We have identified and prioritized 100 tree species that are distributed in the two regions mentioned above, belonging to Rare, Endemic, Threatened, and Sacred categories, and each with 25 species. The Sacred trees are chosen from those referred in the Vrikshayurveda and Ramayana. We would like to call these endangered and sacred species, GOD Trees!
Traditionally, in many countries, people believe Gods (and Devils too) and ancestor spirits abode on Trees. In south India, some of the lofty trees with fragrant flowers or thick foliage have been attributed with God’s presence. This kind of belief systems, started ever since world humans settled down and it had helped in protecting many of the native tree species all over the world.
Saving Culture for Saving BIodiversity
Exploring the Bio-Culture Heritage in Conservation of 5 Rare, Endemic & Threatened (RET) Tree Species of Western Ghats of Kerala
We have located hundreds of sacred sites that are associated with households, Hindu temples, churches and mosques from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Odisha states. But, unfortunately, a large number of such sacred sites have been degraded or encroached or restored with ‘wrong’ species. We have shortlisted 100 degraded Sacred Groves from different villages of Kerala for the first phase of restoration and initiated discussion with the respective custodians of them.
Sadly, the degradation of ecosystem services or extinction of species remains unnoticed or rarely spoken about or addressed compared to the Climate crisis in these states. Time and again, we are repeating our failures in actions or the inactions itself, regardless of many agendas and legally binding calls to actions having been adopted by most of the countries to save biodiversity.