The first one is by Ashish Kothari who is with Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group, a non-profit organisation in India, based in Delhi and Pune, working on environmental and social issues. This originally appeared in The Hindu , one of India’s national newspapers.

THE BIRDS ARE BACK
by Ashish Kothari

From a village of bird hunters, Mangalajodi in Orissa (Eastern State in India) is now a village of bird protectors. A story of how the transformation happened.

Black Tailed Godwits

“Black-tailed godwits,” said my companion, pointing to a swirling cloud of specks in the distance that alternately turned black and silver white. A few hundred birds circled and zigzagged above the marshes, their black and off-white plumage creating the effect of being two entirely different species.

I was at Mangalajodi village, at the north-western edge of the great Chilika lagoon in Orissa. An hour’s drive from Bhubaneshwar, Mangalajodi’s large stretches of marshes, reed beds, and open water harbour tens of thousands of migrant and resident birds, protected by the villagers. Madhu Behera, my guide, directed my gaze skywards. A v-formation of Open-billed storks was passing overhead. This species is abundant here, co-inhabiting the marshes with grazing buffalos, even congregating near the village in the evenings. I asked Madhu if he used to shoot this species also; he grinned, nodded, and said, “We ate everything. Not a bird was left 10-12 years back.”

Behaviour change
Therein lies a remarkable story of behaviour change. A decade back, Mangalajodi was a village of bird catchers. Virtually all species were trapped or shot, to eat or sell. It was a lucrative business, yielding up to Rs. 30,000 a month for some people. There was little that wildlife authorities could do. Till a NGO, Wild Orissa, stepped in. In 1996, along with some concerned villagers, it began to talk about possible protection efforts. With the use of cultural and ethical arguments, the attitude began to change. A Sri Sri Mahavir Pakshi Suraksha Samiti (Bird Protection Committee) was constituted by the village in 2000. Its efforts have almost completely eliminated bird poaching here and some ex-hunters like Madhu have become die-hard conservationists. In 2007, the state government awarded the Biju Pattnaik Award for Wildlife Conservation to the Samiti.

Pin Tail Ducks

Suddenly, Madhav Behera, another guide, pointed excitedly to a clump or reeds. “Yellow bittern,” he said. Strain as I might, I could not see it…till it moved. It had been in full view, but so brilliantly merged with the grassy background it might as well not have been there. Even as I trained my binoculars on it, I was startled by the sudden swuuuush of 100 Pin-tail ducks rising from the marshes to our side. In the distance, a flock of Greylag geese circled and settled on some open water.

Mangalajodi’s checklist of birds numbers well over 200. Many of these are migratory, coming in such large numbers that the spectacle here in winter is comparable to the famed Bharatpur in its heyday. Interestingly, though, unlike protected areas like Bharatpur, local people in Mangalajodi continue to fish and graze their buffalos in the wetlands. There is little indication that these have had a negative impact. As is now acknowledged, closure of Bharatpur to buffalo grazing in the early 1980s allowed grasslands to take over, and had to be kept in check by opening up the area to grass cutting and other methods. Villagers complain that fish catch has gone down, blaming siltation from surrounding degraded catchments and inaction by the government with regard to dredging the lagoon.

Patrolling in the lake

Madhu mentions that there are “over 100” fishing cats in the area. I am not quite sure how he has arrived at this estimate, but it may not be far off the mark. Members of the Samiti (having grown from the original 6-7 to about 25) patrol the wetland along its bunds and on boat, especially at night. They keep an almost constant count of numbers of what they see (including nests and eggs in the season). They have even set up four guard camps. These strategies, say the Samiti members, are much more effective than the recently set up camps by the Forest Department. The local forester I met confirmed that, were it not for the villagers, protection would be impossible.

Bronze Winged Jacana

As we start back towards the village, Golden plovers and Indian pratincoles shift uneasily on a bund we are passing. Beyond them, Purple moorhens display their brilliant plumage, competing with the dazzling Bronze-winged jacanas. As we get off the boat, I notice an Open-billed stork on the other side of the bund; I try to approach it silently to get a close-up, but it flies off. Laughing, my companions tell me that the birds are much shyer of outsiders than of the locals. That, I respond, reflects the trust that the birds have in the villagers. It is an effective antidote to a recent pronouncement by conservation NGOs that community conservation in Chilika is failing.

