Images: Front Cover: Backdrop: habit of Dysoxylum malabaricum, an majestic tree Traditional lamp lighted on Marotty (Hydnocarpus pentandra) fruit shell. A custom, which still followed by Hindu community A Brahmin priest planting a tree (inset) Front Inner: Seed of Wild Nutmeg (Myristica malabarica) with aril Back Inner: Leaves of Wild Cinnamon (Cinnamomum malabatrum) heaped in front of Aattukal temple Back: Fumigation with White Dammar (Vateria indica)- a normal process during holy functions. Exploring the “Bio- Cultural” Heritage in Conservation of 5 Rare, Endemic & Threatened (RET) Tree Species of Western Ghats of Kerala Alcoa Foundation's Practitioner Fellowship Programme 2008 IUCN, Gland Switzerland Final Report (2008-2009) October 31, 2009 N. Anil Kumar Ph D M S SWAMINATHAN RESEARCH FOUNDATION Community Agrobiodiversity Centre, On the occasion of planting a tree sapling of Myristica malabarica Puthurvayal P.O., Kalpetta, along with Shri. Jairam Ramesh, the Hon'ble Minister for Environment Wayanad- 673 121, Kerala, INDIA and Forests, Govt. Of India. CONTENTS i Summary 01 Introduction 04 Profile of the study site 07 Ethnic diversity 10 Methodology 12 Bio-cultural value of the species studied 22 Benefits from the study 27 Conclusions & the steps ahead ii Annexures iii References iv Acronyms used Acknowledgement I thank Alcoa Foundation and My sincere thanks are due to information of the species IUCN for conferring me with Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, studied under this project. I the Conservation Practitioner Chairman of MSSRF for his record my heartfelt thanks to all Fellowship and the support encouragement to take up this of them. Finally, few words of extended to carry out this study. fellowship and study. The appreciation towards Ms. Price I had detailed discussions with assistance of Mr. K.G. Anish, Wendy of IUCN and Ms. Dr. Jeffrey Mc Neely, Chief Mr. Mithunlal, Dr. E. Burton Caitlin of Alcoa Scientist of IUCN and Dr. Unnikrishnan, Ms. Smitha, Ms. Foundation for their meticulous Gonzalo Oviedo, Senior Sujana and Ms. Sreevidhya in way of monitoring this work, Advisor for Social Policy of various stages of this study and and my fellow colleagues of the IUCN for finalizing the report finalisation is gratefully Practitioner Fellowship research idea and the acknowledged here. There were programme for their moral methodology for this study. I several men and women from support and well wishes for this am grateful to them for their different communities shared study. brilliant suggestions and help. with me their knowledge and Summary creates a spiritual atmosphere supplying over 7100 seedlings. according to local beliefs. The oil has Hundreds of seedlings of these species proven utility in treating leprosy. are in survivals now in many of the forest plantations and wild preserved y research that facilitated through A few lessons were learned from this areas of Wayanad and adjoining MAlcoa-IUCN practitioner fellowship study. The first lesson I have derived is regions. programme- 2008 was conducted at that a 'C4' approach can holistically the M S Swaminathan Research address the issue of conservation. The This fellowship has really increased my Foundation's Community study helped me to found that many of motivation in Human Cultural and Agrobiodiversity Centre in Kerala, India. the issues in conservation and Linguistic Diversity work in species rich By the fellowship research, which took sustainable use of biodiversity can be developing countries. Before I accepted nearly a year, I have attempted to achieved through a 'C4' continuum. The this fellowship, I had very little establish the link between cultural and knowledge on the co-evolution of - C4 comprises Conservation, which ethnic role of local society in includes enhancement & sustainable cultural, spiritual, linguistic and conservation and sustainable utilization use of biodiversity and comprises in biological diversities- in the world and of five high- value tree species that are situ, on farm and ex situ conservation; revitalization of the cultural and threatened, rare and endemic to the Cultivation that promotes low external lingustic diversity of India. Incidently Western Ghats of India. All the five input, sustainable farming based on my country is with the largest number species are in IUCN threatened organic principles; Consumption that of endangered languages of the world. category. The analysis of the data covers sustainable utilization through There is so much has to be done to revealed that the local community men conservation and cultivation of life save the dying languages and the and women play a key role in saving crops, Commerce that create an dying diversities. conservation of these species as they economic stake in conservation for use