15,000 saplings, 14 native species: Dewlieh leads green revival in Meghalaya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 17, 2025

The Dewlieh Biodiversity Nursery was officially launched on Thursday at Dewlieh village in Khatarshnong Laitkroh, Sohra Sub Division, East Khasi Hills. 

The Biodiversity Nursery is part of the ongoing LIC-HFL Special Project of NESFAS that aims to scale out successful community-based livelihood initiatives through training, improving access to resources and creating market linkages with a special emphasis on youth, women and small marginal farmers.

Members of Dewlieh Primary Agroecology Cooperative Society were present during the launch along with the NESFAS team and Abhinav Das, CSR Regional Lead North East (NE) from LIC-HFL.

Shaiphar Dohling, Community Consultant for Field Supervision and Facilitation, in his welcome speech mentioned that the nursery is being managed by the Dewlieh Primary Agroecology Cooperative Society and shared that the nursery has come about as a continuation after working with FAO and NESFAS on the biocentric restoration effort from 2021 and 2023.

“We acquired some saplings from the forest and we have also done some stem cutting for generating more saplings. There are over 14 native plant and tree species and over 15,000 saplings in this nursery. The journey of collecting and taking care of the saplings started on the 21st of June this year and I’m thankful to those whose cooperation made this possible so far.” Shaiphar said.

Dewlieh is a small community located in the lush valleys of Khatarshnong that lies in a fragile ecological zone facing mounting pressure from land-use changes. The rapid expansion of broom grass cultivation and extractive livelihood activities had contributed to significant biodiversity loss in the area. Since 2014, NESFAS has been working with the community focusing on strengthening Indigenous food systems and promoting biodiversity

In 2021 and 2023, NESFAS, with support from FAO undertook the biocentric restoration efforts at Dewlieh with focus on locally valued species such as Erythrina indica and Exbucklandia populnea and saw a staggering 95% survival rate after plantation. This high success rate is attributed to the use of native plant species rather than using fast-growing non-native species of plants/trees. As such, the biodiversity nursery was launched under the NESFAS’ LIC-HFL Special Project reflecting on the outcomes of past restoration efforts and emerging ecological challenges.

The nursery is equipped with polybags, and materials to construct low-cost infrastructure using locally available resources such as bamboo, straw, and reclaimed wood. These efforts kept costs low while remaining rooted in traditional practices. 

The nursery has been built on local knowledge, shared responsibility, and ecological relevance, making it an inherently sustainable initiative. The use of locally available materials and community labour also helped reduce costs, while the integration of traditional practices is set to enhance local ownership and adaptability.

Guided by community elders, priority native species have been identified based on their ecological and cultural value and community members are assigned responsibilities for seed and sapling collection, with seasonal calendars developed for optimal harvesting periods.

Wos Dohling, Chairperson, Dewlieh Primary Agroecology Cooperative Society expressed his pride in finally launching the nursery and lauded the dedication and unity of the community for the successful launch of the nursery.

“We believe this is just the beginning, and we are hopeful that, in the days to come, we will be able to distribute and sell the saplings to other parts of the community, helping promote local biodiversity and support sustainable livelihoods,” the Chairperson of the Cooperative Society added.

As Wos mentions, the nursery also promises to generate livelihood opportunities, particularly for women and young people who take the lead in seed collection, nursery management, and transplanting. Scaling of the initiative and selling saplings to other communities also remain key areas for revenue generation. To cap it all, the nursery also serves as a vibrant space for learning, where community members exchange practices related to seed selection, composting, and natural pest control using Indigenous methods.

In the future, the Dewlieh community envisions expanding the nursery to include medicinal and wild edible plants, linking conservation with nutrition and health security for future generations. For now, Dewlieh’s community nursery model offers a replicable pathway for biodiversity-based, community-driven landscape restoration across other indigenous communities in Meghalaya.

The LIC-HFL official commended both the community and NESFAS for the initiative while Pretty Mary Dohling, a member of the cooperative society, expressed her gratitude towards NESFAS for their effort in helping launch the nursery.