Sacred Forests of India: Conservation Traditions

An exhibit exploring the traditional conservation of sacred groves

The Studio@620 invites you to learn about the Sacred Forests of India through this special exhibit of photography, film, and lecture; March 10-20, 2011.

Opening Reception will be held Thursday March 10th from 6-8 PM.

Screening of " “Sacred Forests of Meghalaya” by Community Forestry International on Sunday March 13 at 7PM.

Lecture presentation by Alison Ormsby on Wednesday, March 16 at 7PM.

All events are free and open to the public, donations will be accepted.

About the Exhibit

Sacred forests or groves are sites that have cultural or spiritual significance to the people who live around them.  Often residents believe that a god lives in the forest.  Protecting the forest is a form of respect for the god, and if the forest is harmed, the god may punish the transgressor by making them sick or even die.  There are more than 100,000 sacred groves in India.  This show highlights the history of the sacred groves in two states of India, Meghalaya in the northeast and Karnataka in southwest. 

Alison Ormsby is an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Eckerd College and was a Fulbright-Nehru scholar in India from October 2009 to May 2010.  On March 16, she will discuss the results of her research, which involved conducting 150 interviews with residents living near 30 sacred forests in 16 different communities.