Environmental Project
Kannan and Mike Remington
Teaching children to protect the environment in partnership with the Palni Hills Conservation Council, Kodaikanal, India
For the past decade, FORGOTTEN CHILDREN has made modest grants to and worked with Raveendran Kannan. The Palni Hills Conservation Council is the vehicle for Kannan's work. As a farmer, Kannan's successes are rooted in his understanding of agriculture which allows him to approach problems as a guardian of the earth. Kannan leads by example; he only receives a modest salary, as he is able to support himself and his family with income from his coffee farm.
By working in large part with local, indigenous communities, Kannan has gained knowledge about native plant species and local wildlife. His environmental consciousness is matched by his humane sensitivities . He has placed Tribal women in managerial roles, thereby contributing to positive changes in social relations and views on women's work. Most significantly, he has created a link between education and environmental protection, It was with great pleasure that FORGOTTEN CHILDREN learning in 2004 that Kannan -- one of our grantees at the time -- had been elected as an Ashoka fellow. Ashoka is the global association of the world's leading social entrepreneurs. See http://www.ashoka.org
Kannan's Ashoka profile describes his work with schools:
“Kannan has also identified schools as a useful instrument for expanding awareness of environmental issues, while at the same time contributing to the conservation program. Students from some 50 schools in neighboring regions come on field trips to the hills to learn about water quality, forests, insects, and animals. The students undertake tests and surveys, and the results of these are incorporated into Conservation Council plans and shared with local communities and the authorities. As word travels, Kannan is receiving inquiries from schools much further a field – including those in urban areas – and he is planning to accommodate a more diverse range of students in future field trips.”
Under the supervision of Mr. Kannan and his staff, FORGOTTEN CHILDREN provided seed money for a butterfly garden. A number of developing countries (like Costa Rica) have adopted a sustainable development model, which is a way of protecting forests while creating local jobs. Under the tutelage of Kannan and the Palni Hills Conservation Council, the protection of and respect for butterflies (and moths) are taking root in India as part of that model. FORGOTTEN CHILDREN's butterfly garden continues to flourish and to attract primary and high school students from local schools and surrounding areas.
For the past decade, FORGOTTEN CHILDREN has made modest grants to and worked with Raveendran Kannan. The Palni Hills Conservation Council is the vehicle for Kannan's work. As a farmer, Kannan's successes are rooted in his understanding of agriculture which allows him to approach problems as a guardian of the earth. Kannan leads by example; he only receives a modest salary, as he is able to support himself and his family with income from his coffee farm.
By working in large part with local, indigenous communities, Kannan has gained knowledge about native plant species and local wildlife. His environmental consciousness is matched by his humane sensitivities . He has placed Tribal women in managerial roles, thereby contributing to positive changes in social relations and views on women's work. Most significantly, he has created a link between education and environmental protection, It was with great pleasure that FORGOTTEN CHILDREN learning in 2004 that Kannan -- one of our grantees at the time -- had been elected as an Ashoka fellow. Ashoka is the global association of the world's leading social entrepreneurs. See http://www.ashoka.org
Kannan's Ashoka profile describes his work with schools:
“Kannan has also identified schools as a useful instrument for expanding awareness of environmental issues, while at the same time contributing to the conservation program. Students from some 50 schools in neighboring regions come on field trips to the hills to learn about water quality, forests, insects, and animals. The students undertake tests and surveys, and the results of these are incorporated into Conservation Council plans and shared with local communities and the authorities. As word travels, Kannan is receiving inquiries from schools much further a field – including those in urban areas – and he is planning to accommodate a more diverse range of students in future field trips.”
Under the supervision of Mr. Kannan and his staff, FORGOTTEN CHILDREN provided seed money for a butterfly garden. A number of developing countries (like Costa Rica) have adopted a sustainable development model, which is a way of protecting forests while creating local jobs. Under the tutelage of Kannan and the Palni Hills Conservation Council, the protection of and respect for butterflies (and moths) are taking root in India as part of that model. FORGOTTEN CHILDREN's butterfly garden continues to flourish and to attract primary and high school students from local schools and surrounding areas.
(c) Francoise Remington, 2008
Tribal woman with expertise in honey from wild Indian bees