Over the years, Vanastree undertook a range of educational, documentation and community-based initiatives connected to seeds, food cultures, forest home gardens and learning for life. While most of these programmes have now concluded, they remain an important part of the organisation’s history. A selection is briefly listed below.
Education
Since 2003, Vanastree hosted experiential learning programmes rooted in the ecological and cultural landscape of the Western Ghats. These included trainings, internships, camps and volunteer opportunities for children, youth, farmers, gardeners and educators.
Training and Skill Sharing
Workshops focussed on seed saving, food processing, livelihood skills, leadership development and the sharing of local ecological knowledge. These included the livelihood initiative, Vanya.
Internships
Immersive internships brought together students and learners from India and abroad through fieldwork, documentation, gardening and community engagement.
Camps
Residential camps connected rural and urban children and youth with biodiversity, food traditions, local communities and land-based learning.
Volunteers
Volunteers contributed to seasonal activities including gardening, documentation, publications, outreach and educational programmes.
Partnerships and Outreach
Vanastree collaborated with community groups, educational institutions and civil society organisations to promote seed conservation, home gardening, ecological learning and sustainable livelihoods. Partnerships included work with Prakruti, Sneha Kunja, TEED, ARZ Goa, Kuvempu University and Punarchith Trust, among others.
Malnad Mela
Vanastree initiated and organised the Malnad Mela, a gathering celebrating seeds, biodiversity, food traditions, local knowledge and rural livelihoods in the Malnad region.
Land and Lens (2017–2019)
Land and Lens was a photography initiative that encouraged rural women and youth to document their landscapes, lives and creativity through visual storytelling.
Vanastree Film (2015)
Vanastree: Women of the Forest is a documentary film exploring the lives, work and aspirations of members of the Vanastree collective and their efforts to conserve biodiversity, seeds and traditional ecological knowledge.
Women of the Forest — click here
Filmmaker’s Website →
click here