Green volunteers undertake debarking of Senna trees to save Muthanga forest in Wayanad

Members of Prithvi Roots debarking Senna trees in Muthanga, Wayanad.

Members of Prithvi Roots debarking Senna trees in Muthanga, Wayanad.

Years after completing their secondary education, a group of youngsters has set out to take forward their commitment to nature and to save a forest.

Prithvi Roots, an organisation of nature enthusiasts, also the alumni of Sree Ramakrishna Mission Higher Secondary School in Kozhikode, is doing their bit to eliminate the invasive plant species Senna spectabilis from the dying Muthanga forest in Wayanad. Locally known as ‘Manjakonna’, the species is known to be destroying the undergrowth in the forest and eventually causing man-animal conflicts in the Western Ghats.

Senna spectabilis is similar to the ‘Kanikonna’ found widely in Kerala, and is yet very different. It became part of the forests in Kerala as part of the Forest department’s afforestation efforts. However, recent studies by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) in Peechi has found that the invasion of the species has led to the destruction of different types of grass and bamboo as well as the natural water resources in the forest, as a result of which animals such as elephants, deer and wild gaur have been forced to stray into human habitats in search of food. Naturally, their predators such as tigers and leopards followed them and eventually resulted in man-animal conflicts in the upland regions of Kerala.

“Eliminating this plant species can solve the raging issue to an extent. But it is not easy as the plant is so invasive that even an inch of the bark is enough to produce another one,” said environmentalist M.A. Johnson.

While the KFRI and the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) are in the forefront of efforts to eliminate it, Prithvi Roots has literally taken matters into their own hands. “Around 40 members of the club have camped at Muthanga, effectively debarking the Senna trees and destroying them. We have sought permission from the Forest department to cut them down too,” said Mahesh.V.V, executive member of Prithvi Roots.

The volunteers know that they have taken up a long-term project. “We need to monitor every tree for years and ensure that no new saplings are formed. It is a lot of hard work,” said Mr. Mahesh.

The team is supported by the Forest department that has taken care of the food and accommodation of the volunteers. Darshanam Samskarika Vedi in Kozhikode recently contributed an electric saw to help them with the debarking. Help is also pouring in from other quarters every day.