CEPF-ATREE Western Ghats Program

SMALL GRANTS MID-TERM PROGRESS REPORT

Applicant/Organization Name: (as stated in the grant agreement):

Keystone Foundation

Project Title and Number (as stated in the grant agreement or covering letter):

Hill Wetlands in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve – A People’s Conservation Initiative

CEPF-ATREE-WGhats/SGP/ WGSG067-Keystone_Wetland

Submitted by: Archana Sivaramakrishnan

Project Summary:

Aims to preserve special habitats of Hill Wetlands (Tarnadmund, Bison Swamp, Nedugula)

of Nilgiris, highlight their special status, bring to the forefront lesser known wetland species

and their importance in conservation programs. This will be achieved by implementing

sustainable management plans with stakeholder communities for the protection and

monitoring of these landscapes which today are fragmented and disregarded.

Project Dates (as stated in the grant agreement):April 2011- June 2012

Reporting period (Quarters 1 & 2 with month/year): April 2011- September 2011

NARRATIVE SECTION- seven pages at the most

1. Introduction (½ page)

Hill wetlands comprising of swamps and marshes of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve are as yet

less understood and warrant more attention for the special role they play in the ecosystem.

The services these wetlands render directly for conservation of soil and water, support of

unique plants and animals etc is yet to be recognised. Development planning has overlooked

the role of these unique ecosystems and has treated them as

wastelands that have to be converted for agriculture, filled with soil and reclaimed, set aside

for use as garbage dumping sites etc. In the Nilgiris one sees that the wetlands have been

reduced in extent, by the takeover of these activities.

In this project we have been addressing the issue through three interlinked activities. The one

being a biodiversity assessment, the second an economic survey and the third conservation

education sessions with children. These three activities culminate in a community discussion

to arrive at appropriate community responses regarding the conservation of the wetland.

2. Progress against work plan – completed tasks - 2 pages (copy from approved work

plan) –

CEPF-ATREE Western Ghats Program

Appendix 1

3. Preliminary outcomes if any including maps, tables, figures, pictures - 3 pages

(images with clear captions can be sent as separate attachments but mentioned in

text below)

Habitat maps of the three wetlands- Appendix 2

4. Proposed activities in the next quarter - ½ page (copy from approved work plan) -

Appendix 3

5. Challenges and lessons learnt - ½ page

The process of enlisting community interest in a resource like the wetland has been difficult.

This is essentially because the village community especially in Tarnadmund finds it difficult to

envisage a situation where the wetland may shrink to a small proportion of its current size. On

the other hand, the school sessions with the children has been both rewarding with the

children acutely interested in understanding various dimensions of wetlands.

6. Feedback & suggestions - ½ page

Nil

7. Conclusion - ½ page

The project is at a midpoint and we understand that we need to focus more on

conservation education. This seems to be a strategy that will ensure sustained local

discussion on the health of the wetland and on decisions that are likely to affect the

wetland.

8. Appendices (if any) –

Appendices 1 -3

Appendix 1: Progress against work plan

Quart

er

Activities Outputs Deliverables/Reports

to ATREE

Status

1

01/04/

2011

to

30/06/

2011

1. Public meetings and consultations

with local communities on the

project.

2. Meeting with Forest department

and Panchayat on the Project.

3. Participatory exercises with the

resident communities to elicit use

of wetland resources by the

different groups, timeline and

evolve

A habitat map.

4. Survey of wetland and inventory

of biodiversity with active

participation of local community.

5. Contact local schools for monthly

sessions on wetlands.

6. Compiling information for

1. Meeting reports of

public consultation.

2. Reports of use

assessment

participatory

exercise.

3. Preliminary data from

biodiversity

inventory.

4. Session plans on

wetlands for schools.

1. Preliminary

resource use

report and

habitat map.

2. Wetlands

school session

plans.

1. Attached

2. Attached

education material and generation

of posters in English and Tamil.

2

01/07/

2011

to

30/09/

2011

1. Meetings with community

members to analyze problems

and brainstorm on solutions.

2. Meetings with community to

identify representatives and the

idea of Hill Wetlands

Conservation Groups. (HWCG)

3. GIS portal for wetlands

1. Monitoring

mechanisms over

wetland use

2. Representative

groups of community

members evolved.

3. GIS portal for

wetlands and

biodiversity registers.

1. Problem analysis

report.

2. Preliminary

restoration plan.

1. Attached

(preliminary

observations)

2. Work in

Progress

Appendix 2: JPG files attached separately

Appendix 3: Proposed Activities for Qtr 3

Quarter Activities Outputs Deliverables/Reports to ATREE

3

01/10/201

1 to

31/12/201

1

1. Continued monitoring of wetland

biodiversity and physical parameters.

2. Periodic meetings of the Hill

Wetlands Conservation Groups.

3. Visit and interaction of forest

department officials and Panchayat

members with the HWCG.

4. Wetlands awareness sessions with

children in local schools, and sharing

of local initiative by members of the

HWCG.

5. Survey to ascertain economic value

of wetland.

6. Display of public messages on value

of wetlands and ongoing initiative at

the wetland site.

1. Evolution of

conservation

action plan by the

HWCG, with

habitat map,

livelihood

dependence

analysis and

action steps.

2. Identification of

areas for

cooperation

between the

HWCG and the

Forest

department and

Panchayat.

1. Conservation action plan and a

report of activities undertaken by

the HWCG.

2. Progress report of biodiversity

inventory and GIS based portals.

