'Green Mountain' Is Restoring Lives in India, Reducing Mercury Levels, Replenishing Drinking Water
29 January
Popular
Greening the barren mountain has helped recharge groundwater levels in the villages. Photo by Gurvinder Singh. Mongabay India
Jamini Mohan Mahanty is out for a morning walk every day. At 91, he is hale and hearty. A resident of Jharbagda village in Purulia district, West Bengal, Mahanty thanks the "green mountain" in his village for having added some extra years to his life.
<p>"I could have died long ago but the green mountain has given me a fresh lease of life. It has made the environment clean and pollution free. It really energises my soul to see birds chirping and rabbits hiding in the bushes. I come inside the forest everyday to have a brief rendezvous with nature," he said, while resuming his walk with the help of a stick.<em></em></p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/01/the-story-of-a-restored-forest-that-restored-lives/">Mongabay India</a>.</em></p>
<p>A few meters away, the mountain stands tall covered with extensive greenery and rich in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" rel="noopener noreferrer">biodiversity</a>. The mountain exemplifies the collective efforts and hardships of the villagers. As they were grappling with depleting <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/groundwater" rel="noopener noreferrer">groundwater</a> levels, harsh summers and trouble accessing firewood for fuel, the villagers realized that their pressing problems could only be solved by nature. Over the years, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" rel="noopener noreferrer">deforestation</a> for firewood had depleted the green cover and the villagers decided to regreen the mountain.</p><p>Over nearly 20 years the community has transformed a barren mountain and its adjoining land, into an evergreen man-made <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/forests" rel="noopener noreferrer">forest</a>.</p><p>Tapas Mahanty, a resident of Jharbagda in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/India" rel="noopener noreferrer">India</a>'s eastern state, recollects the time, two decades ago, when extreme summers and water shortage made life difficult for the then 30,000-odd people residing across 20-21 villages surrounding the mountain. </p><p>"We were facing severe water scarcity woes because of depleting ground water levels. Women had to walk for around a kilometre to arrange <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drinking-water" rel="noopener noreferrer">drinking water</a> as men were out for work. There were often skirmishes and fights over sharing of water at the village taps. It disturbed the harmony of the village," she said.</p><p>Apart from water woes, life also became difficult because of strong winds in summers that spread the heat from the barren mountain. "There was no green cover that could have obstructed the flow of hot and humid winds. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/soil" rel="noopener noreferrer">Soil</a> erosion from the mountain during rains dirtied the ponds and also affected the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/farming" rel="noopener noreferrer">farming</a>. It became difficult to live in the villages located close to the mountain and people began to think of migration," she added.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNDA1NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTY4Mjg5N30.rNkM1f3LWIXTjQFcA4-ZT-_aMGpLFx0oMpSSo_QkNbo/img.jpg?width=980" id="57879" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="284cd1b1c6b264b9f40dbae18d528f7f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(L) A view of the barren mountain in 1996 and (R) a restored landscape as seen in 2006. Mongabay India
Long Walk for Firewood
<p>Another major problem that villagers, especially the women faced was the near absence of firewood as there were hardly any trees, "We had to walk for three to four kilometres for firewood and the entire day was lost in the travel. It was also risky and cumbersome for the women to walk for such a long distance carrying the firewood on their heads. Besides, some couldn't afford the money required to buy firewood for fuel," said another villager.</p><p>Villagers realized that turning the mountain green could save them from the torment of inclement weather coupled with water shortage issues. But it was easier said than done as the mountain spread across 376 acres of land and required extensive labour and funds for plantations.</p><p>An NGO involved in nature <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" rel="noopener noreferrer">conservation</a> came to their rescue. The <u><a href="http://www.tsrd.org/" target="_blank">Tagore Society For Rural Development</a></u> (TSRD), a non-profit engaged in rural work, agreed to do the plantation work on the entire stretch while the community was given the responsibility of maintaining and protecting the green cover. </p><p>"A group of villagers contacted us and told about the problems they were facing. We were overwhelmed by their passion to grow a forest. We then decided to do the plantation," said Prahalad Chandra Mahato, 70, senior employee of the NGO.</p><p>Subsequently, in 1999, a village committee involving 60 members of Jharbagda village of Manbazar-1 block was formed for plantation at a community land of around 300 acres.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNDA1Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MzAyMjExM30.eh38KZE12HOoOpaIUc6oBdefb06WM3JE0giF--dLWq4/img.jpg?width=980" id="cb439" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dadebea5768c9346fa9800b45e177704" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Committee members representing the villages for plantation on the barren mountain. Gurvinder Singh / Mongabay India
