SHILLONG: On August 4, 2020, Society of Urban and Rural Empowerment (SURE) in collaboration with North East Slow Food and Agro biodiversity Society (NESFAS) organised a Biodiversity Walks at Mulum village under Laskein Block, West Jaintia Hills. The programme is part of the ‘No one shall be left behind initiative’ project, which is supported by REC and implemented in some villages in Meghalaya and Nagaland.
The main purpose of conducting the ABD walk is to help the young generation of the village learn and appreciate the rich biodiversity of the area and the importance of protecting the Mother Nature and its richness.
Member of youth club, the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) group and self-help groups (SHGs) in the village took part in the ABD walks. A total number of 30 people took part in the walk to identify edibles, which start from the kitchen garden and end at the nearby forest.
Two knowledge holders of the community, Reviancy Suchiang (56), also member of the Agro biodiversity Learning Circle (ALC) and PGS group, and Marki Lamare (25) guide these walk and introduce the group to the various local plants, wild edibles and medicinal herbs.
In the garden, Suchiang shared with the group her expertise about the local plants which the community has been cultivating and used for many generations. Along the way and in the forest, she indentifies wild edibles and fruits, and shared with the group the different ways of how these wild edibles were used.
Lamare, a young herbal medicine practitioner in the village, shared with the group his knowledge about medicinal herbs available in the vicinity of the village. This ADB walk helped indentify and documented 25 local plants, 9 wild edibles and 5 herbs.
Before the start of the programme, Daka Bareh, field coordinator, SURE, welcomed the entire group and highlighted the importance of local food for good health and also enlightened the group about Agrobiodiversity.
Agrobiodiversity refers to the variety of animals, plants and microorganisms that are used directly and indirectly for food and agriculture. When we disturb the natural order of the environment by eliminating species through eradication, destruction of habitat, removal of food sources, the effects of this interruption to the natural order may be detrimental — impacting not only a single species, but an entire ecosystem, she said.
Hamsniawpher Suchiang, community facilitator, in her speech, said that the goal of conducting the ABD walk is to help the group know how to appreciate the rich biodiversity in the nature and to instil in them the need to preserve it.
Stating that the youths of today are detached from nature, she encouraged the youths present in the gathering to reconnect with the nature.
After the walk, a cooking demonstration was held in the forest where the group cooked a healthy sumptuous meal using ingredients that were collected from the walk.
The group, particularly the youths, enthusiastically participated in the programme and when given opportunity, they raised questions which were clarified by the knowledge holders.
Eighteen-year-old, Risa Synnah, expressed her gratitude to the organisation for organising the programme.
She said that after the walk, she realised that it is high time for the youth to come forward and protect the nature and its richness that lives on earth can sustain.
Dawanroi Suchiang (17) also shared the same concern that youths nowadays don’t respect Mother Nature anymore. She cited an example of young people cutting the branches of trees instead of just plucking the fruits they need.
Seventy-year-old, Phrang Suchiang, who is a custodian farmer, said he loathes people who destroy the nature. He suggested the need of imposing fine by the village Dorbar on people who destroy nature.
Somja Phawa, Field Coordinator, SURE, also spoke on the meeting and offered a vote of thanks.
It may also be mentioned that the entire programme was held in open space which is in the garden and the forest as well as following the SOP.