Photo credits : Rafeek
Kava Lake lies in the foot hills of the Malampuzha Dam in the Palakkad district. The area is ideal for trekkers, natural lovers and adventures. Continue reading
Kava Lake – Palakkad
Author: Organikos
We Had Never Seen It, And Almost Never Would Have
The lizard’s superschnoz on display. Photograph by Alejandro Arteaga, tropicalherping.com
News from Ecuador in recent weeks was mostly a bummer, environmentally speaking. The government there knew it was sitting on a gusher; specifically an extremely sensitive, biodiversity hotspot is sitting on that gusher; and they tried their best to offer the world an opportunity to help them avoid drilling. Did they do everything conceivable before deciding to drill? There is lots of opinion on that; no matter who is right, the outcome is not a good one. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. This week, however, there is news out of Ecuador that brings a smile to the face:
It’s no lie—scientists have spotted a lizard with a nose like Pinocchio in an Ecuadorian cloud forest. What’s more, the long-nosed reptile was thought extinct, having been seen only a few times in the past 15 years. Continue reading
Incredible India!
As countries go, India is just about as varied as they come. With a history of people coming here to either lose themselves or find themselves, it’s simultaneously colorful, soulful and gritty.
This offering by the Indian tourism board will take your breath away!
Support WWF Today!
Scientists have captured video of a Sumatran rhino, once thought to have been wiped out, in the Kalimantan forest in Indonesia. In footage captured by the WWF, the animal can be seen bathing in a puddle and scurrying among trees. The video proves the charity’s efforts to preserve the species have had some impact
We have been thrilled by the increasing velocity with which camera-trapped images and video of endangered animals get hurled across the wired world. The video above (click to go to the Guardian‘s host site for that half minute of pleasure). Back in March, WWF released this news release and at the time we did not link to it because it seemed premature; now, read it and weep:
Found! Traces of Sumatran Rhinos in Indonesian Part of the Heart of Borneo
Sendawar, East Kalimantan, March 28, 2013. A team from WWF-Indonesia has found fresh footprints resembling those of a rhino in the Heart of Borneo (HoB) area of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Continue reading
Word on the Street
Last year we talked about artist Ken Brown in a genre specific post. Not only is he a collector of all things vintage he has a keen eye for the quirky juxtapositions that occur in everyday urban life. It makes perfect sense that he would have his ear to the ground about Bansky’s New York arrival.
International street art eminence, Banksy, arrived in NYC and word had it that he would do a piece somewhere in the city each day, for one month. A friend tipped me on a location for the third day Continue reading
Flavour Of Kerala – Ada Pradhaman (Payasam )
Photo credits : Nobi Pauls
Similar to many other cultures, a traditional meal in Kerala ends with maduram, something sweet. Payasam is the classic Kerala dessert. There are many varieties of payasam; Paal Pyasam, Paruppu Payasam, Semiya Payasam and Ada Pradhaman. Continue reading
Note To Self: Explore
Thanks to the team at exp,lore.com, and hopefully by clicking the image above you will always be able to find the series of handwritten texts described here:
The seasonal trope of the commencement address is upon us as wisdom on life is being dispensed from graduation podiums around the world. After Greil Marcus’s meditation on the essence of art and Neil Gaiman’s counsel on the creative life, here comes a heartening speech by artist, strategist, and interviewer extraordinaire Debbie Millman, delivered to the graduating class at San Jose State University. Continue reading
Toddy Shop
Photo credits: Tintu
Toddy shops are not just about toddy. They are also known for the food they serve, mainly the spicy variety. The particular dishes vary from the region to region. The eastern part of the state favours dry food while in the central and southern districts seafood is preferred. Continue reading
Camera Traps Of 2013 Updating 1872’s “Last” Sighting
Spotted: the surprise sighting of the tiger quoll in the Grampians national park. Photograph: Parks Victoria
We have recently become fans of modern technology‘s ability to leverage charismatic images for conservation’s purposes with creatures large and small. It is not as simple as the scientific “seeing is believing;” more “seeing is caring.” In this case, if we did not have the title and subtitle of the article, we would have little clue what we were looking at:
Tiger quoll seen in Grampians – in first sighting in wilderness area since 1872
Remote camera set up to spy on wallabies sends back images of endangered marsupial Continue reading
If You Happen To Be In New York City
New York University’s Institute For The Study Of The Ancient World is hosting an exhibition that speaks to those of us who love maps and the ideas they represent in historic as well modernistic terms. (GPS-guided navigation systems, we love you, but this is about your ancestors). Those ideas can be as simple as “Getting From Here To There, In Hindsight,” which might have been a subtitle to this exhibition:
Measuring and Mapping Space will explore the ways in which ancient Greek and Roman societies understood, perceived, and visualized both the known and the unknown areas of their world. It brings together more than forty objects, combining ancient artifacts with Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and printed books that draw upon ancient geographic treatises. Together, they provide a fascinating overview of Greco-Roman theories of the shape and size of the Earth, ancient methods of surveying and measuring land, and the ways in which geography was used in Roman political propaganda. A specially designed multimedia display examines the increasing importance of modern technologies in mapping the ancient world. Continue reading
If You Happen To Be In Austin
An expected 3,000 attendees are gathering in Austin, Texas, for SXSW Eco next week. Photograph: Austin CVB
We normally think of technology or music when we think of Austin, or SXSW. This even provides more to think about with regard to either of them. Thanks to the Guardian for letting us know about it:
Activists and industrialists might be like oil and water, but 3,000 of these strange bedfellows are gathering together in Austin, Texas, to discuss oil and water at SXSW Eco 2013 next week. Now in its third year, the annual conference aims to encourage cross-sector collaboration between professionals in business, government, academia and nonprofits on topics ranging from policy to consumer engagement. Continue reading
In Praise of Slowness
Slow Food, Slow Cities, Slow Travel…the element of time and how we either squander it or savor it has become a meme for the movement toward the local, the artisanal, the responsible. The idea that doing something slowly and carefully and taking the time to enjoy it can be almost universally applied.