Mangalajodi Visitor Centre

But their concern is also partly justified. Even as I prepare to depart, a Samiti member gets a call from Nandkishore Bhujbal of Wild Orissa. A case of bird poisoning has been detected in a neighbouring village, and he is proceeding there with forest officials. Madhu Behera decides to accompany him and current Samiti president Ramhari Behera remarks that committees in the neighbouring villages are not as strong as Mangalajodi’s. Effective empowerment of communities and forest officials to deal with poaching is clearly needed, with Mangalajodi’s example as an inspiration.

Visitors accompanied by Eco Guide

What of the future?
I make the payment fixed for visitors by the Samiti as part of a fledgling ecotourism initiative. Wild Orissa has trained some youth as birding guides, and Chilika Development Authority has funded a watchtower and visitors’ centre. Is the income adequate for their livelihoods? They mention that some youth are getting a small monthly allowance from Wild Orissa, but this will end in 2009. So what about the future? They are uncertain, and ask for help in increasing the number of genuine bird lovers visiting the village. They are also aware, however, that mass tourism could destroy the area. Alternative livelihoods? Not sure. I wonder why the money going to forest department staff cannot go to village youth in situations where they have demonstrated effective conservation results. Before I can voice this, Madhu quietly says, “Whatever happens, our commitment to protecting these birds is not going to diminish.”

The story continues……

The second article is by Dr. Pankaj Sharma who is currently working with the Wildlife Conservation and Ecotourism Project at Mangalajodi.

ECOTOURISM AND CONSERVATION IN MANGALJODI
by Dr. Pankaj Sharma

June 2010: It was 5:30 a.m. and my phone rang loudly. Being a late riser, I was rather annoyed until I saw the number and recognised it as one of the villagers of Mangalajodi, a picturesque hamlet on the banks of the Chilika Lake in Orissa. Picking up, I heard the troubled voice of Madhu, an eco-guide at Mangalajodi, saying “Sir kuch log Mangalajodi main shikar kar rahe hain (Sir, there are people poaching birds in Mangalajodi).”

It was perturbing to hear of this occurrence in a habitat declared as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International, which hosts more than 300,000 birds from across the globe and which is part of the Chilika lake that has been notified as a Ramsar site.

Promoting indigenous practices for sustainable fishing

I had visited Mangalajodi in March 2009 and the trip had reaffirmed my faith in community conservation initiatives. A decade ago, the village was known for its infamous poachers and wildlife was often considered worth more dead, than alive. In 1996-1997, Nanda Kishor Bhujabal and members of a conservation group called Wild Orissa began conducting awareness programmes in the village. Their efforts bore fruit and the Sri Sri Mahavir Pakhshi Surakshya Samiti (Bird Protection Committee), driven by reformed poachers, was formed in December 2000. The members of the committee began to survey and patrol the area daily and keep a close eye out for poachers. Wild Orissa and the Council of Professional Social Workers (CPSW)  supported the group and provided them with small wooden boats to aid patrolling efforts and the Chilika Development Authority and the Chilika Wildlife Department chipped in with funds and seasonal jobs.

Ruddy Shell Ducks

Madhu was one of the leading members of the group and my time with him in Mangalajodi opened my eyes to the impact a few driven people could have on the environment. From 5,000 birds in 1999-2000 to welcoming 10,000 birds in 2000-2001 and reaching a figure of 300,000 birds in the year 2003-2004, the SSMPSS had brought about a sweeping change in the region. SSMPSS was even awarded the Biju Patnaik Wildlife Conservation Award for 2007 by the Government of Orissa.

From Madhu, I learned how poachers trapped and killed birds to earn a living. His own income had dropped from around Rs. 2,000 a day to around Rs. 2,000 a month. His life had changed and today protecting the birds seemed to be all that mattered to him. My relationship with Madhu deepened and I got to know this living legend as few people do.

