By Kalpana Sahoo
Guardians of the Unseen: Communities Protecting India’s Pollinators and Native Species
In the vast mosaic of India’s biodiversity, some of the most vital players are also the most overlooked: pollinators and native species that quietly sustain ecosystems and human life alike. Bees, butterflies, beetles, birds, bats, and countless other small creatures facilitate pollination, seed dispersal, and natural regeneration of plants — processes that underpin agriculture, forests, and even clean air and water. Yet these unseen heroes are under stress. Habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, and rapid urbanisation threaten their populations across the country.
In response, ordinary citizens and communities are rising as guardians of the unseen — working at the grassroots to protect pollinators and native species through habitat restoration, education, sustainable farming, and cultural conservation. Their efforts may not dominate headlines, but they are powerful forces shaping a greener and kinder future for India. Through heartfelt human stories and real examples, this article explores how local action is safeguarding biodiversity and inspiring global conservation thinking.
Why Pollinators and Native Species Matter
Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, birds, and bats are small in size but colossal in impact. They pollinate the majority of flowering plants, including many crops that feed humans and livestock. Without them, food production would collapse, ecosystems would fail, and biodiversity would plummet. Researchers emphasize that pollinators are fundamental to ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation .LEISA India
Native species — plants and animals that evolved in specific ecosystems — are equally essential. They maintain soil fertility, support food webs, and provide resilience against climate extremes. Communities that understand and protect this delicate balance are safeguarding not just wildlife, but human wellbeing itself.
1. Yaongyimchen, Nagaland: When Villages Chose Falcons Over Guns
In Nagaland, the story of conservation begins with a moral turning point. For years, thousands of Amur Falcons—migratory birds traveling from Siberia to Africa—were hunted during their seasonal roosting. In 2012, church worker and conservationist Nuklu Phom, from the Phom indigenous community, helped villages pause and reflect.
Through dialogue, faith-based outreach, and collective decision-making, the villages of Yaongyimchen, Alayong, and Sanglu established the Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Conservation Area (YCBCA), banning hunting and forest destruction across 10 square kilometers. What followed astonished the world: falcon numbers soared from around 50,000 to nearly one million birds.
This success sparked a wider movement. Today, Nagaland has over 407 community-conserved areas, covering more than 1,700 km², with communities enforcing rules rooted in tradition and shared responsibility. Nuklu Phom’s work earned him the Whitley Award (Green Oscar), but its true legacy lies in how communities reclaimed stewardship over their land.
2. Village Bees and Tribal Guardians: A Jharkhand Revival
Nestled in the forests of Jharkhand, tribal communities in Nachibera have long lived close to nature. But as commercial agriculture and chemical inputs spread, traditional beekeeping and the native pollinators it supports began to decline. Recognizing both the ecological and economic value of bees, villagers initiated a community-based beekeeping movement focused on indigenous species.
Thanks to local leadership and collaboration with ecological groups, young tribal beekeepers received training in sustainable bee-management practices, including the construction of traditional hives and promotion of bee-friendly plant species. These efforts led not only to increased honey harvests but also revived the presence of native bees in the region, essential for pollinating crops such as mango and coffee. Farmers observed improved yields and enhanced ecosystem stability as a result. The Better India
What began as a livelihood initiative blossomed into a conservation strategy that restored habitats and linked cultural knowledge with modern practice. Tribal youth and women became stewards of pollinator health, their actions preserving both biodiversity and community resilience.
3. Youth-Led Pollinator Gardens in Palghar
In the Palghar district of Maharashtra, communities faced shrinking pollinator populations due to mono-cropping and pesticide use. But change emerged through the enthusiasm of young farmers and villagers who decided to create pollinator gardens — designated patches of native and nectar-rich plants that attract bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects.
Groups of youth in villages like Malawada and Ganjad planted species such as sesame, sunflower, carrot seed, lemon trees, drumstick, and alfalfa, creating vibrant habitats where pollinators could thrive year-round. These gardens served not only as biological havens but also as living educational spaces, where families learned the interconnectedness of plants and insects and the importance of diversified farming. LEISA India
The initiative took root beyond individual farms. Families established shelterbelts that acted as insect highways across agricultural fields, enabling pollinators to travel safely and sustain crop pollination. This community momentum showcases how even small habitat interventions can restore ecological balance and strengthen food systems.
4. Bees in the Nilgiris: Tribal Involvement and Biodiversity Awareness
In the Nilgiris, part of the Western Ghats — a global biodiversity hotspot — conservationists and tribal communities have partnered to preserve native pollinators, especially bees, through sustainable practices and education. Traditional knowledge about bee behavior and ecology became the foundation for promoting indigenous beekeeping techniques that support both pollinator health and livelihoods.LEISA India
Local youth engage in building bee tools, and tribal carpentry units fabricate hives that align with native ecological needs. Schools organize nature walks where children learn from elders about native pollinator habitats and the role these insects play in forest and agricultural ecosystems. A Bee Museum and interpretation centers have been established to raise awareness and embed pollinator conservation into broader public consciousness.
This effort illustrates that biodiversity protection is not only a scientific task but a cultural one — one that blends traditional wisdom with contemporary conservation.
5. The Bishnoi Legacy: Centuries of Wildlife Protection
Long before modern conservation frameworks emerged, India’s Bishnoi community in Rajasthan demonstrated one of the earliest and most famous examples of indigenous environmental stewardship. Founded in the 15th century with principles upholding the protection of all life, the Bishnoi have long protected wildlife and trees as sacred. Environmental Studies (EVS) Institute
The iconic 1730 protest in Khejarli, where hundreds of villagers sacrificed their lives to protect sacred trees, remains a cornerstone of environmental history. Today, Bishnoi villages continue to serve as biodiversity oases in the desert, preserving species such as blackbuck and chinkara where they have disappeared elsewhere. Their grassroots model underscores that long-term cultural values can yield sustained ecological protection, influencing conservation movements across India.
