Negotiating Routes: Ecologies of the Byways

NR1: Wadhwana Wetlands, Gujarat

The project NR1 Wadhwana brought together individuals and groups in a 3-way collaboration between art + community + science. Set up were workshops in seven schools in villages located in the immediate vicinity of Wadhwana Lake, in which children and teachers from the villages of Wadhwana, Kukkad, Shamshedpur, Akotadar, Shimoliya, Gopalpura and Manjrol were involved. Introducing key points about the ecology of the area and raising awareness of the importance of caring for this wetland, the children were encouraged to keep a diary and record what was of significant in their environment. An important part of the project was mapping that which the children use as markers to navigate their locality. The activities also introduced interactions/play and discussions about the visiting migratory birds and the importance of maintaining the indigenous trees and plants already growing in the villages and lake area, with saplings of more indigenous trees being planted in school grounds and by the lake.

The marks left on site are the trees and shrubs that support the land, the people, and the insect and bird life, we planted together, with more planting planned in future to introduce indigenous and rare trees/grasses and by placing logs and branches that form a different kind of bower - each with its own blueprint and identity in terms of diversity.

Underlining the concept of serving nature, to some extent the outcome of this on-going project is not set as one end result but left open-ended to allow the possibility to encounter the unexpected arising from inputs by the many who are involved in the process.

Varsha Nair.

Artist and initiator of the project, Negotiating Routes: Ecologies of the Byways.

Input in the project, workshops and planting by:
200 children from Wadhwana, Kukkad, Shamshedpur, Akotadar, Shimoliya, Gopalpura and Manjrol village schools, and their teachers.
Varsha Nair. Artist and initiator of the project
Dr Jitendra Gavali. Botanist, Director of Community Science Center Vadodara and Co author of the book, 'Trees of Gujarat'.
Mr Deepak Tipre. Conservator of Forest and In-charge of Wadhwana Wetland and Jambughoda Forest.
Ms Harshangi Yagnik. Scientist, Community Science Center Vadodara. Project assistant.
Dr Shishir Raval and Ms Asmita Raval, Architects and Environmentalists. Advisors
Mr Hemant Suthar (Gujarat State Forestry Department)
Dr Sonal Deshkar (Avian Biology Department of Zoology, The M. S. University of Baroda, Gujarat)

Further information on NR 1 Wadhwana Wetlands at: http://varshashavar.wordpress.com

Negotiating Routes: Ecologies of the Byways is initiated by Varsha Nair and co curated by Pooja Sood, KHOJ International Artists Association: http://khojworkshop.org/project/negotiating_routes_ecologies_byways

(There are 8 sites in the project, details are on the Khoj website above. Project time frame 2010 - 2012)