Despite never having attended school, this reformed poacher knows virtually all that a field biologist would want to know about the birds that visit Mangalajodi, including their morphology, breeding habits, life cycles and even their migratory patterns.

I discovered one night how far Madhu had come from being the poacher he was. When I called on him, I was dismayed to learn that  he was esconsed at the local police station where he had been arrested for assault when he caught a man who had killed a turtle for dinner.

A typical boat at Mangalajodi

Mangalajodi has not yet made it to the calendar of birders in India. It is not even on the Orissa Tourism map or even included in the Chilika Guide Map. But, thanks to the SSMPSS the birds are getting the protection they need and locals are getting the social support they need for livelihoods that revolve around bird protection. When I last spoke to some villagers they said that roughly 300 visitors come to Mangalajodi each year and that the income they bring supports several families whose members are acting as guides and boatmen. A delighted Madhu said that in the last season (November to February), some 611 visitors from six different countries visited Mangalajodi.

Hopefully a time will come when many more Mangalajodis will find protection and many more locals will discover sustenance from protecting nature rather than destroying it.

MANGALAJODI: KINGDOM OF BIRDS

The Mangalajodi wetland (10 sq. km.) is a freshwater swamp to the northeast of Chilika Lake. The main channel runs south for around three kilometres and has a two kilometre-long nature trail running alongside ending at a watchtower from where nature lovers keep an eye on the myriad bird species that visit and live in the area. The area is a haven for waterfowl and attracts thousands of winter migrants and is home to a diverse population of breeding residents. Recognised as an Important Bird Area, over 300,000 waterfowl visit here in winter. The Tufted Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Fulvous Whistling-duck, Purple Swamphen, Asian Openbill, Cotton Pygmy-goose Grey-headed Lapwing, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Black-tailed Godwit, Garganey, Eurasian Wigeon, Ruddy Shelduck, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the Whiskered Tern are some of the species seen here.

(Courtesy: Kolkatabirds.com )

Further links about the Mangalajodi project:

1. Wild Orissa: From the Biju Patnaik Wildlife Conservation Award

The methodology adopted in Mangalajodi involved the following:
1. Direct intervention by way apprehending poachers operating in the waters of Chilika Lake, with prior information on such activities, alongwith members of ‘Wild Orissa’ and forest staff.
2. Monitoring with members of ‘Wild Orissa’ in the waters, especially in the poaching prone areas adjoining Mangalajodi waters, in both motorboats as well as in boats procured from local sources.
3. Patrolling with members of ‘Wild Orissa’ and forest staff, during odd hours, against poaching of bird eggs.
4. Holding of regular meetings with the members of the bird protection committee of Mangalajodi.
5. Holding meetings with the forest staff of Tangi Wildlife Range and Mangalajodi Section.
6. Outings with visiting scientists from the Bombay Natural History Society etc., to the breeding habitats.
7. Involvement of school children in boat excursions to the bird breeding habitats.
8. Organising competitions on Chilika Lake and its birds, amongst school children of the area.
9. Seeking interventions of the Chief Wildlife Warden, Irrigation Department, Chilika Development Authority, etc., on the fragile waterfowl breeding habitats.
10. Ensuring some income generation for the poacher turned conservationists, which could help mitigate the poor economic conditions of these people, which would ensure their continuous involvement in water fowl conservation, through initiation of an Eco-Tourism Project in Mangalajodi village in the year 2003.

2.. Project Website: Mangalajodi Ecotourism
3.  Facebook Group Mangalajodi Ecotourism
4. Birdlife International Birdlife IBA Factsheet Mangalajodi
5. Sanctuary Asia NGO Profile : The Sri Sri Mahavir Pakhshi Surakshya Samiti (SSMPSS)
6. Travel Writers Forum- Kolkata Birds.com/Mangalajodi
7. Your Travel Choice.org – Birders Paradise Chilika Lake Orissa India

“Want to visit Mangalajodi?
Grass Routes Journeys operates special customised tours to Mangalajodi on request. The winter months from November to February are the best time to visit. Grass Routes has generously donated a community eco-tour package, “India Nature & Wildlife Journeys, 6 days/5 nights for 2” which is currently available on TIES ecoAuction.”

