For decades, the forest was a source of livelihood for the people of Payvihir before they realized that the forest had ceased to exist. It had become a barren land. This acute sense of loss turned the tide in favour of conservation and in 2009, the youth of the village took the initiative to motivate their community to come together to regenerate the forest and to work towards handing over a green legacy to the future generations of Payvihir.