Thiruppudaimarudur Conservation Reserve
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Through Wildlife conservation
Declared on 14 February 2005, it was the first conservation reserve established in India. The site lies about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
Ecology
The reserve forms part of a wider riverine and agricultural landscape associated with the Tamraparni River. Agricultural fields, irrigation tanks, mature trees and the river provide feeding and roosting habitat for waterbirds. A survey conducted between May and August 2008 recorded 69 bird species belonging to 40 families, of which 46 were resident species and the remainder were local migrants.
The same study recorded 578 active nests belonging to five colonial nesting species: little cormorant, cattle egret, intermediate egret, little egret and painted stork. Painted storks generally selected taller mature trees and nested in the upper canopy, whereas smaller species tended to use the middle canopy.
The reserve landscape also supports mammals. Colonies of flying foxes roost in mature trees near the temple tank, alongside the seasonal colonies of nesting waterbirds.
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Management
The village community and Tamil Nadu Forest Department manage the area. Community participation and public support is crucial for any conservation effort to succeed. Amendments to the Wild life Protection Act in 2003, provided a mechanism to provide recognition and legal backing to community initiated efforts in wildlife protection. It provides for a flexible system wherein wildlife conservation is achieved without compromising community needs. Thiruppudaimarudur Conservation Reserve is the result of the village community coming forward to protect the birds nesting in their village and acting for declaration of a conservation reserve. This reserve was declared by Government of Tamil Nadu G.O.Ms. No.17 Environment and Forests Dept.
More recent conservation initiatives have sought to combine biodiversity protection with community-based tourism and village livelihoods. The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment has undertaken conservation and community programmes in Thiruppudaimarudur, including biodiversity interpretation activities and planning for improved waste, sanitation and wastewater management.
Community traditions and conservation practices
The nesting birds have also acquired cultural significance among residents of Thiruppudaimarudur. A study of the reserve reported that villagers traditionally regarded the arrival of large numbers of birds as a sign of a good harvest, while a prolonged stay by the birds was associated locally with the prospect of a second crop.
Local conservation practices extend to the adjoining temple complex. A study of bird conservation in Tamil Nadu temples reported that residents avoided bursting firecrackers during festivals to minimise disturbance to nesting birds, and that a facility was maintained within the temple premises to care for chicks that fell from nesting trees. The nesting birds have also acquired cultural significance among residents of Thiruppudaimarudur. A study of the reserve reported that villagers traditionally regarded the arrival of large numbers of birds as a sign of a good harvest, while a prolonged stay by the birds was associated locally with the prospect of a second crop.