Other related links:

1. IPS News: Violence escalates around India’s Largest Inland Lake

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View from Tanjung Sutera resort

Tanjung Sutera is not exactly a place that pops into people’s mind when you talk of a trip to Malaysia. It lies at an almost forgotten end of a vast palm oil plantation, on the eastern coast of Johor, Malaysia. Perhaps that is why it still retains its rustic charm with many wonders to discover. The resort lies about 40 meters above sea level, and offers a spectacular, uninterrupted 180 degrees view of the South China Sea to behold. 

I was part of a group of 18 people comprising of volunteers and staff of the Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG), who on landing there last Saturday, simply dropped our bags and rushed out to the ramps like little wide-eyed, open-mouthed children - in awe of the azure beauty of the vast waters.

AGE IS IN THE MIND

The spirited Mahaya Menon

We were very fortunate to have Mahaya Menon as our team leader. I’ve known her for 6 years as a particularly knowledgeable and inspirational SBG rainforest and herbs guide. At 70 years of age, she’s an absolute joy to be with, her enormous energy and passion are really infectious and there is much to learn from her wisdom, her childlike inquisitiveness and appreciation of all the things around her. She’s a real model of how to enjoy all the goodness in life, aging gracefully and energetically.

VALUE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES

Kampong walk

Mahaya led the way around the adjoining kampong (village in Malay). We had in our group Marc, Nura and Shali from SBG Living Collections, Bian from the Botanic Garden Conservation International, Dina the horticulturist at the new Jacob Ballas Children’s garden in Singapore (who’s also done a splendid job at the tropical rainforests Biome at the Eden Gardens in Cornwall, UK) along with Angie, the co-author of “The Guide to the Fabulous Figs of Singapore” sharing their insights. Get a handful of biologists and horticulturists together and you can rightfully expect an animated and interesting discussion about taxonomy, plant species and genus as well as ethnobotanical uses!

The rest of us – Jenny, Vicky, Rebecca from SBG Living collections, Mak (who helped co-ordinate the trip), Ben, Sumo and Nick, from SBG Visitor Centre, Colleen, Cheng, June (SBG volunteers) and my daughter, Lavanya and I tagged along taking in the foliage and the relaxed pace of kampong life.

Though it is not always easy for me to recognise different plant and tree species, the way biologists do, learning a few things about them has vastly broadened my understanding of different ecosystems and the impact of human activity on them.

I’ve always felt we have become so specialised in our university education and jobs, that many a time, we fail to get a more a holistic view of things.  While specialisation is important in any profession, we sometimes tend to lose sight of the impact of our pursuits on the environment and society.

At B-school, for example, we were taught endlessly about “HOW” to add value to a product or service, but never really to question “WHAT” we were doing in the first place. Take for example, food. Ironic as it sounds, “adding value” to food means to make it extremely processed and refined, by adding a whole host of artificial preservatives, colouring and flavouring into something beyond recognition from its true character, and then packaging, advertising and marketing it. All for the sake of maximising profits for a small section of society, without getting to question in an integrated way, the costs to the environment and society as a whole.

Coming back to the kampong walk, Mahaya amazed us with all the things she picked up along the way. Here she is picking tapioca leaves from the wayside. In her hands are fig leaves (Ficus auriculata  or the Elephant ear fig) which she promised to make into an exotic herbal tea.
 

DVD ON SUSTAINABLE FARMING IN CUBA

Mahaya showed us a DVD in the multi-purpose hall. What if a country is shut off from oil, as well as all related products like oil intensive fertilisers and chemicals.  What if there was no more fuel to run tractors that are required for large industrial agriculture?

I’m no a fan of communism, but the video ( I managed to find a part of it on You Tube) is an enlightening look on how Cuba managed to cope in an oil deprived world after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with a system of community farming which is good for the earth and unexpectedly for Cubans’ health too.