CONSERVATION EDUCATION: WETLANDS MODULE

The need for a concerted effort at conservation education cannot be overstated in the context of

the NBR. A variety of factors including growing human populations, policies of land use change,

changing climatic factors and increasing human wildlife conflicts have lead to a fragmentation of

habitats and inadequate protection to islands of biodiversity. Wetlands are a typical example of

this. Providing vital ecosystem services to the entire region and downstream, these resources

have been ignored by policy and rampantly abused. These are also important habitats for a range

of bio diverse life forms.

While we understand that indigenous knowledge inherently carries a respect and conservation

ethic of all natural resources including wetlands, the onslaught of rapid changes has weakened the

mechanisms of practice and transfer of indigenous knowledge. Changing livelihood patterns have

been among the chief factors. There is a need to engage with local communities on how to revive

elements from indigenous knowledge and communicate them to the younger generation. We

envisage that an equally important aspect of conservation education is to facilitate fora of

discussion among community members on the changing status of natural resources around them,

their own relationship to these and how they can be conserved.

The wetland school sessions are part of the effort to address children on various dimensions of

wetlands. The school session themselves are part of a larger conservation education effort

targeted at all community members. Given below is an outline of wetlands session plans. It is

envisaged that these sessions will be conducted in seven schools, all adjoining the three project

wetlands. These sessions have been divided into three sets to address the learning needs of

children at various levels of schooling.

These wetlands sessions are envisaged both inside the classroom as well as project activities.

Thus, children will be encouraged to 'adopt' certain portions of wetlands near their houses and

study dimensions through observation. Further, village elders will be enlisted to conduct some

sessions/accompany children to the wetlands, to enable sharing of traditional knowledge.

The school outreach segment of the project is expected to involve children from the habitations

dependant on the project wetlands and enlist their support in the overall management plan that will

be evolved.

Sl No Title Duration Components Activities

1 Introduction to

Wetlands

2 hour What is a wetland

Uses of wetlands

Listing of wetlands known to

children

Drawing

HW : Choose a wetland and

list how many animals and

plants live in the wetlands

2 Living and non

living thing in the

wetlands

1 hour Description of

observation

Sharing of last month's

wetland observation notes

bird checklist

3 Habitat and

wetland types

2 hour Field visit with

village elders

Discussion on differences in

different types of wetlands

4 Zonation and life

cycle

½ day Identify zones Adopt a wetland

5 Adaptations ½ day Field visit

6 Food web and

chain

½ day Description Adopt a portion of food web

7 Relationships in

the wetlands

½ day Field visit

Explaining

mutualism etc.

Based on the observation of

food web-discussion on the

relationship between each

level of the food chain

8 Wetland’s threats

impacts

½ day Field visit Questionnaire

9 Cultural

dimensions of

wetlands

½ day Field visit with

village elders

Interaction with villagers,

indigenous information

collection

10 Wetland

Protection

2 hour

LIST OF SCHOOLS

Selection of schools is priority based. Modules will be done in the schools that are in the vicinity of

the project site (Nedugula, Korakunda, Glenmorgan).The list of schools near the vicinity of the

wetland was made as below.

Nedugula

1. Govt. Higher Secondary School.

2. Hillfort Matric School, Kericombai, Nedugula, Kotagiri.

3. Govt. Higher Secondary School, Milithane

Tarnadmund:

4. Govt. Elementary School, Glenmorgan Estate. 1-5std

5. Govt. School, Camp. 1-8std

Korakunda

6. Govt Elementary school 1-Vstd

Thaishola

7. Govt Elementary school 1-Vstd

Three target groups of children have been identified and the modules allocated accordingly

Class Module

I-V '1-3

VI-VIII '4-6

IX-XII '7-10

SCHEDULE

Minimum of three module/ month will be done.

One module/month in each of the selected three schools will be done.

The modules will be started during the month of August and finish by May.

Resource Use Notes and Draft Problem Analysis

1. Nedugula

The wetland serves the four habitations of Nedugula, Kurkuthi, Kavalorai and

partially Kakasolai.

The small remaining portion of the wetland is choked with weeds. The village

claims that the Panchayat allocates funds annually to clean and desilt the

feeder canals. This year, this activity remains to be done.

The water in the check dam is used washing of carrots as well as to wash

clothes by the Kavalorai families.

The neighbouring settlement of Kakasolai grazes its goats and few cows in the

fallow lands adjoining Kavalorai. These cattle drink the water in the check

dam.

The vegetable growing lands of both Kavalorai and Nedugula are on the either

banks of the main feeder canal. There are approximately 75 wells that supply

irrigation to these lands.

One of these wells also supplies drinking water.

The issue of the wetland being converted is imminent; vast tracts of it have already

been claimed for agriculture. The remaining part has a check dam that alters the

water flow to the wetland. The check dam has been commissioned by the HADP. The

proposal did not face any resistance from the villages.

2. Tarnad Mand

The wetland serves the four habitations of Tarnad Mand, Arthol Mand, Pudu

Mand and Kobba Mand.

Water from the wells in the wetland irrigate approximately 60 acres of land, all

vegetable growing

The buffaloes of all four habitations use the wetland both for wallowing and

drinking water; the catchment is the grazing lands.

The ritual of offering salt to the domestic buffaloes also happens on the

wetland

The probability of the wetland being converted to agriculture seems low at present.

The four habitations together own a large extent of grassland by a revenue

assignment termed as 'Toda Patta' land. These tracts are virtually surrounded by

Reserve Forests. While the current residents of the habitations themselves do not

possess the resources to farm most of the land, it is likely that outsiders will move in

to lease land from the Todas. We are as yet unclear what has prevented this from

happening to date.