<p>Another 67 acres of land was added in 2001 when four villages — Kumardih, Birsinghdih, Cheliama, Radhamadhobpur — also joined hands. Committee members went up to 90. Villagers named it Makino Raghunath Mountain in memory of two environment enthusiasts, Saiji Makino, a Japanese professor who taught at Visvabharati University at Bolpur Shantiniketan and was involved in creating awareness about plantation among the locals and Raghunath Mahanty, a well-known local resident.</p><p>Under a Japanese government-supported greening initiative, the plantations began in 1999 and continued till 2002. "During the course of three years, over 3.26 lakh (326,000) trees of 72 varieties including fruits, medical herbs and timber wood were planted in the mountain stretch and the adjoining land. Labourers were employed for plantation but villagers also worked voluntarily as they were passionate and wanted to mitigate the crisis," added Mahato.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNDA1OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTA1MjIyM30.zw1K3u3Qc44T4UD-C3dmwbFXt351xQjt89QHgBKb_VI/img.jpg?width=980" id="fa767" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b018ed6bc7a5f0b8060f330619b21d35" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Villagers can now collect dry leaves for fuel from the forest on the Makino Raghunath Mountain. Earlier, they would have to walk long distances to get firewood. Gurvinder Singh / Mongabay India
The Stretch Turned Green Within a Few Years
<p>Within a span of a few years, the landscape, starting with five villages started changing. "The first visible sign was the easy availability of firewood for fuel. The dried leaves that fell from the trees were collected by us and used as fuel. It not only saved us from the ordeal of walking for several kilometers but also reduced our expenditure on buying wood for fuel. It encouraged us to protect the forest and shoo out anyone trying to destroy it," said Kalyani Mahanty, 40, a homemaker in Jharbagda.</p><p>The forest also led to an increase in the groundwater level and brought down the constant quarrels among villagers, "The groundwater level that had depleted to 40-50 feet (and went down even more in summers) became normal and was available at 15-20 ft. The easy availability of water brought peace to the village," she added.</p><p>The dense green cover also ensured the presence of biodiversity and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/elephants" target="_self">elephants</a> began to traverse the forest that was once barren, "We first noticed the movement of elephants in 2005. There was a sense of jubilation among villagers. There were also constant sighting of snakes and other animals. Birds are now regular here," said Bikash Mahanty, 40, who resides at the neighbouring Radhamodhobpur village.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNjUzNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTI0OTUxOX0.S9eG2GAmbVZI6yhmzwCPauTUEIvlfSCae47Lrt0O2cQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="8554a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f3bc72b3aba749959342680b81c62168" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />The Makino Raghunath Mountain, a once-barren mountain where plantation took place between 1999 and 2002, restoring its greenery. Mongabay India
<p><br></p><p>The dense trees have also brought down the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/mercury" rel="noopener noreferrer">mercury</a> level in villages and have made the air cooler during summers, "It is comparatively cooler due to the presence of trees. We often sit under the shade of trees during summers and even spend our evenings here. The trees have also prevented soil erosion and farming is not getting hampered due to the mud carried by the rainwater from the mountains," he added.</p><p>Villagers have repeatedly turned down the requests to turn the forest into a picnic spot. "The tourism would no doubt help in promoting the place and also open new avenues of employment but it would do more harm by destroying the environment. Tourists will ignore all norms and use of plastic and other items would destroy its natural beauty. We have ignored the repeated plea to turn this into a tourist spot," said Dwija Pada Mahanty, former village head of Manbazar gram panchayat.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c5aa6de16cbc8253b6ae4e1082e1ebe8"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kkVdJR2pLA8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Trenches Being Dug to Store Rainwater
