Sanctuary |Report
THE MUD ON BOOTS PROJECT
FIELD DIARIES!
BY CARA TEJPAL
MALHAR AND THE MYRISTICA SWAMP
In Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, young Malhar Indulkar
is working to protect beautiful stretches of riverine habitats
and sacred groves along the Tillari and Terekhol rivers. In
2018, Malhar was amongst one of two researchers who
identifi ed a rare swamp of myristica plants in a sacred
grove called Kanalachi Rai. This year, Malhar has been
experimenting with restoring parts of this grove thatSanctuary’s Mud on Boots Project is a two-year booster programme that has been designed to
empower grassroots conservationists in India. Individuals who are working towards conservation
goals are selected as Project Leaders through a closed nomination process. Over the two year
programme, they receive a small grant, are connected with species or landscape experts, receive
resource materials, participate in capacity building workshops and receive sundry, customised
support. The Mud on Boots Project targets those nature defenders who are usually overlooked
by big organisations and government bodies because of a lack of formal education, language
barriers, remoteness or lack of access to technology. Take a look at some of the work being
carried out by our current Project Leaders:has degraded, and successfully transplanted a few young
saplings from a vulnerable area to a more secure one! Malhar
has been teaching children in his community about the
importance of wilderness habitats and more specifi cally of
myristica groves. In March, during Holi celebrations, a group
of six students performed a streetplay on sacred grove
conservation for the entire community.
Malhar also worked with farmers in Hevale village to
erect wildlife crossing signboards on vulnerable stretches