“Priyanka is a wonder on a big canvas,” says Usha Kumari, executive director of Thanal, an NGO. For the past two years, M Priyanka has been investing her time and energy in research. From her days doing post-graduation in Applied Zoology to being a research assistant at Thanal, Priyanka has put in big efforts. However, recognition has been evading the 23-year-old all these years.
Right now, Priyanka is focusing on imparting the skills for studying the status of leafy vegetables which are not widely cultivated to the new generation, to popularise ways and means for a healthy life. She went deep into the forest to study neglected leafy vegetables and put all her findings in a book, titled ‘Bhakshya Ilachedikalum Naattarivukalum’.
She had conducted studies in various forests of Wayanad. “Perhaps,this is one of the reasons why I could bring out the book,” Priyanka says.
Hailing from Wayanad itself, she took the help of six socio-cultural groups for the study. She shifted base to the city later.
“It was the most noticeable work of mine and was even acknowledged by poet Sugathakumari. I took a couple of years to complete my work,” says Priyanka.
“I collected the data from the Adiyar, Paniyar, Kurumar, Kurichyar and Kaattunaikkar tribes, apart from non-tribal communities. Traditional knowledge and medicinal properties of 83 species of plants have been included in the book,” says Priyanka.
She has co-authored the book with V D Ambika, who also works with Thanal. Ambika had concentrated her studies on the Thirunelli panchayat of Wayanad district.
Priyanka had begun her research works by doing her MSc dissertation on the topic ‘Study on the status of usage of non-cultivated leafy vegetables with emphasis on traditional knowledge.’
Now, she is conducting a study on the impact of herbicides on biodiversity. For this study, Priyanka is getting the guidance of Dr P K Prasadan, course director, Department of Zoology, Kannur University and C Jayakumar, director, Thanal.
Her father A M Jayaprakash, who works with the Postal Department, nurtured the love for environment and nature in her at a very young age.
Thanal has also assigned her with another work on the diversified leafy vegetables grown in paddyfields.
