A day in the life of Restauration Steward Pema Pradhan

In the serene village of Jaubari, Nepal, the gentle chirping of birds and the sounds of roosters awakens Pema Pradhan on a crisp, rainy morning. She is a dedicated Restoration Steward and the head of the Jaubari Restauration Committee. Each day is a seamless blend of tending to her home and an unwavering commitment to restoring the red panda’s habitat.

Have you ever wondered what the day looks like for a Restoration Steward in the cloud forests of Nepal? As a Restoration Steward, Pema Pradhan works tirelessly to bring life to deforested land, ensuring a future for wildlife and the communities that depend on them. We followed her through a typical workday, learning about the intricate balance and hard work of being a woman caring for both her home and her land.

Dawn: A Quiet Beginning

Pema starts her day with the chirping of the birds, lighting a fire, and preparing a pot of chiya (Nepali milk tea).

After a warm cup of tea, she steps outside in the cool morning air to milk the cows and feed the cattle. Once the animals are tended to, Pema cleans the sheds and returns to the kitchen to prepare a lunch for herself and her husband, ensuring they both have enough energy for the day’s labor-intensive work. Today, it’s a hearty meal of rice and curries, made with fresh ingredients from her garden.

Before heading out, she puts on a rainproof jacket and pants, gathers her lunch and an umbrella, and sets off for the restoration site on the misty, rain-soaked trails of Jaubari. She meets fellow Restoration Stewards along the way, exchanging greetings and sharing plans for the day’s work.

Mid-Morning: Working at the Nursery

Pema’s work begins at the Jaubari Forest Conservation Nursery, where she and two fellow Nursery Caretakers, Susma Pradhan and Lhamu Sherpa, carefully check seedling growth, ensuring they are healthy for future planting. Pema and her team select the strongest seedlings, tucking them into poly pots, ready for transportation to the planting site.

Afternoon: Planting and Restoration

Today’s mission for Pema and her fellow Restoration Stewards is to plant seedlings of native trees like Himalayan white bean, Rhododendron, oak, and Asare: the most preferred tree species of red pandas and essential components to their habitat.

At the restoration site, Pema and her team divide into groups, each taking on specific tasks to ensure an efficient and successful planting process. Some dig pits, some transport seedlings to planting sites, some focus on planting them, and others place stakes to support the young plants.

Each of these roles is crucial for the survival and growth of the seedlings. Properly dug pits ensure that the roots have enough space to spread, can access nutrients, and are able to retain moisture. Delicate seedlings need to be carefully transported to the restoration site to prevent damage to their fragile roots and stems. While planting, intentional placement of the seedlings into pits at the correct depth and position increases the chance of survival. Stakes provide crucial support to planted young seedlings, especially in areas prone to strong winds, heavy rainfall, or snow.

At around 2 PM, the team pauses to rest and takes a well-earned lunch break. They share a simple yet satisfying meal, accompanied by laughter and fun chitchat. The bond among the Restoration Stewards is strong—they are not just colleagues but a community united by a shared purpose.

Evening: Returning Home with a Sense of Purpose

The hours pass in a rhythm of digging, planting, and watering young seedlings. Pema and the team build a plan for the next day, selecting the planting site and deciding which seedlings and how many will be planted. By late evening they wrap up their work and head back to their home.

Pema and the team’s face, body, and clothes are wrapped with mud and dirt, but their eyes shine with satisfaction, a testament to the hours of hard work they have put in. As Pema wipes her sweat, she looks around—what was once barren land is now dotted with fresh green life.

Pema stops by a local spring to wash her hands and face, enjoying the cool refreshment before continuing her journey back home. Once she is back at home, Pema carries on her evening chores, feeding and milking cattle, cooking dinner, and spending time with her family.

A Life of Balance and Dedication

Pema’s life is a harmonious blend of tradition and conservation. As a homemaker and Restoration Steward, Pema gracefully balances her responsibilities with unwavering determination. Her work goes beyond simply planting trees; each planted seed is a symbol of hope and a promise of a greener future for the red panda, the forest, and the people.

Pema takes pride in her work, knowing that the trees she nurtures today will provide shelter and sustenance to red pandas and countless other species. The forest, the trees, the red pandas are all part of her life’s purpose. She feels a deep connection to the land and takes pride in being a Restoration Steward and leader of red panda habitat restoration.

For Pema and many others like her, restoring the red panda habitat is more than just a job, it is a commitment to future generations. To honor the extraordinary work the Jaubari Restoration Committee has been doing, Pema Pradhan, on behalf of her team, received the Honorary Mention for the Dr. Andreas Schild Memorial Mountain Prize on International Mountain Day (December 11th, 2024). The event, organized by ICIMOD, was titled “Mountain Solutions: United Pathways for Biodiversity and a Climate-Resilient Future.” On receiving the honorable mention, Pema expressed her gratitude, highlighting it as a recognition of the Jaubari Restoration Committee’s dedication to restoring red panda habitats.

Pema’s story is a reminder that conservation is not just the work of scientists and activists, it’s the work of everyday people who care deeply about the nature around them. In Jaubari, Pema and her team are not just restoring a forest, they are planting hope for generations to come. Every day, Pema and her team prove that sustainable conservation starts with grassroots efforts, one seedling at a time.

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