Breed and Ecosystem conservation

The Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sanghatan has initiated several initiatives for the youth amongst them to turn towards education, both from schools as well as self—study groups which also initiate them towards traditional knowledge protection, bird watching, nature guiding, outdoor education through trails and games, handicrafts and cultural orientation of the community, to preserve their forest identities. The tribal identity is further promulgated in their sincere efforts to file for individual and community claims through the Forest Rights Act, 2006 as well as initiate community restoration drives, practices of herd mobility by empowering pastoral opportunities, prepare forest fire prevention squads and protect forests from poachers and cattle smugglers. They have currently undertaken a project to document the traditional knowledge and ecosystem benefits of 20 species of flora, which have food, medicinal, household or cultural uses for the community. 

The Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sanghatan has ensured members of the community do not engage in intermixing of breeds and promote the security and preservation of the indigenous Gojri breed within this landscape. The community is keen to safeguard  its traditional knowledge, customary practices and cultural values. The Van Gujjars are also cultivating new ways to undertake conservation drives through initiatives like Saila Parv that ensure trees beneficial to the livestock are planted.

It is hopeful that this activity of the Sanghatan will be incentivized by the Forest Department to ensure better management of the common pastures. The Sanghatan is willing to cooperate with all government and non-government institutions that are keen to propagate sustainable protection of the grassland through participative means to further its efforts in breed conservation and pasture management. It is also hopeful that the Sanghatan will soon form a cooperative of its own to ensure the breed finds viable means to develop and cherish with a complete agency of the Van Gujjars. Pastoralism as a livelihood needs a fillip through identifying such conservation strategies amidst humans, their livestock and other coexisting wild animals within the grassland. Several activities of the Sanghatan have ensured that coupled with the breed, several other species of fauna find utilization of the common property resource within which the Van Gujjars reside.