<p>The state government in collaboration with TSRD is now digging trenches down the mountain to stop the wastage of rainwater and to make the soil nutritious, "The water in the trenches would make the soil nutritious while the overflowing water would be stored in a nearby pond and used for farming. It would also recharge the groundwater," said Badal Maharana, 43, team leader, <u><a href="https://usharmukti.nregawb.in/" target="_blank">Ushar Mukti</a></u> project, TSRD Purulia Unit.</p><p>He further said that around 1.5 feet deep trenches have been dug up in 50 hectares of land after the start of the work last year.</p><p>"The trenches would certainly help in storing the rainwater and would be used for multiple purposes. We are also trying to make it an animal corridor to facilitate their movement but the presence of habitation near the forest is a hurdle to the plan. The efforts of the villagers stand as a classic example of how environment conservation is vital for the survival of every individual," said Niladri Sarkar, Block Development Officer (BDO), Manbazar-1 block in Purulia district.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNDA2NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTYwNDg5NX0.H_elNTErtxSE5y_j_8ATWT6x72fppFDmnTzGgEQQp9A/img.jpg?width=980" id="2e943" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d8953097e3227af62caf8b1d5aa4fdc0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />The overflowing water from trenches would flow into the nearby pond and would be used for farming. Gurvinder Singh / Mongabay India
From Your Site Articles
- 1.5 Million Volunteers Plant 66 Million Trees in 12 Hours, Breaking ... ›
- Planting Billions of Trees Is the 'Best Climate Change Solution ... ›
- Philippines Passes Law Requiring Students to Plant 10 Trees ... ›
- Abandoned Plantations Within Forests May Never Fully Recover ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Ama Dablam mountain of the Himalayan mountains. Rohit Tandon / Unsplash
Researchers have found that plants are growing farther up the Himalayas than they did in the past, according to a new study in the journal Global Change Biology, as Newsweek reported.
<p>Researchers looked at satellite data from 1993 to 2018 and found plant life extending into the harsh terrain between the top of the tree line and the bottom of the snowline. The new growth may have large impacts on the water that feeds the rivers that flow down from the Himalayas, according to lead researcher, Karen Anderson, of the University of Exeter in the UK. </p>
<p>"If the ecology is changing, that will have impacts on the hydrology. Nobody's considered that before," she said, as the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2229618-plants-are-growing-higher-up-mount-everest-as-the-climate-warms/#ixzz6Av7mkikm" target="_blank">New Scientist</a> reported.</p>
<p>That's significant since nearly 1.4 billion people rely on water from the Himalayas, according to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/10/plants-growing-around-everest-ice-melts-himalayas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Telegraph</a>. <br></p><p>Anderson and her team looked at 25 years of images from NASA's Landsat satellites to zero in on the subnival region - the area between the tree line (the edge of where trees can grow) and the snow line (the boundary between permanently snow-covered land and snow-free land), as <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51050456" target="_blank">BBC</a> reported. The rocky, cold terrain that is over 4,500 meters (13,600 feet) above sea level is particularly inhospitable to most plants, meaning the vegetation is mostly shrubs and grasses. </p>
<p>The subnival region is also very large, extending five to 15 times the size of the landmass covered in snow and ice, according to the study. "Yet, the harsh conditions make the area difficult to study. There's hardly any ecological data from this region at all," said Anderson, as the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2229618-plants-are-growing-higher-up-mount-everest-as-the-climate-warms/#ixzz6Av7mkikm" target="_blank">New Scientist</a> reported.</p>
<p>For this paper, Anderson and her team focused on three sections of the Hindu Kush Himalaya, a range that stretches from Afghanistan in the west to Myanmar in the east, as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-data-plants-higher-himalayas-1481532" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reported.</p>
<p>"The strongest trend in increased vegetation cover was between 5,000 meters and 5,500 meters altitude," said Anderson, as <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51050456" target="_blank">BBC</a> reported. "At higher elevations, the expansion was strong on flatter areas while at lower levels that has been observed on steeper slopes."</p>
<p>There is no definitive reason that plants are moving to higher elevations, but the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate crisis</a> is a likely culprit. "My initial guess would be that the primary driver is temperature limitation being removed," said Anderson to the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2229618-plants-are-growing-higher-up-mount-everest-as-the-climate-warms/" target="_blank">New Scientist</a>. She added that extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could also be helping the plants grow.</p><p>The climate crisis is dramatically affecting the Himalayas, which are warming rapidly due to greenhouse gas <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/emissions">emissions</a>. That has meant that elevations that were once too cold for plants may now be hospitable to them, as the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2229618-plants-are-growing-higher-up-mount-everest-as-the-climate-warms/" target="_blank">New Scientist</a> reported.</p>
