The NNHS has instituted a Village Conservation Award which will be given out annually to an adivasi village within the region of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The award carries a prize of Rupees One Lakh. Applications are invited for the award as per guidelines given below.
Method
Villages will submit a proposal of the ecologically and culturally sound initiatives that they have undertaken in their village. These initiatives can be about the shelter, agriculture, forest use, water, drainage systems, waste management, energy consumption, mitigation measures to avoid conflict with wildlife, education and health that they have implemented anytime within the past five years and which are still in practice to date.
Quantitative and qualitative evidence must be built around numbers of people benefiting from or making use of the successful implementation of the initiative and extent of restored habitats or landscapes.
The village members will be required to submit a written application which can be supported by an oral presentation or a small video recording. For the video recording they can get in touch with the community members who are trained in filming. All of the above methods can be used to communicate their ecological and cultural initiatives to the awards committee.
The village members will also explain about the innovative action they plan to implement with their cash award. The award money can be used for the building of environment friendly structures and is not to be used for individual or private gains.
It may be used for
- Exposure visits
- Building information and knowledge activities within already available community spaces
- Taking up afforestation activities
- Implementing an efficient conflict management strategy
- Putting up a village managed, sustainable development initiative
- Any other activity which the review committee feels contributes to ecological and cultural development of the village
Who can apply
All adivasis villages in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve are eligible to apply for this award. They must be recommended by a Keystone Area manager and one member of civil society from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Recommendation form is given at the bottom of the page.
A letter of interest must be submitted no latest than the 15th of May 2010. If the applicant is considered eligible they will be invited to Keystone Foundation in the first week of June to present their application to the awards committee.
The decision of the awards committee will be communicated by the end of June, 2010 and the award will be given at a function organized at the Bee Museum in Ooty.
Awards committee – Two members of the Executive Council of the Nilgiri Natural History Society, One director of Keystone Foundation and Two members of the Tribal Advisory Council of Keystone Foundation
Awards will be decided on the following criteria:
- How innovative is the effort?
- How long has the effort been going on and how many people actively participate and benefit from the intended activity?
- How they intend to keep it going?
- How ecologically sustainable is the proposed activity?
Recommendation Form Format
Name of recommender:
Position or Title:
Address:
Telephone Number:
Name of the village which is being recommended:
Signature of recommender:
