Lantana camara

The species will grow to 6 ft (1.8 m) high and may spread to 8 ft (2.4 m) in width with some varieties able to clamber vinelike up supports to greater heights with the help of support. The leaves are 2-5 in (5-12.7 cm) long by 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) wide with rounded tooth edges and a textured surface. Stems and leaves are covered with rough hairs and emit an unpleasant aroma when crushed. The small flowers are held in clusters (called umbels) that are typically 1-2 in (2.5-5.1 cm) across. In the tropics lantana is a non-stop bloomer. Where it is killed to the ground by frost the lantana blooms in summer and fall. Flower color ranges from white to yellow, orange to red, pink to rose in unlimited combinations, in addition the flowers usually change in color as they age. In India about 7-8 species of Lantana are found. Some important species of Lantana in India are Lantana Camara, Lantana Indica, Lantana trifolia, Lantana Canulata etc.

Lantana camara has become naturalized in tropical and warm regions worldwide. In India, the weed has spread all over the country, even in areas that receive minimal amounts of rainfall. It can be seen in the wild and along footpaths, deserted fields, and inside villages.

Lantana has become popular in gardens, for its hardy nature. It is not affected by pests or disease, has low water requirements, and handles extreme heat. It is a favorite species of butterflies, and used in butterfly gardens in the world.

L. camara is an invasive species and has covered large areas in India, Australia and much of Africa. It colonizes new areas when its seeds are dispersed by birds, mostly the Indian mynah in India. Once it reaches an area, L. camara spreads quickly. It coppices so well, that efforts to eradicate it have completely failed. It is resistant to fire, and quickly grows in and colonizes burnt areas.

L. camara has been listed as a Category One “Invasive Toxic Species” by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council in 2005, meaning that this invasive exotic is “altering native plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing with natives.”  In 2006, the invasion, establishment and spread of lantana was listed as a Key Threatening Process in Schedule 3 under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

The reason for this project emerged after an obvious result from the firewood survey: the villagers will not reduce their wood collection unless some alternatives are provided to them. Unfortunately, the government is almost absent in such help. Our actions may be at small scale, but at least they are actions. The women are the protagonists of this project since they are the ones going inside the forests, the ones risking their lives and the ones who work the harder.

WELFARE has a strong will to empower villagers –strongly dependant on forest products – and to reduce their pressure on the forest. This would serve several purposes:

- by raising their income, the villagers will hopefully progressively modify their habits and buy wood alternative. The best alternative would be LPG but solar cookers should also be brought to their minds.

- by reducing their wood consumption, the villagers would obviously reduce their venues inside the forest, reducing their impact on the forest.

- by reducing the impact of the villagers on the forest, the man-animal conflicts should decrease too.

Different sub-projects are hosted under the name WELFARE:

- the Lantana furniture project: in association with ATREE, four villages (Kyari, Sunderkhal, Ringora and Chhoti Haldwani) have been selected to be trained how to make furniture out of Lantana. This project comprises the removing of Lantana camara, the making of the furniture, the selling and marketing of the furniture and the afforestation of the area where Lantana has been removed.

- NEEMA: this project is happening in Ringora village where a girl, Neema, is making the only artefacts available in and around Corbett, making them priceless. She is making a set of dolls and hand bags out of a local hemp, the “saan”. We are supporting her by managing the whole selling and marketing of her products and to give an identity to Ringora’s village. She is the ambassador of the brand and will confidently bring other girls from Ringora in this project, increasing the range of products made.

The idea of those projects is to combine the conservation of wildlife species such as tiger and of the environment and to improve villagers’ lives. The regeneration of the undergrowth and the forests in general is vital for the preservation of many animals’ habitat. We should never forget that the forests of Corbett are not ours, they belong to the animals. Imagine if someone came to your house to take every day pieces of your walls. In a near future, you would be left with nothing!

On the other hand, the improvement of villagers’ lives would cover a several facilities such as better health care, better education and self employment.

Please refer to the other blogs dedicated to each project to know more about them.