Citizens as champions of conservation: Chikmagalur shows the way

Citizens as champions of conservation: Chikmagalur shows the way

Views: 2569 | April 23, 2018

Every Saturday afternoon at 4 pm, a few citizens from Chikmagalur, Karnataka, meet to discuss ongoing affairs of their town. They come from diverse backgrounds–law, medicine, journalism, business owners–and many are students. The common cause that binds them together? Concern for the environment and natural landscapes that surround their hometown. This ceremonial meeting first took place nearly twenty years ago, and the tradition continues till today; its participating members belong to a group called the Wildlife Conservation Action Team-Chikmagalur, or the WildCAT-C.

Known for its abundant coffee estates and exquisite natural beauty, Chikmagalur is a hilly district of Karnataka. The vast mountains systems of the Western Ghats that line it are embedded with Shola forests and are the origins of the Tunga and Bhadra rivers. Flourishing wildlife reserves like Bhadra and Kudremukh also belong to these mountains and are home to multiple species of rare and endangered wildlife like tigers, leopards, elephants, Lion-tailed macaques, hornbills, king cobra, and several endemic plants, reptiles and frogs. The highest peak of Karnataka, the Mullayanagiri hills are a part of the mountain ranges that decorate Chikmagalur, and so are other prominent peaks like Kemmanagundi, Baba Budan Giri and Kudremukh.

Shola forests of Kudremukh ©Kiran Yadav

WildCAT-C began as a volunteer-driven group in 1995, with the vision of involving the citizens of Chikmagalur in appreciating the rich ecological history of the landscape. DV Girish, a founding member of WildCAT-C recalls, “We were a group of eight or ten like-minded people at the time and were fond of walking through forests and observing wildlife. As teenagers, we began noticing the degradation of these forests and the threats they faced due to encroachment, mining and reckless management. We wanted to expand our team and involve more people to work towards protecting the forests and wildlife of Chikmagalur–this was the idea behind founding WildCAT-C.” In the years since, volunteers who joined the trust have become staunch advocates for conservation of the natural heritage that surrounds them, and passionate about taking this message to their fellow citizens.

Over the years, the group has regularly organised and conducted awareness camps for school and college students, designed to encourage curiosity about natural landscapes and wildlife. Naturally, this includes treks through the forest ranges, lakes, and grasslands that encircle Chikmagalur. In the process, participants are acquainted with the birds, animals and natural landscapes they encounter.

Nature camp for college students by WildCAT-C ©WildCAT-C

Every October, the annual ‘Cycle for Nature’ event is organised during Wildlife Week and is a source of much excitement for the town. Manish Kumar, who owns a garment shop in Chikmagalur and is a long-time volunteer fondly recalls the days leading up to the event: “During this event, we organise a cycling competition for children, and the track meanders through the lakes and forests that surround Chikmagalur. Throughout the day, children are encouraged to ask questions about the paths they are crossing. Why is a certain abandoned mine in their path, what are the types of birds that are found here, how many lakes did they come across, why is the passing forest patch dry and degraded? It is rewarding to see them get excited about these observations as they take in the environment around them.”

'Cycle for Nature' organised by WildCAT-C ©WildCAT-C

Another volunteer Sharath Indavara, currently a student pursuing his bachelor’s degree says, “I never paid much attention to birds before. Now, going to the lakes around Chikmagalur, and observing and recording birds is my hobby. I will never forget the thrill of sighting an Amur Falcon on my path and the elusive jungle cat that once appeared before me!”

While most volunteers are engaged in other professions and contribute to the trust’s activities whenever they can, several also switched to work for conservation full time, and have fought difficult battles against ill-planned infrastructural and real estate projects in the region. Over the years, the natural landscapes, especially the mountain ranges of Chikmagalur district have faced several threats like the encroachment of forest land, reckless management of forests and illegal mining.

More recent threats include the influx of tourist resorts, the proposed expansion of roads, and ill-conceived micro-hydel and wind-mill projects in ecologically sensitive areas. For nearly two decades, members of WildCAT-C have taken up these difficult battles and fought for the protection of the wilderness areas from such ill-planned projects. Several of these ventures are insidiously marketed and promoted as ‘development’ schemes, and often have the support of the public. Members of WildCAT-C have advocated for the protection of the natural landscapes that the projects were proposed in, by fighting multiple cases in court as well as informing the public about their grave ecological costs. Their efforts have resulted in the shutting down of tourist resorts in ecologically sensitive areas, the establishment of a Blackbuck conservation reserve, a stay on the construction of wind turbines in Chikmagalur district and the halting of construction and expansion of roads through reserve forest areas.

In a successful example of sustained citizen participation through generations of volunteers taking forward a shared cause, WildCAT-C continues to engage students and citizens from all walks of life to speak up for nature. Interested in joining them and learning a little about the region’s ecological history? Just make sure you are in Chikmagalur on Saturday around 4 pm – odds are that someone will direct you to the next meeting.

By Vaishali Rawat

Photo credits: Rujan Sarkar (Cover)

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