OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

SEEDS Trust partnered with the Tamil Nadu State Government from 2012 to 2022, to organized farmers interest groups, conducted rapid rural assessments and planted trees. SEEDS completed planting 5 million tree seedlings in private farm lands, in five districts of Tamil Nadu. The multipurpose and local value species planted in the project helped to improve bio diversity situation in the districts.

SEEDS is presently implementing a project for conserving the Grey Slender loris (Loris tardigradus) a small mammal found in the Eastern Ghats region and locally identified as threatened. The approach is to balance livelihood and income generation of the local communities dependent on the forest resources and conservation goals simultaneously, without one affecting the other. SEEDS address key reasons for the reduction of the loris population and habitat, like pesticide poisoning, road kills, poaching and habitat loss, with focused components like promotion of pesticide free vegetable cultivation in fringe villages, formation of conservation committees, alternate income generation programmes for families involved in poaching and planting trees for improving diversity and habitat for the mammal. The project is implemented in 30 villages, covering 800 farmers growing vegetables around the habitat and 150 families involved in collecting forest products

SEEDS is implementing a estuary conservation programme in Tamil Nadu, with focus on conserving and regenerating a 20 ha mangrove and sand dune area, for improving bio diversity and ecological services (like fish breeding, cyclone barrier etc) and for helping local fishing and tourism industry. The project has regenerated 50 ha of estuary land with mangrove and associated species, which has helped small fishing community living in 10 villages around the estuary. This is now being promoted as a model for more than 700 such estuaries across the Tamil Nadu coast Based on the above pilot, SEEDS had been awarded a Mangrove ecosystem conservation programme which involves clearing of invasive species, replanting a 200 ha estuary with Mangrove and associate species – with support of communities and promoting conservation education among school children and tourists.