There’s enough evidence that the stress of fast-paced, over-programed lives take a toll on our health and happiness, no matter what our age. Continue reading
If You Happen To Be In Scotland
The 20th annual World Porridge Making Championships will take place in the Scottish Highland village of Carrbridge on Saturday 5th October 2013.
We should have known such an event existed. Now that we do, but being stuck in south India with no time to witness it first hand today, we will watch it from afar; but we have marked the calendar for next year’s championships. Meanwhile, you might find interesting how we came to know about this event.
Elephant Stables – Hampi, Karnataka
Photo credit: Ramesh Kidangoor
The Elephant Stables are located in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Hampi in Karnataka. This long structure was constructed with majestic openings for the resting places of the royal elephants. The open area in front of the of the building was a parade ground for the elephants. The Elephant stables with their lofty domes and arches is synthesis of Hindu and Islamic forms.
Mushroom-Hunting, Russian Edition
Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times. Guides lead a mushroom hunt in Suzdal.
A shoutout to our mushroom guru, Milo, who has just recently relocated to the Rocky Mountains: we miss your mushroom-hunting in India! Besides his ever-intriguing mushroom-identification excursions with the tribal guides in the Periyar Tiger Reserve, and just about everywhere else where he steps foot, Milo’s culinary oyster mushroom cultivation project in Cardamom County’s organic gardens is fondly remembered. After a thoroughly refreshing monsoon season, the time for new cultivation in those gardens is upon us again. This article, from the New York Times, makes us wonder whether Milo’s first post from his new post will be mycologically motivated:
‘If You Are Normal, You Search for Mushrooms’
Continue reading
Steck Back Big
There was no question he would be back. But when? Where? How? His fall from grace, with the help of a friend, was a shock. His return was quick and elegant, quintessentially Steck:
…Three times I traversed back and forth until I decided just to try. I needed at least 30 minutes until I had the feeling to finally know where I had to continue. I didn’t have any choice: I had to try. I found the right way and I reached without any problems Grand Pillier d’Angle. Now I found myself over the clouds. The summit was not far away anymore. From here I found some old traces. I wish I had them down at Col de Peuterey…
Gandhi’s Deep Ecology
Among the many writings about Gandhi, Thomas Weber’s books seem to be held in esteem in India, with the book to the right being the most recent:
Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy of truth and non-violence have intrigued the world for decades. Looking at the Western and Indian influences that had gone into making Gandhi the Mahatma, and the central importance of Gandhi to non-violent activism, these essays reclaim the power of truth and non-violence, which can still change the destinies of people and nations. In this collection, Weber discusses Gandhi, his ideology, and how India and the rest of the world is interpreting and reinterpreting the Mahatma. The doctrine of conflict resolution theory, new environmentalism, peace research, deep ecology, and Buddhist economics based on Gandhian principles renews the world`s belief in Mahatma and his teachings for our lives and our times.
One of the most visible and active Gandhi-focused websites posted an essay by Weber* about Gandhi’s influence on what eventually came to be known as deep ecology, and that seems a fitting reference on our site to commemorate this year’s birthday, which is also a national holiday in India. A few snippets: Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Mahatma, And Thanks Also For The Mangos
The freedom fighter Appukuttan Poduval handing over mango tree grafts cultivated from shoots of the historic mango tree planted by Gandhiji at Payyannur in 1934.
Nonviolence. India. Artisanal salt. Artisanal everything else. Among the many reasons to celebrate his birthday today, Raxa Collective is pleased to have learned and is happy to share:
Planting saplings grafted from twins detached from a Malgoa mango tree planted by Gandhiji at Payyannur nearly eight decades ago is a novel way of celebrating Gandhi Jayanthi. Continue reading
Community, Alive And Well, Downtown NYC
Among the more interesting revelations, during his tenure as Editor of the New Yorker magazine, is that he is a big fan of The Boss. He has posted on the magazine’s website several times following his profile of Bruce Springsteen in the magazine last year. We normally shy away from posts about music on this site, for the same reason we shy away from cute kitten videos: you do not need more of that. But David Remnick’s writing is different. It is about community as much as it is about music. And his post today about this event in New York is not only about community, but about keeping heritage alive by infusing it with innovation–that is, entrepreneurial conservation:
When it comes to “Inside Llewyn Davis,” the new Coen brothers movie, I’ll respectfully leave the critical work to my colleagues Anthony Lane and David Denby, except to say that the movie’s appreciation of its great subject—the folk-music scene in Greenwich Village in the period just before Bob Dylan’s arrival—is wry, but full and soulful. Inspired by Dave Van Ronk’s wonderful memoir, “The Mayor of MacDougal Street,” and many other sources, the Coens have their fun about the scene, but their love for the music—the depth and variety of it—could not be more evident. Continue reading
Food’s Histories
Rachel Laudan says it very plainly:
Yeah, my new book, Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History will be out very soon. Continue reading
Organikos 