When people stand for the environment, change is bound to happen. Through years of consistent efforts and work on the ground, these organisations in the Ernakulam region have been able to make a difference in their own ways. From mangrove conservation to creating data banks through documentation, and involving students and local communities in their projects, these collectives and individuals have been doing their bit to ensure that conservation is not a one-time activity, but a way of life.  

From the grassroots  

This environmental organisation based in Vypeen-Nayarambalam focuses mainly on mangrove conservation, which it has been engaged with ever since its inception in 2021. “We do not consider ourselves environmental activists; we are just a bunch of people from this region, who are genuinely interested in the environment and are willing to do our bit to conserve it,” says Manoj Kumar IB, one of the members of Grassroute. 

The collective has been conducting regular mangrove plantation drives that play a vital role in the coastal ecosystem. Mangroves  act as a natural buffer against the tides, serve as a carbon sink and provide habitat for marine animal and bird species. 

The members are also part of the Biodiversity Management Committee of the Nayarambalam Panchayat and are actively involved in creating a People’s Biodiversity Register, which documents and maps the flora and fauna of a region. “Through workshops, camps for school and college students, and working closely with the people and carrying out mangrove plantation work through the years, we have been able to build knowledge about the local ecosystem,” says Manoj.

Creative intervention

What started as a photography contest in Kochi 17 years ago has now grown into an annual global photography festival dedicated to environmental conservation, including participants from over 177 countries. Kochi-based brand consultancy Organic BPS has been organising the Greenstorm photography contest with an aim to bring about a behavioural shift in the way people, especially youngsters approached the environment.

“When it is a creatuve contest using images, it has the potential to draw more people to it,” says Dileep Narayanan, founder of Greenstorm. The first few editions of the contest were held in a few petrol pumps in the city. Later on, the contest moved online gaining participation from around the world. “We have built an international community of photographers who are interested in the environment,” says Dileep.

The contest has also succeeded in generating interest in Nature, which in turn leads to conservation efforts, observes Dileep. The contest is now being held in collaboration with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UCCD), which supports it. Greenstorm also won this year’s IIA Olive Crown’s International Organic Campaign of the Year Award.    

Lifesaving clay pots

Sreeman Narayanan, a businessman from Aluva, has been providing water feeders for birds for over 13 years. He gets them made and distributes them to organisations and individuals, inspiring them to offer some solace to birds in summer. This year, he has already  distributed over 30,000 pots across 11 districts in Kerala. In the initial years, Narayanan would get earthen pots made by potters in Keezhmadu in Aluva and Thathapilly in Paravur and distribute them to houses and institutions, urging them to use them as bird feeders.

“Over time, people began to associate me with these clay pots. Now, I get orders for bird feeders,” says Narayanan. “Every year, we feel the temperatures rise and it is our duty to do our bit to help birds stay hydrated. Most water bodies dry up during such harsh summers and many succumb to dehydration,” he adds. Narayanan has featured in the 87th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio show, Man Ki Baat. “I will do this for as long as I am alive, and I am sure people will continue this tradition,” he adds. 

Mapping climate change  

Equinoct, a climate innovation venture based in Ernakulam, has been partnering with people, places and policymakers, building evidence-based data and offering solutions. Formed after the 2018 Kerala flood, Equinoct began as an investigation into the reasons that led to the disaster. “A flood like situation prevailed in 2019 and to some extent in 2020. We as a people respond to a crisis in extraordinary ways, but what we lack is a sense of preparedness. We need something in our day-to-day activities in a sustained manner that would help prevent a disaster,” says Madhusoodanan CG, co-founder and CEO of Equinoct.

For the past few years, Equinoct has been equipping local communities to monitor the environment, documenting and participating in decision-making process. It formed the Seasight Network, an initiative in coastal Ernakulam that generates hyper-local tidal flood data through guages and collaborative mapping that will help give early warning. “Declared a State-specific disaster, tidal flooding impacts the lives of over 20,000 households in Ernakulam,” says Madhusoodanan.

Equinoct has also drawn up a flood inundation map and created an impact-based flood forecast system, for Periyar and Chalakkudy rivers. “We have installed over 100 rain gauges in the Periyar and Chalakkudy rivers.