Kevide Lcho, an agriculturist from the Southern Angami community of Viswema village, Kohima, Nagaland, blends his academic training with his cultural heritage to promote sustainable, community-led environmental practices. Through his involvement in the Earthkeepers Project, supported by K4DM, he explores how ancestral agricultural knowledge offers practical responses to the challenges of climate change. He advocates maintaining the balance between people and nature through the preservation of cultural and ecological wisdom.
Background
Growing up in a farming household, Kevide learned that agriculture is more than an occupation—it is a way of life that sustains both people and culture. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Mewar University, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, and a master’s degree in Extension Education and Communication from Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS). His academic training has equipped him with both technical knowledge and communication skills to engage effectively with farmers and support them in improving their livelihoods.
Earthkeepers Project: Remembering Our Roots
For Kevide, the Earthkeepers Project has been a journey of reconnection—with his culture, the local environment, and the wisdom that binds them. The initiative demonstrates that indigenous knowledge systems are not relics of the past but dynamic frameworks that can guide present and future responses to environmental change.
Through this work, Kevide has come to see how traditional ecological practices and scientific research complement one another, each offering valuable insights into sustainable living. This realization deepened his appreciation for the environmental ethics rooted in Naga culture—values of respect, restraint, and responsibility that must be practiced and passed on to future generations.
Links with the Land
Agriculture lies at the heart of the Earthkeepers initiative, representing one of the most vital connections between people and the land. Traditional farming systems, refined through generations of observation and adaptation, hold essential knowledge of soil fertility, seed diversity, water management, and ecological balance.
Kevide believes these time-tested practices can inspire sustainable farming models today. Techniques such as crop rotation and seed-saving maintain soil health and crop resilience—principles that modern researchers are increasingly rediscovering. By blending local wisdom with scientific innovation, he envisions agricultural systems that not only sustain communities but also restore the land’s natural vitality.
Reflections from Reguri: Traditional Wisdom and Urgency
Kevide played a key role in the Earthkeepers Seminar on Climate Change and Forest Conservation, held on 24 March 2025 in Reguri Village, Meluri District, Nagaland—a deeply formative experience for him. Reguri, a village severely affected by deforestation, offered a powerful setting for reflection. Listening to community elders recall a time when forests teemed with wildlife, he was struck by both the scale of what has been lost and the urgency of acting now.
Discussions on tree planting, intercropping, and rainwater harvesting resonated strongly with his agricultural background, revealing how indigenous practices and scientific approaches can reinforce one another. The seminar underscored that conservation is not only about protecting forests and species but also about safeguarding culture, food systems, and intergenerational knowledge. Kevide left the event humbled by the elders’ wisdom and inspired by the community’s shared commitment to restoring balance with nature.
Fieldwork and Community Collaboration
Reflecting on his fieldwork in Noklak and Meluri districts, Kevide described it as an eye-opening experience that deepened his understanding of community resilience. He was particularly inspired by the collective farming initiative in Choklangan village, where cooperation and shared effort strengthened his belief in community-driven approaches to climate adaptation.
In the same village, he worked with fellow Earthkeepers and a local youth group to organize the Young Guardians of Nature: Climate and Wildlife Conservation Workshop at the Government Middle School on 14 April 2025.
Over three years with the Earthkeepers, Kevide’s work has profoundly shaped his professional and personal growth. The project has enhanced his communication and research skills, deepened his understanding of participatory methods, and expanded his
perspective on collaborative knowledge creation. Working with people from diverse backgrounds has taught him the importance of empathy, dialogue, and co-learning in addressing real-world challenges.
Documenting Indigenous Wisdom on Film
Among his most meaningful experiences was collaborating with RV University, Bangalore to make a documentary about an Angami healer from Jotsoma village, Kohima. Through this project, Kevide learned both the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking and was deeply moved by the healer’s story of divine healing and the use of medicinal herbs.
The experience reaffirmed his belief in the importance of documenting and preserving traditional wisdom so that future generations remain connected to their cultural roots and continue to value indigenous knowledge.
Conclusion
For Kevide, his journey with The Highland Institute and the Earthkeepers Project represents more than professional growth—it is a reaffirmation of identity, community, and purpose. His work bridges the worlds of science and tradition, showing that the solutions to today’s environmental challenges often lie in the wisdom of the past.