In a landmark collaboration with the Athirapilly Grama Panchayath and the Kerala Forest Department, the Western Ghats Hornbill Foundation has facilitated the establishment of community-led nurseries within the Vazhachal Forest Division. These nurseries are owned and managed by the Kadar indigenous community, particularly focusing on the empowerment of women as “forest stewards.” By integrating the Kadar people’s unparalleled traditional knowledge of forest phenology with formal conservation goals, the project ensures the propagation of site-specific, endemic species essential for the health of the Chalakudy River basin. This initiative goes beyond simple reforestation; it is a model of participatory forest management that secures indigenous livelihoods while ensuring that the restoration of the Western Ghats is guided by the people who know it best.
