RESTORERS SPEAK

Our restorers. Our backbone.

Our restorers form the heart of the restoration work in Wayanad. They bring their youth, exuberance, care and their tribal know-how. Over the years, Forest First has evolved from being Trustee-centric to Restorer-centric in operation. The mutual trust and respect for each other has grown the family of restorers each year.

Restoration speak

“Supporting sustainable livelihoods. Locally.”

Nursery management

Janu is from the Kuruchiyar tribal community. Her early memories involve working in a tree nursery until the development of teak plantations, which led to the clear-cutting of old-growth natural forests. She recalls the large sized trees that were brutally cut down for teak plantations. Over the past decade, her primary livelihood has been maintaining tree nurseries for FFS. She oversees the sprouting of diverse endemic tree species. Her team ensures seedlings procured from other nurseries across the Western Ghats are properly cared for until they are ready for planting. Nursery management is an 18-month long cycle. Approximately 20,000 saplings of 80 different species are nurtured per annum at our nursery under Janu's watchful eyes.

Solar home lighting

The solar home installation, part of a sustainable livelihood initiative, benefited families in the Begur, Nedunthana, and Irumbupaalam tribal colonies. It improved power supply, especially during monsoons, with a 40W solar panel and 15Ah battery providing energy for reading, cooking, and mobile charging. The installation reduced electricity bills by 50% on average, according to GRAAM’s Social Impact report.

Smokeless cookstoves

Distribution of energy-efficient & smokeless chullas has improved time efficiency and reduced the effort involved in procuring firewood, with most users also perceiving health benefits due to reduced smoke while cooking. Users of these cookstoves say that there is about 40% reduction in biomass consumption for cooking/water heating fuel.

Apiculture

Some FFS restorers attended a Kerala Government Apiculture training at the Centre for Youth Development and returned eager to set up bee-boxes in 2023. Initially, FFS supported 4 men with 8 boxes; in 2024, we supported 6 women, including Suma Vasu, set up 12 boxes as an extension of FFS’s livelihood support.

SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

In March 2024, FFS invited Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM) to conduct an independent social impact assessment of Forest First’s forest land restoration in Wayanad, Kerala. Please see the full report below.

Social Report