Model native grass nursery’s success offers hope for ecosystem revival

{ SET UP IN WESTERN MAHA IN GULUNCHE VILLAGE } COMMUNITY-DRIVEN MODEL

- Gayatri Vajpeyee

PUNE: The first-ever dedicated native grass nursery in Western Maharashtra is now flourishing in Gulunche village, located in Purandar tehsil of Pune district.

What began as a modest ecological restoration initiative one and a half years ago has blossomed into a thriving hub of native flora, offering new hope for the revival of degraded grassland ecosystems in the semiarid regions of the state.

Established in January 2024, the nursery was envisioned as a critical component of a long-term, science-driven grassland management programme. It is spearheaded by The Grasslands Trust in collaboration with the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and the Pune district administration.

The project, rooted in the heart of Purandar’s semiarid agro-climatic zone, is already showcasing tangible results. The nursery currently houses over 28,000 grass saplings across two structured enclosures and maintains a seedbank of 8,000 mature saplings, which serve as both a genetic reservoir and planting stock for restoration efforts. Plans are already underway to expand this seedbank to accommodate an additional 24,000 saplings in the coming months.