New Delhi, July 5 -- It is an orchestra like no other. The croaking of the Malabar gliding frog is interspersed with the deafening crescendo of the cicadas. Accompanying them is the pitter-patter of rain as it glides down the leaves of the trees surrounding the SARA (Sustainable Alternatives for Rural Accord) Centre in Dombekoppa village in Shivamogga district of Karnataka. The monsoon has finally made an appearance in this part of the Western Ghats.

The lush foliage surrounding the centre might beguile a visitor into thinking that the landscape has remained unaltered for decades, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Fifteen years ago, Delhi-based artist Arunkumar HG, 58, decided to undertake the Herculean task of rewilding the f...