Maharashtra man conserves 300 varieties of native trees and herbs; gives seeds and saplings for free

When Shivshankar Chapule’s friends were playing hide and seek, he was busy watching trees, birds and butterflies in the forests of Renapur in Maharashtra’s Latur district. When he grew up and got a job with the HP Gas Agency, the passion continued.

“I mostly spent my weekends and holidays in the forests, which give shelter to hundreds of species of plants and animals. Forests absorb and store carbon dioxide, thereby reducing greenhouse gases and helping to mitigate climate change. Yet, there is little focus on conserving our native plant diversity in forests,” Shivshankar tells 30Stades.

With that thought in mind, he began collecting and preserving seeds of native plants in 2020. “In the first year, I collected around 25 varieties of native seeds, including Kala Kuda (Pala Indigo), Ramvada (Gritty custard apple), and Dahiman (used in traditional medicines),” he says. 

Over the last five years, Shivshankar has collected more than 300 types of native seeds from Western India. He gives seeds and saplings for free to growers. 

“I never charge a rupee from anyone for sharing seeds or saplings. Just as nature gives freely, I also give freely,” he says.

Shivshankar has collected the seeds of native shrubs, herbs, climbers and trees that improve air quality and maintain ecological balance. They include the fruit tree of soursop or graviola (Hanuman phal), Ipomoea morning glory flower, Musa superba (rock banana), Ficus mollis (soft fig), medicinal plants like Asparagus racemosus (shatavari), Abrus precatorius (roseary pea), Plumbago indica (scarlet leadwort), Diospyros Montana (Bombay ebony), Dev Kapas (silk cotton) and hundreds of others.

Also Read: How this MBA farmer saved over 1,000 varieties of native vegetable seeds

Setting up a seed bank

After starting in 2020, Shivshankar’s collection increased to 100 seeds in the second year. “To store them, I made a seed bank at home. People started coming to meet me to take the seeds. It was not easy to manage it with the job. So in 2022, I quit,” he says.

Shivshankar’s decision to leave his job and focus on biodiversity conservation was supported by environmentalist Dhananjay Shedbale and actor Sayaji Shinde, who is also a nature lover and ecology enthusiast.  “I then began focusing full time on seed collection, preservation and germination,” he says.

He visits forests to collect seeds from the ground and also extracts them from fruits. “Every seed is collected differently – some are plucked from the tree and some are in the form of beans or fruit,” the conservationist says.

For preservation, some seeds are dried directly, while others are washed before being dried. 

Also Read: This Karnataka woman farmer turns leased barren lands into lush green fields using native seeds

“I store the seeds in plastic jars with Bhimseni Kapoor (natural camphor from the Cinnamomum camphora tree). It deters pests, preserves seed quality and improves germination,” Shivshankar shares.

Propagating native plants

Over the years, he has become an expert in locating different types of trees. “I know the location of trees and I have learned the techniques of germination -- some seeds have to be soaked, and some cracked, before planting while others can be directly put in the soil.”

Shivshankar works with NGOs and nurseries to germinate the seeds into saplings. Nature lovers can easily plant them.

“Since these plants are native to Western India, they don’t require special care or expensive fertilisers. They thrive well in the local climate,” he adds.

Also Read: Meera Chandran: This woman quit TCS to fight invasive plants and restore degraded forests of Western Ghats 

Since most people are unaware of India’s vast biodiversity of plants and herbs in forests, Shivshankar and the NGOs take students to jungles and teach them about the identification and uses of various plants. “Some colleges also develop their native plant nurseries,” he adds.

Shivashankar says most people plant non-native decorative trees in and around their houses or fields because they require less water, are ornamental and readily available. “However, neither birds make nests on them, nor butterflies and bees drink their nectar. Moreover, they disturb the ecological balance by using the resources of native plants. It is time we plant our desi or indigenous trees in fields, farms, public spaces and gardens,” he emphasises.

(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai-based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting)

Also Read: This farmer conserves over 800 types of organic vegetable seeds; sells across India

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