This 32-Year-Old Is Rebuilding a Lost Forest in the Western Ghats With Thousands of Native Saplings

Floral ovaries swell into seeds, and tiny green fruits surface on slender branchlets. Within weeks, they ripen into dark, delicious pericarps — nature’s own invitation to a grand feast.

As the fruits mature, the forest awakens. Hornbills, bats, civets, squirrels, and primates descend in waves, drawn by this abundance. Barking deer and mouse deer forage on the forest floor, completing nature’s guest list.

Every tree releases thousands of seeds — only a few hundred may sprout. Yet survival below the canopy is fierce. This is how forests in the Western Ghats function.

“It’s the forest’s farewell ritual,” says Milind Patil, a forester who has spent years observing the unhurried choreography of seed dispersal in the Western Ghats. “Shade, soil, and predators conspire,” 32-year-old Milind explains. “In the end, one or two endure — carrying the forest’s memory forward.”

These patterns guide Milind’s work — restoring native evergreen forests, one seed and one sapling at a time.

Rooted in observation, guided by ecology

Milind never intended to become a storyteller of seeds. Years spent traversing forest trails, watching fruit cycles, and listening to the drama overhead gently drew him in.

His journey began in childhood, fuelled by a deep fascination with snakes, birds, butterflies, insects, and forest life. “My parents never discouraged me; instead, they supported my interests even though they were unsure what future awaited a boy who spent nearly 25 hours a week wandering through forests, photographing butterflies, handling snakes, catching fish, and observing nature. This was my routine when I was a teenager.”

Milind recalls, “Around 2008 and 2010, major environmental challenges were emerging in Sindhudurg — strong protests against proposed mining, extensive clearing of primary forests for rubber and pineapple plantations, rapid expansion of cashew cultivation, increased wildlife-related crop damage, and cultivable land being left fallow. This was when I truly became aware of the ecological degradation happening in my native landscape.”

Today, trained as a forester and attuned to the Western Ghats’ subtle ecologies, Milind blends scientific rigour with instinctive observation. He is now the custodian of Chamundi Forest, a private 20-acre restoration site in Sindhudurg.

Chamundi forest: Sacred legacy meets science

Launched in 2023 with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) as partner, Chamundi Forest aims to revive degraded swathes of tropical evergreen forest in Sindhudurg using scientific and long-term stewardship.

The forest carries both a sacred legacy and a commitment to biodiversity.

The Northern Western Ghats have witnessed a strong resurgence, propelled by NCF and local partners. Where biodiversity once hovered on the edge, restoration is breathing life into degraded land — one sapling, one grove, one collaboration at a time.

Impact: What the numbers show

At the flagship 2.5-hectare site, 3,316 native saplings of 79 species have been planted — with an impressive survival rate of 87 percent. Beyond just plants, each sapling represents shade, soil stability, and renewed wildlife habitat.

Restoration by numbers

Across 10 sites in the Northern Western Ghats, NCF’s footprint now spans 6 hectares, with 7,962 saplings representing 106 native species.

These efforts weave together:

• Six private landowners committed to ecological restoration
  

• Two cashew plantations shifting towards biodiversity-friendly practices
  

• Two sacred groves where ecological revival blends with cultural reverence
  

These numbers reflect a wider movement where farmers, forest dwellers, and conservationists co-create biodiverse, meaningful landscapes.

Reviving the heart of the Western Ghats

Nestled in Sindhudurg’s lush hills, Milind Patil leads a quiet conservation revolution. For him, forestry transcends profession; it is a lifelong commitment to restoring native evergreens in one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots.

Soil, spirit, and lifelong dedication

Milind’s roots run deep in Konkan. Unlike many peers, Milind chose not to enter the government or corporate sectors. Instead, he dedicated himself to sustainable agriculture and hands-on conservation in Sindhudurg, working with over 250 farmers to understand their realities.

From these engagements, bamboo emerged as a promising crop — economically viable, ecologically robust. In 2015, he founded a bamboo nursery, merging traditional farming with ecological wisdom.

This turning point had begun taking shape earlier:

During his undergraduate years between 2010 and 2014, Milind immersed himself in India’s ecological history, building an e-library of over 200 historical texts and gaining field experience through wildlife surveys and butterfly studies.

Determined not to take a formal job, he returned to his village after graduation in 2014 and started a bamboo nursery, later registered under RKVY in 2015. He soon expanded it to native species like kokum, jackfruit, and jambhul.

By 2018–2019, Milind gained clarity on ecosystem restoration principles, shaping his nursery and restoration work towards reviving the native forest ecosystems of the Western Ghats.

“The real clarity about ecosystem restoration — its principles, processes, and ecological foundations — came to me around 2018–2019. That understanding ultimately shaped the direction of my nursery and restoration work.”

