Author: Krishnapriya (Priya) Tamma, Ecologist, Azim Premji University, Bangalore

I am a city girl. Growing up in Bangalore, I was most familiar with my paternal (Bangalore) and maternal (Chennai) cities, each with its distinct ecologies. Chennai with its beaches, and Bangalore its tree-lined avenues and parks. My relationship with nature was mediated through crows, fruit bats, and the many plants my mother grew on our terrace. My growing interest in nature changed the course of my life, and today, as ecologists, my team and I study forest ecosystems to understand their response to disturbances, and how they continue to support biodiversity. Studies from across the world are showing that stable and resilient ecosystems are critical for our survival and well-being, something that most indigenous communities knew for a long time.

Like most indigenous communities in northeast India, Nagas too have a long and rich history of living with and alongside nature. Experiencing the rich and varied ways in which people interact with their natural world in Nagaland, especially in rural parts, has expanded my view of nature-relationships. I have been profoundly influenced by Naga Indigenous knowledge systems and beliefs, which is a multi-species cosmology that gives agency to plants and animals. These belief systems acknowledge the power of other creatures in shaping human lives, which is different from the lens of science I use to examine nature. Theirs is a truly expansive and inclusive worldview, one that underlies a complex relationship of care and use of forest resources. The richness of the understanding is reflected in the folk stories and lores of the different tribes. Everywhere we have gone, people have been generous to share their knowledge and their folklores. Such a varied and rich experience of nature has influenced my own and has made me better appreciate the complex ways in which humans integrate into their ecologies.

Our relationships with nature are shaped by the ways in which we interact and experience nature. As one can imagine these may be different for men and women, for young and old, and for rural and urban dwellers. For many Naga men of the older generations, I find that their relationship with the forest is mediated by their roles as hunters, loggers, and even porters. For Naga women, it is mediated through their forays into the forest in search of forage, mushrooms, firewood, and other such produce. I have come to recognise that women in traditional jhum societies such as those in Nagaland are the keepers of immense ecological and agricultural knowledge. Today, many will agree that Naga society is rapidly changing, and one of the transformations is the movement of youth from rural areas to cities and towns in search of education and jobs. This means that for many youths the connection to their natural landscapes and ecosystems is weak, and their interactions with nature reduced to those with simplified ecosystems in cities. The youth of Nagaland are the inheritors of enormous cultural and biological capital. How do they connect to nature? How can they contribute to the safeguarding of their biodiversity? Several concerned thinkers from Nagaland have pondered on how to bridge this recent gap between people and nature.

One of the ways has been to foster reconnection between people and the animals and plants in the landscapes they live in. In most cities and towns in Nagaland, even today, you only need to get a little way from the crowded parts to rediscover some forests and biodiversity. Be it trails around Kohima, or the zoological park in Dimapur, there is a diversity of birds, mammals, insects, and plants to be enjoyed. Learning to identify some of these, be it in native languages or in English can bring much joy. Afterall, naming things means that we recognise them, that we acknowledge their presence in our midst. It means that we have the vocabulary, the empathy, to accommodate more than just ourselves in our narratives. Once we do this, we can work towards caring for our ecosystems, acknowledging that our wellbeing is intricately linked to that of the natural world around us.

Biodiversity conservation often needs data or numbers to help understand the functioning of ecosystems. For example, counting the number of species or the number of individuals of a species in a given forest or landscape can help us assess if certain species are declining due to changing land use. Such information can help local communities and conservation organisations manage these landscapes better to allow for biodiversity to persist. Continued monitoring of these numbers can further indicate the effectiveness of conservation action and strategies. Such data-driven approaches should complement other ways of engaging and knowing with nature, including through stories, food, and culture. We must invest in inclusive ways of engaging with nature to promote a more equitable relationship with it – one where both humans and nature can thrive.

There have been attempts to get local communities to contribute to observing and understanding their landscapes and ecosystems. Some of these are citizen science projects that encourage people to contribute to data collection and to add observations on nature. One such is the Tokhü Emong Bird Count (TEBC) that was spearheaded by Lansothung Lotha, now supported by various institutions and people. TEBC encourages people in Nagaland to participate in monitoring birds in their backyards and homes, in forests and gardens. With so many people recording birds, there’s a lot of information generated on Nagaland’s birds, and in turn, of the forests and ecosystems that the birds inhabit. For me, watching birds and butterflies in my backyard sparked a lifelong interest in nature that was further nurtured by the forests and people of Nagaland. Perhaps this can be true for several of you as well. If you are in Nagaland, it doesn’t matter if you are young or old, male or female, urban or rural – come join this bird party if interested!

– Krishnapriya (Priya) Tamma is an ecologist currently at Azim Premji University Bangalore. Priya and her team examine how forests and birds recover from disturbance in the shifting cultivation landscapes of Nagaland. Her team also enjoys engaging with youth on various aspects of birding and conservation.