THE CROAK is a weekly environmental newsletter put out by the eCoexist team. It is the voice of the environment on its last legs, the final croak that can either be a plea for attention or a call of triumph as the frogs jump out of the well of ignorance and denial.

Save our culture ! Save our seeds !

As Indian farmers struggle to get what they deserve, this Republic Day, let us all acknowledge the incredible heritage of biodiversity we have received and do our bit to save it!

In collaboration with the Kalpavriksh Environment Action group and Vanastree , Karnataka - eCoexist brings you a unique idea to celebrate this Republic Day with pride.

With two beautiful offerings, we request you  to help us to save our culture, by saving our seeds. Send these out to your friends and family and help support the work of both organisations...


Order here

Farmers and gardeners of the Vanastree collective save seeds of traditional vegetables and flowers. These seeds are organic, open pollinated, and available for planting in food gardens (including urban terraces) all over the Indian sub-continent. Seeds are exchanged and gifted as a tradition in the Malnad which we have encouraged and endorsed as a priceless community activity.

This Desi seed pouch contains two popular seeds - Marigold and Butterfly Pea - also known as Gokarna presented in an elegant pouch made by the village women of Ahwalwadi. 

Each pouch is Rs 50/- only for a minimum order of 20 pouches. Send these pouches out to your friends and encourage them to plant the seeds in a pot at home itself . 

About Vanastree

Vanastree germinated in 2001, having been the seed of a dream for years. They have grown from one person and one village to about 150 persons in 15 villages.

Core

Women have formed small seed groups, meet at gatherings, attend training programmes, go on study trips, and feel empowered to be part of a fraternity of like-minded people. The seed revolution that Vanastree leads has also become a vehicle for quiet but effective social change. Seeds are intrinsically linked with women’s lives, and bestow upon them the power to realise themselves and to firmly assert their critical role in the social and ecological health of the Malnad.

Seed Sanctuary

Vanastree maintains a modest seed collection in Sirsi town. Rather than focusing on creating a central seed bank facility, we believe that the entire region lends itself to being a landscape-level seed storehouse. With the right inputs and energies, rural communities can maintain diversity and varietal purity as they have been doing for centuries. We strongly advocate seed sovereignty and having a universal open source seed system.

Seeds travel - thats what they do! Nature has come up hundreds of ingenious ways to ensure the propagation of seeds to distant locations - ensuring that biodiversity spreads - and that each seed that germinates gets the nourishment it requires. In a delightful childrens book called Travelling Seeds,  Lavanya Karthik introduces the young readers, to seeds that fly, that hook onto animals and get eaten up only to survive the digestive tracts of these animals to come out nourished on the other end ! She speaks of how a close symbiotic network is formed by the seeds between the plant and animal worlds. She speaks of resilience and longevity, of engineering and gravity and opens up a magical horizon to kids in this book. 

We offer this book along with the Desi Seed Pouch as a lovely gift this Republic Day !

Rs 200/- ( plus shipping) : Includes one book and one seed pouch with two varieties of seeds


Order Here
Lavanya Karthik lives in Mumbai where she writes and illustrates childrens books and attempts to raise a vegetable garden in her tiny balcony. She has also written The Lion's Feast, Too Big! Too Small! and Neel on Wheels. If she were a seed she would want to be the kind that floats!
Read more about Kalpavriksh here ...
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The Croak is a weekly environmental newsletter put out by the eCoexist team. It is the voice of the environment on its last legs, the final croak that can either be a plea for attention or a call of triumph as the frogs jump out of the well of ignorance and denial. Satirical, urgent and wise the newsletter brings to your attention, topics of global environmental relevance as well as emerging encouraging alternatives. Put together by a team of passionate Nature lovers, The Croak hopes to look at the environmental crisis in its face. It is a tool to reconnect readers to Nature, through questioning and self reflection. To understand the outer environment as a reflection of our own inner state, individually and as a species. And to take responsibility for enabling change.
If you would like to contribute articles on ecology consciousness and sustainability please get in touch with us.

Donate Here! Use the Razorpay link on the right to send us a donation today. The eCoexist Foundation is a not for profit Section 25 company registered in Pune.
Please send us an email with your details at [email protected] once you have made the payment so we can send you a receipt. Currently we take donations from India only. We thank you sincerely!
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