Guardians of forest

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Communities across Maharashtra take on the mantle of biodiversity conservation; replicate sacred groves on common land

By Himanshu Nitnaware

Some 20 km from Nashik city of Maharashtra is a patch of forest, known as Phaashicha Dongar. As the story goes, this was where the British colonial rulers executed freedom fighters by hanging, and hence the name. As if bearing the burden of the past, the forest patch for decades resembled a barren landscape with a few gliricidia trees here and there. Not anymore. “Today, Phaashicha Dongar hosts more than 33,000 trees belonging to 275 native species. It has also become home to over 70 species of butterflies, 100 species of birds and animals, from peacock to porcupine to monitor lizard, hyena and leopard,”says Shekhar Gaikwad, a resident of Nashik. This transformation has been made possible by nature enthusiasts, citizens groups and students of the city, says Gaikwad, who is at the helm of the initiative.

To read more

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/forests/guardians-of-forest

credit to: downtoearth.org.in, Published on: 03 May 2025 

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