(i) Conservation of forests and wildlife was prevalent among the tribal communities and in villages in the name of nature worship.
(ii) The cultural beliefs of the communities helped to preserve the plant and animal species without creating any harm to these ecosystems.
(iii) For example, the tulsi plants and the banana trees are worshipped by many people even today. Certain beliefs of traditional communities in the name of God, has helped in the preservation of plants and animals.
(iv) Certain plants and animals were considered sacred and kept in temples like the elephants and peacocks. The cow is considered as Kamdhenu which has prevented the slaughtering of cows in India.
(v) There are large scale people’s movements like ‘Chipko Movement’ in the Himalayas. Narmada Bachao Andolan clearly indicates the involvement of local communities in the conservation of forests and wildlife. Therefore all conservation practices and programmes should be people friendly, economically acceptable and eco-friendly. The life of the local communities and tribal people is intimately related to forests and any developmental projects undertaken by the government should not be at the cost of the destruction of forests and livelihood of these people. Hence, the voice of these people should be taken into consideration in the decision¬making process.