In the remote village of Changlangshu, deep in the hills of Nagaland in northeast India, a quiet transformation is underway. Home to the Konyak Nagas—once proud traditional hunters—this secluded community is rewriting its relationship with nature.

For generations, hunting was a way of life, passed down through families like that of Wanmai Konyak. But as the forests grew silent and wildlife vanished, Wanmai began to question the legacy he inherited.

New vision for the forest

Inspired by a visit to a Himalayan village practicing conservation, Wanmai returned home with a mission. He formed a biodiversity management committee and led efforts to restore three forest patches where birds like the Great Hornbill once thrived. Hunting was banned in these areas, and over 3,000 saplings were planted.

While traditional slash-and-burn farming, or "jhum," continues around the site, the restoration zone remains protected. The initiative has sparked a cultural shift — introducing the concept of conservation to a community where it was once unknown.

Today, the restoration site is more than a forest — it's a classroom. Young educators like H. Eangba teach children to observe and appreciate the life within a single tree. Students become volunteers, nurturing saplings and learning to see the forest not as a hunting ground, but as a living ecosystem.

Cultural ecologist Nayantara Siruguri is helping integrate local language and customs into environmental education, ensuring the message resonates deeply. Though hunting still occurs, it's decreasing among the younger generation.

Wanmai, once a hunter himself, now dreams of seeing pangolins, civets and wild cats return. In Changlangshu, the seeds of change have been planted — and a new generation is growing up not as hunters, but as stewards of the wild.