<p>Already, concern has grown over the Himalayas' melting <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glaciers" rel="noopener noreferrer">glaciers</a> and how it will alter borders between countries. Furthermore, the melting glaciers will wreak havoc on the water supplies of countries that rely on runoff, causing an increase in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">floods</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought" rel="noopener noreferrer">droughts</a>. </p>
<p>Water that runs from the Himalayas feeds the 10 largest rivers in Asia, and 250 million rely on water from the range's glaciers, which are threatened by global warming, as the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/10/plants-growing-around-everest-ice-melts-himalayas/" target="_blank">Telegraph</a> reported. If global warming is somehow held to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, then one-third of the Himalayan ice caps will still melt away. </p>
<p>Anderson told the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2229618-plants-are-growing-higher-up-mount-everest-as-the-climate-warms/" target="_blank">New Scientist</a> that it is crucial to figure out how the new vegetation climbing the mountains will affect the flow of water. Plant growth may trap more heat, causing the snow to melt faster. </p>
<p>"The plants could trap more snow. Or the plants could warm the areas nearby through albedo effects, causing the snow to melt at a different rate," she said, as the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/10/plants-growing-around-everest-ice-melts-himalayas/" target="_blank">Telegraph</a> reported.</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Himalayan Glacier Melt Has Doubled Since 2000, Satellites Show ... ›
- Living in Hope and Fear Beside India's Retreating Himalayan Glaciers ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Rainbow Mountains in Vinicuna, Perú. Megan Lough / UI International Programs / CC BY-ND 2.0
December 11 is International Mountain Day, an annual occasion designated by the United Nations to celebrate Earth's precious mountains.
Mountains aren't just a sight to behold—they cover 22 percent of the planet's land surface and provide habitat for plants, animals and about 1 billion human beings. The vital landforms also supply critical resources such as fresh water, food and even renewable energy.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk5MzIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDc3NzQ4Nn0.jXKDqI_d3QuoPL1urEUoEHUeyOkaBSQfxn6NBTtPyQs/img.jpg?width=980" id="188c1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="004f182ca689dc841f550c039904afe2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Wind turbines atop a mountain</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Pixabay</small>
</p><p>
Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from the impacts of
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>, land degradation, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/mountaintop-removal">over exploitation</a> and natural disasters, the United Nations warns. What's more, the UN admits that mountains are "<a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/mountainday/" target="_blank">often forgotten</a>" in its own <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300" target="_blank">2030 sustainable development goals</a>.
</p><p>
That's why the theme of 2018's International Mountain Day is <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23MountainsMatter&src=typd" target="_blank">#MountainsMatter</a>. The aim of this year's occasion is to "create a large social movement that can bring mountain issues on the tables of politicians," the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations <a href="http://www.fao.org/international-mountain-day/2018-theme/en/" target="_blank">said</a>.
</p><p>
<a href="http://www.fao.org/international-mountain-day/2018-theme/en/" target="_blank"></a>"Through a global campaign, a social media strategy and <a href="http://www.fao.org/international-mountain-day/imd-around-the-world/en/" target="_blank">events</a> around the world, <a href="http://www.fao.org/international-mountain-day/2018-theme/en/" target="_blank">FAO</a> plans to tell the world that the current neglect of mountains and mountain peoples must stop," the agency added.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk5MzI2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTc4NTExM30.pTEpDCRiTgb0Hd9jt2NhhG_dgenIDe3S838c82rTNW0/img.jpg?width=980" id="962fb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bff6657b54215d229a360633a4471eb7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Denali's Hidden Creek Glacier has noticeably retreated from 1916 (top) to 2004 (bottom) due to climate change.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Top: S.R. Capps, USGS. Bottom: NPS Photo</small>
</p><p>
Here are seven reasons why mountains matter, according to the FAO:<br>
</p><p>
<strong>1. Mountains Matter for Water</strong> as mountains are the world's "water towers," providing between 60 and 80 percent of all freshwater resources for our planet. However, all available records indicate that glaciers in mountain ranges around the world are retreating and disappearing due to climate change. At least 600 glaciers have disappeared completely over the past decades, affecting water supplies relied on by billions living downstream.
</p><p>
<strong>2. Mountains Matters for Disaster Risk Reduction</strong> as climatic variations are triggering disasters. Avalanches, mudflows and landslides are tumbling downstream, stripping bare forests, flooding communities and populations.
