Rewilding the Western Ghats: A glimpse into our conservation efforts in Wayanad

09 May 2025

Wayanad is a lush, green and biodiversity-rich region in the Western Ghats of India, one of the world’s eight biodiversity hotspots. Its unique landscape connects three different states of India, allowing wildlife to move freely depending on the season and availability of food. A large portion of the forest here is moist deciduous and dry deciduous, providing habitat to endemic flora and fauna. The region’s natural conditions also make it an ideal location for cultivating plantation crops such as coffee, rubber, teak and tea.

However, without proper planning, these agricultural activities can severely impact the natural ecosystems, replacing native forests with commercial plantations. In areas like Wayanad, afforestation efforts often fail to address the real issue. The impact of habitat degradation is visible almost immediately. Native tree species are disappearing, animals are running out of food inside the forests and harmful invasive species are taking over.

Vanda Spp- A common Orchid in the forests of Wayanad Photo: Shaik Imran

The focus of the project

My project is focused on restoring these landscapes by reintroducing native and rare, endangered, and threatened (RET) tree species. The goal is to develop a functional model that integrates RET species into conservation and restoration efforts, builds a strong knowledge base and creates community support for long-term support of the landscape.

Spending time on the ground, talking to conservationists, scientists and local communities, made me realize how little awareness exists about RET species and their role in historic landscapes. Exotic trees are often planted because they grow quickly and offer economic benefits, but they fail to support the ecosystem.

Many native RET species can be just as economically viable while also playing a crucial role in restoring forests that have been taken over by invasive trees like Senna spectabilis, which is rapidly replacing native flora.

Communities mulching native trees with Gliricidia and protective structures Photo: Shaik Imran

A canopy in the making after 20 months of progress. Photo: Shaik Imran

More than planting trees

This initiative is not just about planting trees. It is about working with communities to understand the landscape, build nurseries for native varieties and create a model that other stakeholders can adopt across the Western Ghats.

By integrating native trees, grasses and shrubs, we are not just restoring forests but also ensuring that local communities benefit from conservation efforts

Plantation of locally sourced native trees in dry months. Photo: Shaik Imran

How we got started on our first patch of land for restoration

Finding land for restoration was one of the biggest challenges. Most landowners prefer to plant exotic trees or commercially valuable fruit crops. We took a different approach by focusing only on RET and native species, along with local shrubs and smaller plants.

A private landowner who supported our vision allowed us to use a two-hectare plot for the project. However, the land had been heavily degraded due to years of areca nut and cardamom cultivation with intense chemicals and improper land management.

The first step in any restoration effort is understanding the land and its history. Talking to local communities provided valuable insights into native flora, traditional knowledge and the ecological role of different species. Many community members have an incredible ability to identify native versus exotic trees just by looking at them. Their knowledge is key to building an effective restoration plan.

The next step was assessing soil, water and wind conditions to ensure that the area was ready for restoration.

Degraded land, previously a cardamom plantation with chemical intensification and improper land management. Photo: Shaik Imran

View from outside the landscape after a few months of restoration. Photo: Shaik Imran

Community and native nurseries

Community-run nursery growing native tree saplings. Photo: Shaik Imran

Once the groundwork was done, we worked with the community to raise saplings of native trees and sourced additional plants from local nurseries that provide livelihood to many women. We also made sure to integrate native grasses and shrubs, which help prevent the spread of invasive weeds and create a more resilient landscape.

April and May were dedicated to preparation, research and planning. The actual plantation work took place during the monsoon season from June to August. The fertile, moist soil in this region makes direct planting possible without extensive inputs. The monsoons play a crucial role in nurturing these young trees, allowing them to establish themselves and eventually take over the degraded land.

Chechis (Sister in Malayalam language) is working hard throughout the year to ensure nurseries raise native varieties.
Photo: Shaik Imran

How can a single project turn into a model?

Right after we finished the mini forest plantation with native and RET species, it gave us a model to showcase to other people to build awareness and knowledge about the importance of native trees and the role they can play in local landscape.

This is when I started focusing on model forestry techniques such as sacred groves, school forests, mini forests and more which showcased great enthusiasm from the community and other stakeholders coming forward to plant significant species in their properties, schools or temples.

This proved to be great for conservation because communities naturally prevented these species from being cut down, which ensured the conservation of endangered species in the mix. These also served as community knowledge centres to involve different stakeholders in the process to “restore, conserve and learn together.”