelihoods e.g. grafting techniques and product development.

CEECurricular Links with Eco club activities

इयत्ता , �वषय व घटकिनहाय पयार्वरणपरूक �वषय �वँलेषण ूच�लत व �वद्यमान अध्यापन पद्धती आ�ण पयार्वरण �शक्षण कें िांच्या माध्यमातून राब�वलेली अध्यापन पद्धती 

जवै�व�वधता  इयत्ता �वषय   घटकाचे नाव   ूच�लत व �वद्यमान अध्यापन

पद्धती पयार्वरण �शक्षण कें िांच्या ू�शक्षणातून राब�वलेली अथवा राबवावी अशी अध्यापन पद्धती   ( �शक्षकांची भु�मका )  

८ वी   मराठी   विहनींची वेल   �चऽ रेखाटून , पाठ्यवाचन व ूँनोत्तरे  

पिरसरातील �व�वध वेलींचे ूत्यक्ष िनरीक्षण करता येईल. वेलवगीर्य भाज्या , त्यांचे आकार , रंग , चव यांच्या नोंदी घेता येतील . वडीलधारी मंडळींकडून मािहती �मळवनू पिरसरातील द�ुमर्ळ वेलींचे �व�वध उपयोग व त्यांच्या नोंदी ठेवता येतील.  

       िहदंी   आम का पेड   �चऽ रेखाटून , पाठ्यवाचन व

ूँनोत्तरे  पिरसरातील शेतात जाऊन आब्यांच्या झाडांची पाहणी केली. �व�वध वाणांचे ःथािनक नाव , फळांचा रंग , चव , आकार यांची मािहती घेतली. आब्याच्या झाडाचा घेर , उंची मोजण्याचा ूत्यक्ष अनभुव �वद्याथ्यार्ंनी घेतला. झाडावरील �व�वध पक्षी , पक्षांची घरटी , वनःपती , शैवाल , मॅ आस , आदी जवै�व�वधता अनभुवली. झाडावर चढून फांद्यावर तसेच झाडाच्या वेलीवर खेळण्याचा आनदंही घेतला. सुकलेल्या (वाळलेल्या) लाकडांचा उपयोग करून काही �वदयाथ्यार्ंनी �वटी-दांडू तयार केला व खेळ खेळला. ) त्यातून आब्याची �व�वध अगंांनी मािहती �मळाली. झाडावरील परावलंबी वनःपती िजला बांडगूळ म्हणतात , त्या वनःपतीला अनेक �वद्याथ्यार्ंनी िबडंगूळ असे संबोधले. त्यातून बोली भाषेतील शब्दाची मािहती झाली. ूमाण भाषेत त्याला बांडगूळ म्हणतात , याची �वदयाथ्यार्ंना जाणीव करून िदली. त्यामुळे िनबधं लेखन करताना �वदयाथ्यार्ंनी आब्याच्या झाडाची ूत्यक्ष अनभुवलेली ःवानभुावावर आधािरत अशी �व�वध अगंांनी मािहती �लिहली.  

       इंमजी   I am the 

Tree �चऽ रेखाटून , पाठ्यवाचन व ूँनोत्तरे  

शाळेलगतच्या ‘ असाना ‘ या वक्षाची पाहणी केली. त्याची उंची , पानांचा रंग , आकार यांच्या नोंदी घेतल्या. वक्षांवरील घरटी िनरीक्षण केले. वार्याच्या झोतावर पानांचा होणारा आवाज अनभुवला. सूयरू् काशात सावलीची हालचाल अनभुवली. आवाज आ�ण मानवी भावना यांचे पांरंपिरक संबधं ःपंट केले. करकर , ककर् श , रडका , घोंघावणे , सळसळ , सू.... , टपटप , सपकन आदी आवाज ऐकले. त्यातून मानवी भावभावना व वक्षांच्या भावभावनांतील साम्य समजावनू घेतले. िनबधं लेखनात याचा उपयोग झाला. िनबधं �लिहताना झाड केव्हा हसते, केव्हा रडते , केव्हा आनदंी होते यांचे ःपंटीकरण करण्यास मदत झाली.  

