bush skills, field ecology & tribal wisdom - june 2012
TRANSCRIPT
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7/31/2019 Bush Skills, Field Ecology & Tribal Wisdom - June 2012
1/2The Gerry Martin Project www.gerrymartin.in
Understand the
dynamics of
herpetofauna out in
the field
through a new lens.The Irulas!
BUSH SKILLS, FIELD ECOLOGY
AND TRIBAL WISDOM22 to 24 June 2012
FIELD ECOLOGY AND BUSH SKILLS
With Rom, Kali and Gerry
A one of its kind workshop
There is much said about the value of
tribal wisdom, given that they have
numerous lifetimes of knowledge,
built on experience and a strong
connect with the land and Nature.
Yes! There is much to learn from
them and this has to be done in the
field, hands on and in real time. Just
the way they learn from their parents.
The Irulas of the Kanchipuram region
are world famous for their snake
tracking prowess. However, what
isnt known as well is the fact that
they have numerous other skills from
tracking rodents, extracting termites
and collecting honey to using various
plant extracts and preparations asmedicine and creating very tasty
meals from the most unassuming
plants, twigs and roots. We will
combine learning from the Irulas with
existing scientific field techniques to
build a strong base of field skills and
contexts.
June is a good time to be out lookingfor herpetofauna. A few rain showers
would have interrupted the long dry
season, bringing about a revitalization
in life. Many reptiles will also be
breeding at this time and its a great
opportunity to learn and understand
more cryptic behaviour of these
creatures.
http://www.gerrymartin.in/http://www.gerrymartin.in/ -
7/31/2019 Bush Skills, Field Ecology & Tribal Wisdom - June 2012
2/2The Gerry Martin Project www.gerrymartin.in
The Module
The workshop will focus on various
aspects of field herpetology from
taxonomy to tracking and ecology.
We will also dedicate significant
focus to snakebi te in Ind ia ,
understanding the problem and
learning first-aid protocols. Topics willinclude:
Reptile and Amphibian Taxonomy
Bush Skills with Irulas
Snakebite First Aid and Treatment
Ecological Field Techniques
Conservation Issues
Captive Management of Reptiles
Field Tracking Skills
Nocturnal Surveys
Scorpions and Spiders
The workshop will be a mix of field
s e s s i o n s , p re s e n t a t i o n s a n d
discussions.
Rom will join in for a few sessions
and share his knowledge and
experience. We will have two of the
Irulas finest, Kali and Kuppan who
will take us exploring the forest, fields
and the surrounding rocky hills
sharing their wisdom and skills with
us.
Logistics and accommodation
We will be based at Rom Whitakers
farm, in a reforested corner which he
cal ls Karadi Malai Camp. Thecampsite about 6 kms from the town
of Chengalpet, South of Chennai
bordering the Vallam Reserve forest.
At the campsite we will be staying in
tents and our meals will be in the
common dining area. Bathrooms are
permanent structures with running
water.
Rom Whitaker andGerry Martin will
share their skills
and combined
experience with
reptiles spanning
many decades!
Kali will help us
learn tracking and
other bush skills.
THE TEAM
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.gerrymartin.in/http://www.gerrymartin.in/