Silent Valley: Whispers of Reason

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First published in Sanctuary Asia, Vol. 28 No. 12, December 2008
 
The government eventually abandoned the project in 1983 and declared Silent Valley as a national park in 1984.
The valley has since seen biologists from all over the world who have studied and evaluated this amazing tract of rainforest. Silent Valley: Whispers of Reason brings together the writings of people who have been closely associated with the valley. Released as a souvenir on the tenth anniversary of the declaration of the valley as a National park, this anthology documents the history and heritage of Silent Valley.
 
Divided into four sections, the book covers the historical evolution of Silent Valley, its management strategies and the rare and endemic flora and fauna found here. The first section titled, ‘Milestones of Destiny has articles that talk about the magic of the valley, the emotional struggle that helped bring peoples participation in conservation, the medias role, and the need to continue to protect and preserve it. The second section, ‘Handling the heritage outlines the management strategies needed to protect the valley and makes a case for its declaration as a world natural heritage site.
 
Research papers on the flora and fauna comprise the final section. The book, through some amazing colour photographs, captures the wondrous biodiversity of the valley. It is not every day that you get to read about a successful environmental campaign and the collected articles and excerpts are a tribute to a campaign that caught public attention and changed government policy.
 
Published by: Kerala Forest Department in association with the Kerala Forest Institute Hardcover; Price: Rs. 1,200/-
 
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