A project that engages tribes to turn forest weeds into furniture

While doing research for her Ph.D. in the forestlands of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Maya Mahajan found that a species of invasive forest weeds were completely destroying the natural vegetation. And the plant was Lantana Camara that was brought from South America as a garden plant. It was growing like an exotic weed causing a threat to the ecosystem. After doing extensive research and experiments, Maya and her team realised that this plant could be transformed into beautiful cane furniture.

“My Ph.D. was based on invasive forest weeds and how they are destroying the natural vegetation. I had selected 4-5 sites, including Siruvani, Mudumalai, and Silent Valley. I discovered that Lantana Camara was growing vigorously in these regions causing a threat. Due to this, there was a dip in the growth of valuable plants, which, in turn, was affecting the livelihood of local tribes. Forest department noticed this and decided to control the growth by removing the plants using elephants. But that was a laborious affair involving a lot of time,” she says.

The team wanted to do something that was environmentally sustainable. Maya came across the news about eco-friendly furniture and thought of giving it a shot. “We met people from Bengaluru and did a thorough research and experimentation. We also decided to engage local communities for this project. I wrote proposals to the Ministry of Environment and when I received enough funds, we kickstarted the project. With the help of locals, we turned the Lantana Camara weeds into highly durable furniture,” Maya adds.

Even though she shares a good rapport with the locals, they were skeptical about the possibility of Lantana furniture. “It took time for me to convince tribal villagers. Because of a bitter experience from the past, they thought we will disappear after giving them training. First, 10 people came forward and after noticing the success, many joined us. We took them to neigbhbouring villages to talk to other community members. So far, we have trained more than 100 locals,” the research scholar recalls.

Sharing with us the complex process of transforming the forest weed into furniture, she says, “The villagers collect matured Lantana Camara plants from the forest, remove the skin and boil the thick branches and stems in a drum. This smoothens the texture and increases the flexibility. Then they bend and assemble it with the help of cane wires and make eco-friendly chairs, table sets and sofas. An invasive forest weed, Lantana Camara has certain chemical compounds that make it resistant to pests. When compared to bamboo or wood, Lantana furniture is sturdier.”

The furniture project has given a livelihood to many tribal men and women, who previously had no source of income. Also, a few unemployed youngsters have come forward to take this up as a profession. “A majority of our workers are women and what better way than helping them lead a decent life. We are also providing a certificate course in this,” she says.

Not only in Siruvani, but Maya also plans to take this project to different parts of the country. “For that, we need to market and popularise the product in a bigger way. We are studying the market — people should understand the benefits of Lantana furniture. By training more people in the coming months, and by collaborating with various organisations, we hope to bring in a positive impact,” she explains.  Her research assistants, Aravind R and Ramkumar, also help Maya in this process.