The birth of the Western Ghats nursery

In 2020, his passion took concrete shape with the establishment of Western Ghats Nursery, dedicated to conserving native, rare, and endemic species. That year, with strong family support, Milind acquired eight hectares deep within the Ghats, initiating a restoration journey under NCF’s guidance.

Professor Rohit Naniwadekar, tropical ecologist and conservation scientist with NCF, notes, “We collaborate with him by buying saplings of rare and endangered species grown in his nursery — unique in its kind — and support his conservation efforts.”

Today, Chamundi Forest represents more than land; it embodies hope, gratitude, and nature’s resilience.

Sr Vinayak Patil of the Dapoli-based College of Forestry, Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, says, “While plantation efforts have happened in the Western Ghats, true ecosystem restoration is rare. That is what makes his work so important.”

Restoration nurseries: Heartbeats of change

Unlike commercial horticulture, restoration nurseries like Western Ghats propagate species true to their ecosystems — often with little financial reward but immense ecological value.

Between 2018 and 2020, Milind compiled a list of about 410 native species while exploring the tree diversity of Sindhudurg’s Western Ghats. This effort revealed the challenges of seed collection in fragmented habitats — poor documentation of flowering cycles, natural disturbances, slow germination rates, and the complexities of propagating rare evergreen species.

His restoration nursery focuses on native species lost to monocultures and land-use change, not commercially valuable plants. With fluctuating demand and little market support, maintaining rare species often requires years of care without assured funding, creating constant financial and operational pressures.

Despite these hurdles, Milind continues to nurture slow-growing evergreens, driven not by profit but ecological conviction.

Land, love, and responsibility

Milind’s approach is straightforward — restoration does not require sprawling estates. What matters is the willingness to act. Every guntha, every hectare, every backyard contributes.

Western Ghats Nursery is more than plants — it is a teaching ground, job creator, and network builder connecting landowners and conservationists. Yet it continues to battle financial constraints; its survival is vital for rare species and the Ghats’ ecological future.

What the land looked like

Before Restoration

The land Milind purchased was once part of a typical wet evergreen forest, but by the time he acquired it, its ecological integrity had been severely degraded. It had been clear-felled repeatedly for shifting cultivation until around 2000, and was again cleared twice between 2000 and 2015 for fuelwood extraction.

By 2019, the area had become a highly disturbed tertiary deciduous patch with only a few remaining evergreen trees. Frequent intentional forest fires continued until 2022, further degrading the soil, inhibiting natural regeneration, and preventing the return of evergreen species.

After Restoration

Since restoration began in 2022, Milind’s site has remained fire-free for four years thanks to firelines and strict protection, allowing soil and vegetation to recover.

Annual planting of 1,000–1,200 slow-growing evergreen species has achieved a survival rate of 85–89 percent, with species like Canarium strictum, Knema attenuata, and Syzygium stocksii showing strong growth.

Improved soil moisture, organic content, and microclimatic cooling from increasing evergreen cover are evident. While wildlife presence has not yet increased, Milind expects meaningful habitat recovery within 10–15 years. Evergreen restoration is slow, but early signs — soil recovery, high survival, and steady growth — indicate a promising trajectory.

Restoration techniques: How Milind works

Milind views ecological restoration as the revival of entire living systems, not just tree planting. His approach begins with assessing disturbance levels and selecting reference ecosystems to guide species choices and planting proportions.

He follows principles such as:

• Planting saplings 2–3 metres apart
  

• Placing hardy natives in open areas and shade-tolerant species beneath canopy pockets
  

• Retaining native undergrowth
  

• Controlling exotics like Chromolaena and Lantana

• Using minimal, strictly need-based watering
  
  

Avoiding monocultures is central to his work. Seed collection remains the greatest challenge due to fragmentation and fires, but Milind collects small quantities from multiple parent trees to preserve genetic diversity.

His nursery focuses on rebuilding populations of rare evergreen species such as Canarium strictum, Knema attenuata, Syzygium stocksii, and Elaeocarpus variabilis.

Challenges include herbivory, drought, and fire. Since 2022, he has maintained a four-metre fireline and regular clearing to protect plantations. Despite steep terrain, minimal irrigation, and slow growth rates, his methods ensure high survival and long-term recovery.

NCF’s role

Milind established the Western Ghats Nursery and purchased the restoration land in 2020.

NCF became part of his journey in 2022 — making his site their first restoration initiative in the Northern Western Ghats.

NCF has provided:

• funding
  

• technical advisory
  

• species selection support
  

• growth monitoring
  

• local employment through restoration activities
  

Restoration at Patil’s site is ongoing, with about one hectare planted annually. Each cycle builds on past lessons, refining species mix, improving nursery practices, and strengthening ecological resilience.

Milind Patil’s story shows how local knowledge, scientific discipline, and deep commitment can revive both landscapes and communities. His journey calls on all of us to rethink our ties to nature — not as consumers, but as custodians of Earth’s ancient legacy.