All the critics who think the world will die of hunger if we don’t have massive industrial plantations, and the related oil based fertilisers, pesticides and genetically modified seeds should think again, for there are better alternatives to mega monoculture farming.

WHO BEARS THE COST?

Mahaya led the group to do the beach clean up around the resort. For a beach that is hardly frequented, the litter was mindboggling!  All this litter brought in by the sea!!

Beach clean up

We discussed about this huge plastic soup of litter floating in the Pacific Ocean, the world’s largest rubbish dump. I read that it has 100 million tons of flotsam, held in place by swirling underwater currents, and is almost twice the size of the United States.

We removed strips of plastic tightly woven around the stems of sea lettuces. Strewn all over the beach, were remnants of fishermen’s nets, plastic bottles, bottle caps, stryofoam pieces and packaging, plastic straws, cosmetic tubes, soles of shoes. Mostly things we use every day!  Marc found a little plastic merlion statue, which the group conjectured sailed all the way from Singapore!

Who bears the real cost of plastic packaging and products which are not disposed off properly? Anyone who’s been involved in any kind of community clean up activity can’t help asking this question. Undoubtedly the Earth and its warming atmosphere, bears the cost of burning fossil fuels. Communities, perhaps thousands of miles away whose beaches and waterways are clogged and cluttered for no fault of theirs, bear the cost. And all of us too, in some way or the other have to bear the cost of overuse and neglect.

Though we managed to do a small area of the beach, the difference we made was really visible. The litter will come back again, surely, but hopefully another group like ours, will clean help clean up. And hopefully, companies which manufacture them or use them to sell their products as well as consumers will change their habits.

LOCALLY MADE, WITH LOVE
Meals were simple, prepared with vegetables and leaves freshly plucked from the kampong environs. It helped that Mahaya was vegetarian like me, as she took special care to leave instructions for Jane, our resort cook.

Mahaya, Jane(cook) and Syed Ahmed(owner)

Some of the things that Jane so lovingly made for us where the very firsts in my life! Remember the tapioca leaves Mahaya plucked for us? They were transformed into a spicy stir fry covered with coconut shavings. I had paku or a curry made of ferns, absolutely the most delectable greens I’ve had. Mahaya told me that there are about 200 edible varieties of ferns, out of which 16 are regionally available. Jiring, a kind of bean pod from a tree was steamed, with sea salt and palm sugar(gula Malacca) with coconut on it. I also had pressed rice in the form of cones called lontong, with lamak (similar to the South Indian dish called avial) made with young jack fruit and coconut milk.  And of course, Mahaya got the dried fig leaves made into a warm and invigorating tea for us.

All this local food brought my mind back to the DVD on Cuba’s local communities. What a difference local produce makes, so rich in variety, freshly plucked, travelling minimally to the cooking stove. 

I was also reminded of a book by Terri Glavin called “The Sixth Extinction.”  How many of our common local varieties are becoming marginalised, by the monotony made available in supermarkets-the same varieties of the same vegetables as in the same boring carton fit and perfectly shaped carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage that criss cross the world creating huge food miles, and huge carbon footprints.

LARGE SCALE PLANTATIONS

Palm oil plantation

As we headed for our rainforest walk, we passed by massive swathes of large scale palm oil plantations. These are not native to the region. The species of palm oil in these huge monocultures are Elaeis guineensis, brought from the rainforests of Guinea in Western Africa as the demand for rubber declined in the 1960s. This species has the largest yield of oil, about 6 tonnes per hectare.  The oil from the kernel is used for making edible oil, which you will find ubiquitously in cake mixes, milk powders, bread, and processed foods . The oil extracted from the fibrous fruit is for non-edible purposes such as greasing industrial machinery, cosmetics, soaps etc. The oil palm is labelled RBD (refined, bleached and deodorised) and packed into 50kg and 100kg barrels for export.