6. Butterfly Walks and Citizen Science in Assam
In Assam’s Lakhimpur district, the Dulung Reserve Forest has become a hub for biodiversity awareness. Community-driven events like the Butterfly Walk, organized by the Nature Conservation Society and Assam Tourism, have drawn citizens into active biodiversity monitoring. During one such walk, over 70 butterfly species were documented, alongside more than 15 bird species and various moths, providing both educational and scientific insights into local pollinators. The Times of India
Butterflies, often overlooked in favor of more charismatic wildlife, are crucial pollinators — especially in forest and edge habitats where they support flowering plant reproduction. Events like these not only generate data but also nurture a sense of environmental stewardship among participants. By connecting people with living biodiversity in their backyards, such initiatives help communities realize that protecting unseen species is foundational to healthy ecosystems.
7. The Hargila Army: When Women Saved a Stork—and a Culture
In Assam, the Greater Adjutant Stork—locally known as Hargila—was once considered an ill omen. By 2007, fewer than 450 birds remained, and the species teetered on the brink of extinction. What reversed this fate was not just scientific intervention, but a cultural shift led by wildlife biologist Dr Purnima Devi Barman and thousands of rural women.
The Hargila Army, also called the Stork Sisters Movement, mobilized women living near nesting sites to protect stork nests, prevent tree felling, and monitor breeding. Over time, these women became storytellers, educators, and ambassadors—transforming the bird’s image from feared to revered. Today, storks are celebrated during baby showers and festivals, woven into songs, and embraced as symbols of pride.
The results are remarkable. The stork population in Assam has grown to around 1,800, prompting the IUCN to reclassify the species from Endangered to Near Threatened in 2023. Beyond numbers, the movement has empowered over 10,000 women with livelihoods and leadership roles, showing how conservation and social upliftment can move together.
8. Urban Guardians: Butterflies in Mumbai’s Green Spaces
Even in megacities, unseen wildlife persists. In Mumbai, biologists and citizen volunteers documented an astonishing 84 species of butterflies around Powai Lake and adjacent green spaces, almost half of the butterfly diversity known in the entire region. Reddit
These findings highlight how urban green areas — parks, lakeshores, and gardens — act as refuges for pollinators amidst concrete expanses. Community biologists now use this data to advocate for better urban green planning, pollutant reduction, and habitat corridors that support wildlife. Their work underscores the message that cities can be sanctuaries for biodiversity when residents embrace conservation.
9. Beekeeping for Resilience Among Adivasi Farmers
In many tribal and Adivasi communities, sustainable beekeeping programmes are empowering women and smallholder farmers to build resilience against climate stress while enhancing biodiversity. By installing indigenous beehives and cultivating bee-friendly flora, these projects aim to restore native pollinator populations, improve crop fertilization, and generate income through honey and by-products. Earth Exponential
The approach integrates pollinator habitat creation with livelihood strategies, ensuring that conservation becomes economically viable. Women, in particular, are central to these efforts, blending ecological stewardship with community development. As these practices scale, they offer replicable models for integrating pollinator support into broader rural sustainability.
10. Sacred Groves: Ancient Community Conservation
Traditional sacred groves — patches of forest conserved due to religious or cultural beliefs — are scattered across India, from the Western Ghats to central plains. These groves often host rich biodiversity, including pollinators, insects, birds, and rare plant species. For instance, communities around the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary maintain sacred groves where large trees house beehives and support complex ecological interactions. Wikipedia
Although many groves face threats from encroachment and land conversion, those that remain are living proofs of age-old community-based conservation practices. By valuing nature culturally as well as scientifically, these communities protect unseen species through everyday reverence and ritual — an approach that modern conservation increasingly acknowledges.
11. Nature People Network: Reconnecting Forests in Chhattisgarh
In Chhattisgarh’s Kota Block, a quiet rewilding effort is taking place across 1,048 hectares of community-owned forest land. Launched in 2025, the Nature People Network works with seven villages to remove invasive species, restore native vegetation, and reconnect fragmented forest patches.
This restoration is critical for wildlife movement. Elephants, tigers, leopards, and sloth bears rely on continuous habitats to survive. By rebuilding corridors, communities are reducing conflict and strengthening biodiversity resilience. Importantly, villagers are not passive participants—they manage forests, make decisions, and benefit from sustainable livelihoods linked to restoration.
How Local Action Inspires National and Global Change
What unites these stories is the power of local action to influence broader environmental practices. When villagers protect native bees, or youth cultivate pollinator gardens, or citizen scientists document butterflies in cities, they create knowledge, habits, and models that others can emulate. These efforts amplify beyond their origins in several ways:
1. They generate data and awareness. Citizen biodiversity documentation provides critical insight into species distribution and health, informing policymakers and researchers.
2. They shift cultural values. Initiatives rooted in tradition, such as sacred groves or tribal beekeeping, remind people that ecological care is not new — it is part of heritage.
3. They influence policy frameworks. Grassroots conservation models are increasingly referenced by international organizations and national biodiversity strategies as best practices for participatory conservation.
Conclusion: Guardians of a Shared Future
The unseen species pollinate our fields, nourish our forests, and sustain the rhythms of life — yet their decline sends shockwaves through ecosystems and societies. In India, ordinary citizens and communities are stepping forward not with grand slogans but with patient, persistent care for the small, vital beings that make life possible.
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