Art as a medium for biodiversity conservation
Clean Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) campaign
ATREE’s Agasthyamalai Community-based Conservation Centre (ACCC) realised that local folk art is a good medium to reach the rural populace. It can be used as a vehicle to create awareness about biodiversity conservation among rural people.
Sorimuthayan temple, which is located in the KMTR Reserve Forest, attracts a large number of pilgrims during aadi amavasa festival every year in the month of August. Since 2007, street plays have been conducted in Aalangulam village clusters, from where large number of people gather and camp in the reserve forest during the festival. Artists from ‘Arumbugal’, a cultural troop, were instructed on the major issues to focus on in the street plays by the ATREE team. The following themes were adapted for the performance
- Using and throwing plastic bags inside the reserve will be harmful for the flora and fauna
- Cooking inside the forest can cause forest fires
- Surplus food thrown inside the forest will be harmful to wild animals
- Waste disposal
- Plastic ban inside the reserve.
Theatre artistes took up these themes through skits and dance. A survey during the festival confirmed that the street theatre had helped create awareness on the ban on the use of plastic bags in the reserve.
Wetland conservation
ATREE’s ACCC team is working towards the formation of a community bird reserve in Vaagaikulam village. Village kids were trained in local folklore like drama, oyilatam, kayil etc. Skits on wetland conservation were developed. The fact that the Wildlife 2003 Amendment Act recognizes that local communities can conserve local biodiversity was also included. Plays titled Netru Indru Naalai (Past Present Future), Mudivu edupom (Take decision) and Grama Sabha. Street plays have been conducted in three places (Nanalkulam, Veerasamuthiram, Malik Nagar) where they have made an impact on villagers, especially kids. One of our interns Ms. Divya is doing a study on impact of cultural programmes in the villages: she had selected two villages, Nanalkulam, where we conducted the street play, and Vaagaikulam where the street play has not been used. This study will help us to know about the effectiveness of art as a medium of biodiversity conservation.