SAMBALPUR: For years, the forests of Debrigarh shaped 40-year-old Maithilee Bhue’s life. Like many tribal women living in villages on the fringes of the wildlife sanctuary, she entered the forest almost every day to collect firewood, mahua flowers, kendu leaves, tubers, bamboo shoots (karadi) and other non-timber forest produce that sustained her family.
Today, Maithilee is helping protect the very forest that once provided her livelihood. Over the last three years, the resident of Dhodrokusum village has emerged as a key community leader around Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, inspiring women to move away from forest-dependent livelihoods and embrace conservation-linked employment. Her efforts have strengthened community participation in protecting one of western Odisha’s most important wildlife habitats.
Inspired by her journey, nearly 40 women have shifted from forest extraction to conservation-based livelihoods, while more than 60 are now directly associated with various conservation initiatives.
Recognising her ability to connect with local communities, the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary authorities encouraged Maithilee to mobilise women in villages surrounding the sanctuary. Travelling from one village to another, she persuades women and their families to reduce dependence on forest resources and adopt sustainable livelihood options. She urges villagers not to fell green trees for timber, collect only dry firewood and avoid harvesting kendu leaves from within the sanctuary.
The turning point came in 2023 when she became the first tribal woman from her village to join Debrigarh Ecotourism. After undergoing formal training, she secured full-time employment at the Zero Point Restaurant. The steady income replaced the uncertainty of seasonal forest produce collection, enabling her to educate her two children, support the medical needs of her ailing mother-in-law and bring financial stability to her family.
Her decision, however, was not easy. For generations, the relationship between local communities and the Forest department had largely revolved around restrictions on forest access.
“When I first joined Debrigarh Ecotourism, many people in my village questioned my decision because women here had never taken up such work. But I believed it would help my family, and gradually others also realised its value,” Maithilee said.
As villagers witnessed the benefits, attitudes began to change. Women who once accompanied her into the forest to collect timber, mahua flowers, kendu leaves and bamboo shoots gradually explored conservation-linked livelihoods. With support from the Hirakud Wildlife Division, several joined ecotourism services, while others became part of wildlife protection squads, meadow development programmes, road maintenance and other year-round conservation activities inside the sanctuary.
Divisional Forest Officer of Hirakud Wildlife Division, Anshu Pragyan Das, said identifying Maithilee’s leadership potential early enabled the department to strengthen community outreach.
“Effective wildlife conservation begins with addressing the root causes of human-wildlife conflict. Around Debrigarh, women are the primary users of forest resources, making their participation crucial. Today, Maithilee plays an important role in encouraging women to adopt conservation-linked livelihoods,” she said.
Beyond livelihood generation, Maithilee promotes the use of LPG and fuel-efficient cookstoves to reduce dependence on firewood. She also encourages households to construct and use toilets and adopt proper waste management practices, discouraging the dumping of domestic waste in forest areas that often attract wild animals closer to villages and increase the risk of human-wildlife conflict. She has also been creating awareness about wildlife laws, urging villagers not to trap or keep wild animals.
The gradual transformation in community practices helped Dhodrokusum earn recognition as a Green Village. The Forest department subsequently selected the village for women-managed tribal homestays, creating year-round livelihood opportunities for local women, including widows and single women.
Maithilee’s leadership has also earned the trust of her community, leading to her election as president of the village’s Eco-Development Committee (EDC). “Today, I feel proud that many women have joined ecotourism and conservation activities. They are earning with dignity while helping protect our forests,” said the 40-year-old who has become a role model for women across nearly 20 fringe villages around Debrigarh.