       �वज्ञान जवै�व�वधता �चऽ रेखाटून , पाठ्यवाचन व

ूँनोत्तरे  पिरसरातील गावठी आब्यांच्या वाणांची मािहती संक�लत केलेली आहे. ःथािनक नाव , फळांचा रंग , चव आकार यांच्या नोंदी ठेवलेल्या आहेत. रोपांचे जतन करण्यासाठी त्यांच्यावर कलमे केली आहेत. कलमे करताना रोपांसाठी खतयक्त माती तयार करणे , खताच्या ूमाणाची मािहती घेतली. छाट घेणे , पाचर तयार करणे ही कौशल्ये आत्मसात केली. आब्याच्या झाडाचा घेर , उंची मोजण्याचा ूत्यक्ष अनभुव �वद्याथ्यार्ंनी घेतला. झाडावरील �व�वध पक्षांची घरटी , वनःपती , शैवाल , मॅ आस , आदी जवै�व�वधता अनभुवली. पानांचे आकार , रंग , लांबी , चव घेतली. झाडावर चढून फांद्यावर तसेच झाडाच्या वेलीवर खेळण्याचा आनदंही घेतला. त्यातून आब्याची �व�वध अगंांनी मािहती �मळाली. पिरसरातील गावठी आब्यांच्या वाणांची मािहती संक�लत केलेली आहे. ःथािनक नाव , फळांचा रंग , चव आकार यांच्या नोंदी ठेवलेल्या आहेत. वक्षांवरील घरटी , �व�वध वनःपती आदी जवै�व�वधतेच्या नोंदी केल्या आहेत.  

CEEConservation Actions & Challenges ahead

Actions• Writing popular articles in newspaper on genetic diversity of mangos and

need for conservation • Nursery development with sapling raising of over 100 varieties with one eco

club.• Four workshops on grafting techniques with students, teachers and villagers

where about 100 persons trained hands on. • Plantation of over 25 wild mango trees on hill near PuneChallenges ahead• Meeting growing developmental demands of the work beyond education • Including more plants for this work e.g. Tamarind, Bor (Zizipus), Rice in WG,

Cucurbitaceous fruits, various Bean var.• Influencing Horticulture Department at State and National Level• Heritage Tag sunder Biodiversity Act 2002• Developing robust monitoring mechanism and formalizing it

CEEA story from live history to end

• Stories & traditional uses, recipes of these fruits

• 35 recipes of Mango, 20 recipes of Fanas/jackfruit, and 9 of Jambhul have been collected.

• More than 20 stories associated with these fruit plants are collected. These stories relate to incidences, communal rules to pick fruits, beliefs, history of the tree, childhood memories, association with personalities etc.

• Madhgoti & Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar

CEERole of Education in fulfilling CBD Objectives

CEEAbout Centre for Environment Education (CEE)• Established in 1984 as a ‘Centre of Excellence’for Environment Education in India supported by Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India

• 7 Regional cells• 8 State Offices• Overall 40 offices reaching to all parts of the country• Work spread in 21 Thrust Areas

• Nodal Agency for implementation of DESD in India by Ministry of Human Resources Development• Implementing Agency for GEF SGP OP-5 in India as a FSP

CEECEE Thrust Areas

• Education for Children• EE in Higher Education• Examination System for EE• Education for Youth• Communicating through Media• Experiencing nature• EE through Interpretation• Knowledge Management for SD• Industry Initiatives• Sustainable Rural Development• Water and Sanitation• Sustainable Urban Development• Waste Management

• Disaster Preparedness and Rehabilitation

• EE for Fragile Areas• Biodiversity Conservation• Eco-Tourism• Training, Networking and

Capacity Building• Facilitating NGO and

Community Initiatives• Initiatives for the UN DESD

Research in EE and ESD

CEEThemes and Programmes based websites by CEE

• www.paramparaproject.org (Documenting Efforts to Conserve India's Living Traditions)• www.earthcharterplus10.org (A conference on "Ethical Framework for a Sustainable World" hosted by CEE &

partnership with Earth Charter)• www.paryavaranmitra.in (Paryavaran Mitra, one of the largest sustainability and climate change education

programmes in the world)• www.saveourtigers.com (Our National Animal is Fighting for its life. Show your Support)• www.desd.org (for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development)• www.handsforchange.org (Hand Print: action towards sustainability)• www.greenteacher.org (Environmental Information System (ENVIS) centre on EE)• www.kidsrgreen.org (for children)• www.gt.ceetechmode.org (Networking tool to the Green Teachers)• www.envirodebate.net (for decision-makers)• www.sayen.org (for youth )• www.amdavadma.org (for urban issues of Ahmedabad )• www.bmwmindia.org (bio-medical waste management )• www.cleanerproduction.org (for cleaner production )• www.sgpindia.org ( UNDP GEF-Small Grants Programme)• www.ceehimalaya.org ( E&C for Mountain Ecosystems )• www.ceeaustralia.org (programmes and activities of CEE Australia)• www.virtualcentre.org (Livestock, Environment and Development (LEAD) India) • www.edutechindia.org (the online shop for EE products) • www.ceevrc.org (TVE-CEE video resource centre)• www.tigerindia.org (about Tigers) • www.ceeindia.org/greenhousegases (Information on climate change)• www.ceeindia.org/esf/ (Education for a Sustainable Future)• www.saseanee.org (the South and South East Asia Network for EE)