Encouraging the reproduction of argala marabouts

Aaranyak

Dear difteur-ses,

In recent months, Aaranyaka teams have been stepping up initiatives in the field to protect the marabouts.

Sewing workshops have been organized to train women to make clothes and accessories. These sessions enabled participants to develop practical skills while generating sustainable income.
Parallel to this, meditation sessions were set up to improve their well-being and strengthen their commitment to conservation.

Also, thanks to your support, a 5-month-old young marabout, certainly disoriented due to the rains and thunderstorms, was rescued thanks to quick reports from villagers. He was taken into care and then released.

Young marabout rescued in India

Beauval Nature

Dear difteur-ses,

One of NGO Aaranyak's projects aims to encourage the reproduction of argala marabouts in the state of Assam, home to the species' largest breeding population.

We were able to interview Purnima Devi Barman, biologist, head of the "Avifauna: Conservation and Research" section of the NGO Aaranyak and founder of the Hargila Army, a 100% women's collective dedicated to the conservation of argala marabouts.

What message do you have for our society?

Nature isn't something outside us, it's inside us. Conservation isn't just the job of scientists or activists; it's everyone's responsibility.
We need to listen to nature's wisdom. Just as the argala marabouts taught me to be strong, wise and loving, I believe that every species has something to teach us.

Let's do away with taboos, reconnect with our roots and build a future where People and planet thrive in harmony. Conservation is a celebration - it should bring joy, pride and unity.

What's been done in 2024 to preserve the marabouts?
Thanks to your support, counts, tree distribution and land purchases have continued.
Workshops for women, children and training courses were organized throughout the year. For example, 100 women were trained in weaving to support local economic development.
Most importantly, a new colony of 52 marabou nests was discovered in the village of Kulhati!

A new colony of over 50 marabouts discovered!

Dear donors,

In India, multiple community actions are carried out by Aaranyak in order to foster village development, gain their support and involve villagers in the actions carried out. Here's a glimpse of the latest mobilizations!

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, the women involved in the program organized a community clean-up campaign in Dadara. The aim of the event was to raise awareness of environmental protection.

Then, during Durgā pūjā, a famous Hindu festival, Aaranyak teams exhibited and sold products made by the women of the Hargila army. This name refers to a collective of over 10,000 women from local communities, invested in the actions carried out by the NGO in favor of the argala marabouts.

Other actions carried out in recent months include the distribution of 400 seedlings to villagers, the planting of 100 trees in Kamrup to restore habitat and the organization of a free eye check-up benefiting over 200 people.

A big thank you to you, dear difteurs, for your invaluable support and donations ✨

Supporting communities to preserve nature

Dear difters,

Purnima traveled to Kyrgyzstan to take part in a training course on the environment and sustainable practices. The training covered a wide range of topics including biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management, climate change and community-based solutions.

Aaranyak also delivered sewing training to a group of women. Through training and employment, the aim is to help them have a more important place in their community.

A big thank you for your invaluable support and donations!

Environment and training, knowledge is growing!

A number of awareness-raising and knowledge-sharing actions have been carried out in recent weeks in several Indian states:
- Within several schools in Guwahati (state of Assam) and Bhatapara (state of Chhattisgarh),
- In a forestry training center in Burnihat (state of Meghalaya),
- During a congress in Guwahati,
- On the occasion of a volleyball match in Bongolagarh (Assam), etc. .

The Aaranyak team also travelled to Jorhat (Assam) to talk to villagers and continue the study of argala marabou populations living in open dumps. This phenomenon is being studied in Guwahati and Jorhat.

Raising awareness and monitoring marabou populations

The Aaranyak association, in collaboration with the villagers of Bongolagarh (Kamrup district, India), has launched an initial month-long reforestation campaign to plant nesting trees. The site is important because it contains wetlands, providing food resources and resting places for argala marabouts. The teams planted 250 2-metre-high native trees, kadams (Neolamarckia cadamba), 500 smaller trees and fruit trees (guava, mango). Aaranyak plans to plant a further 5,000 nesting trees within the next two months. For the past 17 years, the team has distributed 5,000 seedlings to villagers each year, in June and July, and accompanied them in the planting operations.

Encouraging the reproduction of argala marabouts

The project

Use of the money