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(July 29, 2022) India has had several human communities living with wild animals in and around its diverse forests for centuries. The remarkable coexistence could be a consequence of some unique and age-old indigenous beliefs. Beliefs like the sun, moon, rivers and almost all other wild beings that have thrived on earth for eras are their wiser ancestors. They have sought their lessons on survival and sustenance from them. These beliefs substantiated into humble practices such as those worshipping the natural f...

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(June 29, 2022) Written by Ishani Kumar Singh Summer in India this year has brought some attention to the consequences of climate change that have started taking effect in India. The rising heat has broken records with the temperature breaching 49 degrees celsius in the capital city. Heatwaves have become more likely, putting a  large part of India’s population in distress. Lack of immediate efforts to mitigate or adapt to climate change could lead to dire consequences especially in India, as is w...

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(June 07, 2022) ಲೇಖಕರು- ಸತೀಶ ಗಣೇಶ ನಾಗಠಾಣ.  ಮುಂದುವರೆದ ಭಾಗ.. ದಟ್ಟಣೆಯಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿದ ಬೃಹತ ಗಾತ್ರದ ಮರದ ಸಾಲುಗಳನ್ನು ಕಣ್ಣೆತ್ತಿ ನೋಡುತ್ತ ಆ ದಿನದ ಆಹ್ಲಾದಕರವಾದ ಮುಂಜಾವಿನ ಮಂಪರು ಬರೆಸುವಂತಹ ತಂಗಾಳಿಯ ಆನಂದದ ಸುಖವನ್ನು ಸವೆಯುತ್ತ ದಂಡಾಕಾರದ ಕಾನನದ ಒಳಗೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಲು ನಿಸರ್ಗ ಬಾ ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.   ಕಲ್ಪವೃಕ್ಷಗಳ ದಟ್ಟ ಕಾಡುಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘಟ್ಟಗಳ ಭವ್ಯ ವನಸಿರಿಯ ಸಾಲು ಸಾಲುಗಳನ್ನ ನೋಡುತ್ತ  ತಲ್ಲಿನವಾದಂತಹ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಏನೋ ಒಂಥರಹ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾವನಾತ್ಮಕ ಅಲೆಗಳ ಹೊಯದಾಟ ಝೆಂಕರಿಸುತ್ತ ಅತ್ತಂದಿತ್ತ ಸುಳಿದಾಡುತ್ತ ಮರದಿಂದ ಮರಕ್ಕೆ ನೆಗೆಯುತ್ತ ಸುಳಿಗಾಳಿಯ ಹತೋಟಿ...

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(June 06, 2022) Interview by Uttara Mendiratta  Starting in March 2021, we came across reports on the Airgun Surrender Abhiyan that had been initiated by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Arunachal Pradesh. We noted it with mild curiosity, but did not think it was more than a localized phenomenon. But soon, through our interactions with the forest department, it became clear that this was not a one off event but a growing movement, and one that the forest department felt very invested in. The fore...

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(April 25, 2022) Savannas – large expanses of grass-dominated landscapes dotted by shrubs and woody trees – are often referred to as ‘wastelands’ in India. They have long been considered to be remnants of forests degraded by human disturbances such as fire and grazing. However, studies indicate that the savanna grasslands of peninsular India are ancient ecosystems that pre-date humans and hold high species richness, endemism and unique biodiversity[1]. Tropical forests are looked upon as ...

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(February 03, 2022) Written by Sourabha Rao There is an almost supernatural power a spot-billed pelican can affect you with when you watch it in flight, swooping down from its roost to pick up a twig as its nesting material or to drink water. Imagine yourself on a boat among islets on the banks of River Kaveri and you see tens of them perched on trees, some of which are flying around you and sometimes right above your head. © Zhayynn James Add in a few painted storks into this flurry of flight. And ...

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(January 25, 2022) Article by Sourabha Rao A vast tiger reserve with its dense, green-black depths. In this forest have long-lived its ‘children’ who know their habitat intimately. We are talking about India’s largest tiger reserve, Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), and the tribal people called the ‘Chenchu’ who have been an integral part of it. While the frontline staff of the forest department is relentlessly committed to the well-being of this tiger reserve, ...

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(January 19, 2022) Interview by Sourabha Rao Recently, we had the pleasure of talking to Alisha Dutt Islam, an environmental artist, botanical illustrator, information designer and educator. Her body of work, in her own words, ‘focuses on helping my audience process data in an easy and enjoyable manner with primary focus on the environment.’ Listening to her ideas about art and its power to set in motion positive change was refreshing. We hope you enjoy this exchange of thoughts as well!  ...

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(January 17, 2022) Written by Sourabha Rao An article Dr. Nigel Collar wrote about the urgency of a lesser florican conservation programme, in January this year, began with this assertion: “I am terrified over the future of the lesser florican.” The italicised emphasis on the word that conveys his concern remains justified, for he asserts that if we do nothing now, the ‘critically endangered’ lesser florican will be completely gone in about twenty years. Illustration: Aditi Rajan ...

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(January 13, 2022) Here’s the sixth part of our ‘Birds of Chopta’ series – with the following seven birds and poems dedicated to each one of them. We hope you enjoy it. Poems by Sourabha Rao. Photo courtesy shared below each image. 1. Black-and-yellow grosbeak © Akbar Ali Asif a new space within, swollen with rapture the earth holds so much and your responses rest within you – dense, vivid, your own forming you as you participate in this great dialogue the world...

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