Wayanad biochar project turns invasive Lantana camara into soil conditioner and tribal income

Kerala's Wayanad district is turning an invasive weed problem into a biochar supply chain. Under a Union environment ministry livelihood scheme, 200 people including 150 from local tribal communities were trained at Muthanga Forest Station to convert Lantana camara into biochar through pyrolysis. The project is run with the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, The Shola Trust, and Wild Carbon. Biochar is a stable, charcoal-like soil conditioner that improves soil fertility, supports beneficial microbes, and can keep carbon locked in the ground for a long time. For Wayanad, the work does two things at once: clearing dense lantana thickets that suppress native plants and giving forest-dependent families paid work through daily wages or profit sharing. The article is a useful example of land restoration tied to carbon sequestration, though it does not yet include figures on biochar output, sale price, or long-term carbon impact. It is a practical case for anyone tracking invasive species management, soil health, and community-based climate projects.