Specially Written for Vikalp Sangam

Bridging Intergenerational Ecological Knowledge and Legal Literacy

Dengajhari, a tribal village in the Nayagarh district of Odisha, presents a unique model of how traditional ecological knowledge of the community is sustained across generations. At the heart of this process is the Jungle Kutir, a community-led learning space established eight years ago by the women of the village. What began in 2017 as a modest thatched hut – symbolic of the community’s deep bond with their forest – has evolved into a vibrant space for intergenerational learning. Initially starting as quarterly meetings, the discussions have gradually become a regular monthly practice, drawing even school children from Dengajhari and neighbouring villages.

The Jungle Kutir emerged from a growing concern among village elders that children were becoming increasingly detached from the forest due to migration, shifting livelihoods and changing aspirations. Women, who have historically led forest protection efforts, responded by creating a space where children could learn about the forest not through textbooks, but through lived experience, stories and direct observation. The Kutir thus serves as a bridge between memory and practice, connecting traditional ecological knowledge with present-day conservation needs.

Central to this initiative is an 80-year-old Sashi Pradhan, lovingly known as Sashi Mausi, who has provided leadership to the community initiatives for forest protection for decades. Having witnessed both the degradation and revival of the forest due to community protection, she brings insights rooted in lived history. During each discussion, she narrates stories of how unchecked extraction once shrank the forest and how the community revived it through collective action. Her storytelling blends humour, songs and keen observation, making each discussion engaging and memorable. Children listen with curiosity, respond to simple questions that reinforce learning, and receive small tokens, such as notebooks, pencils and biscuits, that encourage regular participation. Gradually, they learn to identify leaves, plants and trees, recognise uncultivated forest foods and medicinal species, understand animal behaviour, and interpret ecological signs relied upon by their elders.

Over the years, the Jungle Kutir has grown into a multi-functional learning space. It teaches children about local flora and fauna, the behaviour of trees, the seasonal appearance of mushrooms, the regeneration of forest soil, etc. It also acts as a repository of cultural memory, recounting Dengajhari’s long-standing forest protection practices such as the Thenga Pali system, where villagers, particularly women, took rotational turns to guard the forest and prevent illegal felling.

In recent years, Kutir has also become a platform for rights-based education. Women facilitators introduce children and youth to key provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, emphasising community forest resource (CFR) rights, local stewardship and the responsibilities tied to conservation. This blending of ecological knowledge with legal understanding has significantly broadened the role of the Kutir within village life.

The Jungle Kutir has also begun hosting wider community discussions on legal and policy developments concerning forest rights and community forest governance. During one such meeting, villagers — both men and women — gathered to collectively review and discuss important judgments related to the Forest Rights Act (FRA),demonstrating the interest and enthusiasm among the community to engage with complex legal subjects. These discussions have opened a new dimension of legal awareness within the community, allowing residents to understand the implications of court rulings, clarify doubts about their rights, and explore pathways for strengthening Community Forest Governance. The Kutir thus functions not only as a space for teaching children about biodiversity and cultural knowledge but also as a platform where adults actively engage with legal frameworks and governance issues that shape their relationship with the forest. This expanding role underscores the Kutir’s emergence as a critical centre for both ecological and legal literacy in Dengajhari.

The impact of this model is evident in the enthusiasm with which children participate. Many belong to families with seasonal migration, yet the knowledge gained at the Kutir strengthens their emotional relationship with the forest. For the women – especially elders like Sashi Mausi – the space provides renewed purpose, reaffirming their leadership in community governance and knowledge transmission. Dengajhari’s Jungle Kutir offers a compelling example of the importance of such community institutions as spaces for reflection and learning, and to sustain and preserve ecological knowledge and community conservation practices. The Kutir represents a rare convergence of biodiversity education, cultural narratives, conservation practices and legal literacy, making it a micro-model of community-based governance.

Ultimately, the Jungle Kutir is more than a physical structure; it is a testament to Dengajhari’s commitment to ensuring that ecological heritage is passed on. As children walk back from the Kutir with notebooks filled with sketches of leaves, birds and stories shared by their elders, they carry within them the seeds of custodianship. For them, the forest becomes not merely a resource but a living archive of identity and belonging. In an era of ecological uncertainty and cultural erosion, Dengajhari’s model reminds us that conservation begins with memory – and memory endures when one generation chooses to teach the next.

Acknowledgement: The authors extend sincere thanks to Mr. Tushar Dash, Executive Director, Vasundhara for his valuable guidance and insightful inputs in preparing this article.

About the Authors

Nivedita Panda is the Team Lead – Research & Documentation at Vasundhara. Her work focuses on forest rights, women’s land and resource rights, community forest governance, and biodiversity conservation. She has led and contributed to research, documentation, and policy-oriented studies engaging closely with forest-dependent communities. Contact her here.

Bhagyalakshmi Biswal is a Programme Officer at Vasundhara and has been working since 1998 with forest-dependent communities on forest rights, women’s land and resource rights, and community forest governance. Her work focuses on grassroots engagement, community mobilisation, and strengthening forest-based livelihoods, with a particular emphasis on women’s empowerment in forest governance, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods.