In the backdrop of an increasingly changing world with its insatiable demand for resources the threat to native cultures and the environment has been well documented worldwide. The old ways of agricultural practices and judicious use of resources threatens to be over-ridden by a chaotic rush towards “development” resulting in pushing native people and floral and faunal species to the brink of extinction. Though much work has been done by organizations both governmental and non-governmental, the need to seriously address some of the problems faced by the environment and to change the current trend has brought together a handful of dedicated and concerned individuals under the banner SHOLA SHACK.
This venture is being run on an experimental basis and since the feed-back is good from our guests, could be a model for resorts and home-stays where the owners of such enterprises understand the importance of showcasing native floral and fauna rather than the manicured lawns and exotic plants that are currently a part of these establishments. Diffusion of ideas into the neighborhood is one of the agendas, thus creating a hope for reconciliation ecology, the obvious beneficiaries being the native plants and animals of this amazingly diverse part of the Western Ghats.
Conservation and restoration of indigenous flora and fauna
- Catalogue indigenous species of flora and fauna
- Conserve and restore indigenous flora and fauna
- Work towards forming corridors along the forests for free movement of wildlife
- Acquire land bordering the forest, remove exotic species and restore it with indigenous flora
- Conduct contact programs in schools and educational institutions to spread awareness on conservation
- Conduct contact programs in estates about the ills of using pesticides and harmful chemicals that contaminate land & water and suggest eco friendly alternatives
Tribal welfare
- Interact with tribal elders and create a databank of tribal knowledge on medicinal plants, wildlife and their catalogue their current status in the wild
- Study and create a repository of tribal dance forms, art forms, music and culture
- Study and create repository of the tools, weapons and implements used in their traditional way of life
- Work towards creating a corpus fund for the treatment of ailing tribal people wherein their traditional medicines can’t help and where allopathic interventions are a necessity
- Conduct various programs to benefit the tribal community
Eco-tourism
- Create a home stay that exposes individuals to a new way of thinking, a chance to appreciate the local fauna and flora and to be part of an experiment that redefines the meaning of a community living in harmony with nature
- Create a rustic ambience with few creature comforts that allows one to connect with nature with few of the distractions of a consumptive urban world
- Introduce individuals to eco friendly alternatives like eco toilet etc. where the waste does not contaminate the environment. For details about eco-toilet, please check the site