Once a severely eroded barren waste land, it was temporarily mined for pebbles. Restoration began in 1997, and is an ongoing process. First funded by IDRC (International Development Research Centre), the work involves careful management of the indigenous dry evergreen forest, all in cooperation with the local inhabitants, whose integration into this process is felt to be of utmost importance. The results of these afforestation efforts are there for all to see.

Two magnificent canyons cut across Aranya, both containing several species of flora and fauna specially adapted to this unique biome. Water bodies, specially created to conserve rainwater and raise the water level, have attracted migratory waterfowl, fish, amphibians and aquatic arthropods. Aranya's speciality is that all plant species chosen for its restoration have been collected from some of the last remaining pockets of coastal vegetation, found in the sacred groves of Putupet, Oorani, Thangal, Alapakkam and Bahor, as well as the Kurumbaram scrub jungle near Marakkanam.

Faunal highlights include Jungle cats 'Felis chaus', Civets 'Viverricula indica', and 'paradoxurus hermaphroditus', Jackals 'Canis aureus', Eagle Owls 'Bubo bubo', Monitor Lizards 'Varanus bengalensis', and many snakes (including all 4 venomous species). Of special interest are the several Dipterocarp fossils located at this site.