Voice of a Sentient Highland – Uncovering and Listening to the Intelligence of Landscapes

Abstract

Indigenous peoples all over the planet have always said that mountains are alive; rivers are sentient; and that the lands have an intelligence. So far, this has not been accepted in science, and much of human civilization is built on the destructive utilization of land-bases and more. Could uncovering this fundamental relation in nature, help at this time when life on the planet is being gravely endangered?

Voice of a Sentient Highland captures the colossal story of the Nilgiris. Within this record is evidence of mountains being alive and intelligent, in a form that science can accept. The book taps into this unique capacity of the high elevation plateaus, to draw key messages from the land and ecology. In this talk, I narrate the story of how I came upon this understanding through 9 years of research and restoration work. I also present how these findings and solutions can help reinforce current global environmental and social movements. The talk will also highlight the transdisciplinary approach used in the research, and the need for this in finding effective solutions.

About the speaker

Godwin Vasanth Bosco is a restoration ecologist based in the Nilgiris hills. He works towards ecological restoration in the Southern Western Ghats region. Starting the first native grassland nursery in the Nilgiris, and actively promoting the need for grassland and shrubland restoration, he has been conducting restoration initiatives for close to nine years. He has been studying and researching the forests and ecology of this region for the same amount of time. Prior to entering the field of ecology, Vasanth studied and worked in environmental engineering in Finland, where as an inventor he holds two patents for inventions in alternative transportation applications. His entire schooling was done in a school called KFI (Kirishnamurthy Foundation India) in Chennai, India. Here, nature education and environmental awareness were given importance. He is currently working on two more books and other innovative solutions for garnering global change.