</p><p>
<strong>3. Mountains Matter for Tourism </strong>as mountain destinations attract around 15-20 percent of global tourism and are areas of important cultural diversity, knowledge and heritage. Although mountain tourism has the potential to foster economic development in remote and isolated regions, many mountain communities are still not benefiting and live in poverty.
</p><p>
<strong>4. Mountains Matter for Food</strong> as they are important centers of agricultural biodiversity and are home to many of the foods that come to our table, such as rice, potatoes, quinoa, tomatoes and barley. Yet they are home to some of the hungriest peoples in the world with a high vulnerability to food shortages and malnutrition, and climate change is affecting mountain agriculture.
</p><p>
<strong>5. Mountains Matter</strong> <strong>for Youth</strong> as despite the beautiful landscapes, life in the mountains can be tough, particularly for rural youth. Abandoning their villages in search of employment elsewhere has led to an absence of young people and an increasing labor shortage. Migration from mountains leads to an increase in abandoned agricultural land, degradation and often forest fires. At the community level, cultural values and ancient traditions are lost.
</p><p>
<strong>6. Mountains Matter for Indigenous Peoples</strong> as many mountain areas host ancient indigenous communities that possess and maintain precious knowledge, traditions and languages. Mountain peoples have developed remarkable land use systems and have a wealth of knowledge and strategies accumulated over generations on how to adapt to climate variability.
</p><p>
<strong>7. Mountains Matter for Biodiversity </strong>as half of the world's biodiversity hotspots are concentrated in mountains and mountains support approximately one-quarter of terrestrial biological diversity. Mountains are home to rare animals such as gorillas, snow leopards and the majestic tahr as well as strikingly beautiful plants such as orchids and lobelias.
</p><p>
If you'd like to join the conversation, use the hashtag #MountainsMatter on social media to share why mountains are important to you.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cc2efa5fd76671d073b5402aa3339db8"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1h0oB9uZf1k?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">5 reasons why mountains matter</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h0oB9uZf1k" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p>
Read More
Show Less
Support Ecowatch
Posting Your Hike on Instagram? Now You Can Tag Your Location’s Indigenous Name
24 May 2018
Adventure
"These are lands that have been stewarded by indigenous people for thousands of years, and now it's a responsibility of everyone to take that into consideration." @nativesoutdoors / Instagram
By Isabelle Morrison
Public spaces are for everyone, but how we perceive them and interact with them is contextual. Some activists are making their statements on the public canvas all around the world. And it's catching on.
<p>Len Necefer fell in love with mountain climbing after moving to Colorado, but he noticed that information about the national parks he visited did not include indigenous history, despite Native people being the first occupants of those areas. </p><p>Soon, he discovered a way to reclaim indigenous lands.</p><p>In 2017, Necefer, a member of the Navajo Nation, began posting photos of Native people participating in outdoor recreation to his Instagram account, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nativesoutdoors/" target="_blank" title="">@NativesOutdoors</a>. One day, he posted a photo of a woman standing on the summit of Longs Peak, with the geotag "Neníisótoyóú'u," the mountain's Arapaho name.</p><div id="7f9ba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="X8VB071576662416"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BeR7Y8tl2s0/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">NativesOutdoors on Instagram: “Big ego in the mountains means big problems in the mountains. Bailing off a mountain is still a worthwhile lesson & time well spent. This…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>Since then, through a combination of scholarly research and gathering traditional indigenous knowledge, Necefer has created indigenous place-name geotags for more than 40 mountains, most in Colorado.</p><p>"For a lot of folks, even myself, the education we receive about indigenous history in this country is pretty inadequate," Necefer said. "It does not talk about the immense suffering and displacement that occurred, especially on public lands. People are curious and want to know, and I think this is one way that can happen.</p><p>"These are lands that have been stewarded by indigenous people for thousands of years, and now it's a responsibility of everyone to take that into consideration."</p><div id="1d67d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="X9NSAS1576662417"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYBxxn5l2qb/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">NativesOutdoors on Instagram: “These mountains, have, and continue to be, stewarded by indigenous people. Our public lands are also the repositories of thousands of years…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate </em><em><a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/affordable-housing/posting-your-hike-on-instagram-now-you-can-tag-your-locations-indigenous-name-20180523" target="_blank">YES! Magazine</a>.</em></p>
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less