Expanding palm oil plantations often lead to removal of primary rainforests. It is important to think of the impact of such massive green deserts, in terms of fertiliser and pesticide use as well as removal of biodiversity. It also removes acreage which would otherwise sustain local communities and encourage food self-sufficiency.

RAINFOREST WALK 

Rainforest walk

We ended up in the wrong Panti rainforest trail, nevertheless as we were running short of time, we decided to follow the trail that we found in the Panti bird sanctuary.

I was thrilled to come across the majestic Koompasia malaccensis or the Kempas tree. What a fine buttresse this one had. Rainforest trees don’t really grow that tall by temperate country standards. Amongst all species, this species can grow up to 85 metres, making them the tallest in S.E.Asia. You could find upto a hundred bee hives perched on the top. However, as Angie pointed out, bee hives have dramatically reduced in Malaysia. Much of that is due to illegal logging, as well as the regional haze caused by burning down rainforests.
I also came across some Shorea species of trees, as I do like to see and touch the trees whose cause I like to champion http://www.ecowalkthetalk.com/blog/2009/02/25/part-ii-is-your-coffee-table-worth-it/

Buttress roots of the Kempas

Leech on Nick

The trip was interrupted by squeals by some team members (most prominently my daughter) as she discovered leeches on her shoe trying to attach to her skin. I think the leeches managed to hook onto 4 team members, 3 of whom managed to scrape them away. Nick, however very generously offered his leg to the blood thirsty leech, which you can see is firmly glued to the skin. I guess it would have jumped off once its belly was full, but Nick got it removed an hour later. I can understand why he’d had enough of it!!

As June, the biology teacher in the group told me, leeches are good at sensing ground vibration, and once they latch on to the skin, inject an ant-coagulant. So when you get one on your skin, the bleeding doesn’t stop even when your remove it. Otherwise the best way to remove one would be using vinegar or salt or some essential oil. All in all, a leech is quite harmless and is used in some therapies to improve blood circulation. Be that as it may, I was quite relieved I managed to shake off the two on my shoe.

ECO-FRIENDLY FITTINGS

Rattan and bamboo furniture and fittings

Tanjong Sutera Resort is an eco-builders paradise, with the extensive use of rattan and bamboo is concerned, in the furniture, roofs and fittings. Some of the more exclusive chalets were also designed with eco-friendly fittings.

NATURE’S ART

Rock Art

The volcanic rocks that dominated the coastline are solidified lava belonging to the Triassic age (pre-Jurassic age of the dinosaurs, from about 250-200 million years ago). We were blown over by the extra-terrestrial landscape and the amazing artwork of Nature. As Mahaya said, there is so much interdisciplinary learning, of geology, marine life and ecosystems, biology and art.

Barnacles on a rock

The stones and shells were amazingly beautiful and abundant, as were the plethora of tiny rock pool creatures, such as sea snails, sea cucumbers, hermit crabs, barnacles, zebra fish, molluscs and oysters.
I filled my lungs with all the raw energy of the wind and the sea. It made me want to read Rachel Carson’s book, “The Sea around Us” all over again, for none that I know can describe the beauty of the sea and the creatures of the rock pools as lyrically as her.

 
I was glad my 8 year old was so mesmerised by the beauty all around her. She sent this simple and spontaneous message to the stones, the shells, the rocks, the waves and the wind.

A message to the Universe

 
When the hissing waters of the sea came frothing over these words to take them away, I imagine they would have uttered, like me, “Terima Kaseh” which in Malay means “Thank you” or more profoundly, “ I have received your love.”

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PS:  Recommended to go as a group, especially if you’re walking along the beach, as the rocks are slippery, and the beach is not frequented.  If you would like to join Mahaya when she goes there next, please contact her at mahayamenon@yahoo.com  .  Kindly organise a group size of 10-20 (school children or individuals/families). She’s doing this purely on a voluntary basis as she loves the place and wants to keep the resort going, so that it’s not swallowed by the adjoining palm oil plantations. Do remember to appreciate her assistance. Facilities are basic, but the airconditioning and hot water are more than enough. For more details of the resort, look at
www.tanjungsutera.com

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