them in different ways, often serving simultaneously the causes of This experience, I am glad to say that related to their ancient traditions, conservation as well as the livelihood has given me so much enthusiasm and customs and belief- system and also in security. The Cultural diversity that confidence in working in the area of their livelihood options. create a spiritual stake in conservation conservation. I sincerely thank Alcoa is an over arching domain. It is Foundation and IUCN for enabling me The study brought out all the five however, noted that there is conflict to undertake this short but unique study species have spiritual, cultural and exists between linking the dimensions and thereby building my conservation many socio-economic values. It is clear of commerce and cultural diversity capability. This capability I am sure from the study that such a collective together. The C approach coupled with would help me to improve my valuation act as a driver for 4 a well knitted management plan will be profession better and better.... conservation of these species. For a highly useful strategy for instance, the cultural importance of revitalization of the cultural traditions, 'white dammar' that extracted from the conservation and sustainable N. Anil Kumar species, Vateria indica is attributed to management of biodiversity. 31-10-200 its utility role in all types of the Hindu pooja, especially that for the blessings A second lesson I learned was that of God Siva. Many communities in conservation of maximum possible Kerala use it to fumigate for the number of tree species that are blessings of God and the ancestoral preferred by the communities will help spirits. The saffron colour sourced from local communities to address the issue the seeds of Myristica malabarica is the of climate change. The fellowship characteristic colour of Hindu culture of helped me to raise a large number of whole of India. Likewise, people believe seedlings of the selected five species Marotti oil from Hydnocarpus pentandra and contributed to a 50,000 Rare, keeps away the evil spirits from home. Endemic and Threatened plant ('RET') It is the most transparent oil, which tree planting campaign of MSSRF by 01 S a c r e d g r o v INTRODUCTION e India is one of the 10 top IBCD-RICH countries of the world. The culture, ethnicity, languages, biodiversity of India are the oldest and unique, and come down only in the form of religious texts. The with amazing functional attributes. The every- day religious beliefs play a dominant part in the history life of tribal and rural communities of this country of Indian religion and these beliefs are at least revolves around these diversities. The South, 10,000 years old. North, and Northeast region of India have their own distinct cultures and almost every state has In a country like India, with its complex carved out its own cultural niche. There is hardly geophysical and cultural characteristics and any culture in the world that is as varied and unique traditions, the distributional pattern of religious and as India. India is home to some of the most ethnic communities, particularly Scheduled Tribes is ancient civilizations, including four major world varied. (Hrusikesh etal., 2002) The Indian Society is religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and not as simple as it looks from the outside. India has Sikhism. Indian religions have deep historical roots a large tribal population, , totaling of 84.3 million that are recollected by contemporary Indians. The (8.2%) (Census Report 2001) in 427 tribal religious culture going back at least 4500 years has communities (Chandraprakash Kala, 2005). Tribals are called as Atavika or Adivasi, in general, and are traditions. The recent thrust on biodiversity 02 forest dwellers or forest dependant communities. conservation and sustainable utilization has The collective knowledge of these communities generated interest from the part of conservation about the biodiversity around them is called Ethno experts and policy makers on the importance of biological knowledge, and it is very ancient in India. traditional use of the resources. But, there is no It describes how people of a particular culture and clear strategic plan exist on how to protect such region make use of indigenous plants and animals. knowledge and culture to help conservation of Ethno biological knowledge that accumulated over biodiversity on a long term basis, particularly in generations help people protect their health and view of rapidly changing culture and life style of nutrition and mange their habitats (Laird, 2002). people of India. The traditional uses that are built The possibility that traditional knowledge may be up from generations of knowledge and experiences rapidly and widely lost in response to