The Golden Dartlet, or Iscnura aurora, is a small species of damselfly that resides in the general vicinity of small streams and ponds. The above photograph was taken several hundred meters from any sizable body of water – a testament to the creature’s rugged and functional, yet beautiful design. Continue reading
This will be my first post that I’m writing for Raxa Collective. To be honest, I was waiting for a great idea to jump out at me that will brilliantly catch everyone’s attention. But, now that I think about it, blogs are more about sharing a stream of mind in our daily life, so here I am.
As I’m spending my spring break in NYC, I’ve been observing a range of eco-lifestyles all around me, even in this urban area. You may think that New Yorkers care less about the environment because they live in a “concrete jungle”, but it’s proved to be wrong. In NYC, there are so many organic stores, restaurants that serve organically and locally grown vegetables and fruits, farmers markets, etc. – the list goes on and on. Seriously, there are even farming and gardening classes and programs for both children and adults! Continue reading
Today we happened to meet Mr. & Mrs. Daya who stayed at Cardamom County from the US. They were happy to share their experience of safari at Periyar Tiger Reserve.
We were very pleased & happy to see the animals at Periyar Tiger Reserve. We had very good sighting of the gentle giant (Elephant), but were a little disappointed due to the distance. We could not spot them very nearly. We’ll go back again and hopefully we’ll see more before we leave tomorrow. We really enjoyed our experience in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.- Mr. Daya
Mr. & Mrs. Kash, our guests at Cardamom County, have shared photos from their jeep safari excursion to Gavi- a widlife sanctuary at the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
We stayed at Cardamom County, Thekkady in Kerala planning to spend our day inside the forest. The staff suggested we go to Gavi. The three hours of open jeep safari along the path situated between the mountains was so exciting. During the jeep safari we had some good mountain views & the driver showed & explained the depth and height of the mountains. Then we trekked inside the forest along with a forest guide. We didn’t have much luck spotting animals but saw some black monkeys (Niligiri Langur), Malabar giant squirrel & some birds. It was a wonderful & unique experience to be in Gavi, one of the beautiful settings of the Western Ghats. – Mr. Kash
Mr. Remack & his family (from France but originally from the US) were guests at Cardamom County and shared their moments in the Periyar Tiger Reserve with us.
During our stay at Cardamom County my family and I visited the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Because the sun seemed quite hot we didn’t expect that we would spot many animals. But we were very lucky to spot the wild dogs ready to hunt sambar deer, an elephant and some of the wild boars. We spotted some birds too. We were really pleased to have such wonderful sighting. – Mr. Remack
Ms. Rita & her colleagues (our current guests at Cardamom County) from Malaysia have shared some of their photos taken during the Nature Walk at Periyar Tiger Reserve.
I have visited Kerala every year for the past few years with my colleagues. This time we stayed at Cardamom County, where we scheduled a Nature Walk in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. We had some good sightings of birds and animals. It was an excellent journey being in the forest with just the four of us and our forest guide. The guide seemed to be very experienced, giving information all along the path which we followed in Periyar Tiger Reserve. We also spotted little tadpoles. The guide informed us that it is the current breeding season for them. We enjoyed it a lot and hope for the same in future. – Ms. Rita
Mr. Roshan & family from the U.S.A were staying with us at Cardamom County and shared their Sightings at Periyar yesterday from their Nature Walk.
As they avid hikers, today they trekked on another route in our Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Mr. Roshan & family from the U.S.A were staying with us and shared their experiences of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Coming from the Rocky Mountains our family loved the 3 hour Nature walk in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. We were so impressed by the large Indian Wildlife such as the Sambar deer & Indian gaur (Bison). We also saw the world’s smallest deer (the mouse deer) and many birds and monkeys. The forest felt very safe with our knowledgeable forest guide. – Mr. Roshan Continue reading
Elusive, elemental, and extremely beautiful – this natural phenomenon is breathtaking and actually quite simple to explain. Commonly known as light beams, crepuscular rays are caused by an effect similar to Rayleigh scattering, and are rare to see in a natural environment save near the twilight peripheries – hence the name. Steam, smoke, and dust during the rest of the day makes these beams visible to us from all angles, but short of these mediums, angle and hour are the most significant factors for seeing them.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a deciduous shrub which is a fruit bearing plant. The flowers may be solitary or grouped in twos and threes at the ends of the branches. The pomegranate juice can range from very sweet and sour, but most fruits are moderate in taste.
Kerala is dry. The places I’m used to seeing so green and vibrant that they practically drip are now dry, brown and crackly. What are normally torrential waterfalls are reduced to sunbaked rock faces. Clouds occasionally float through the sky, mostly in early morning, but they haven’t shed tears throughout the season. The native plants are geared to survive this climate, as the year seesaws between dryness and enormous moisture. In the forest, untold thousands of dead leaves cover the ground, crackling with glee as trekkers pass under the trees. Continue reading
I happened to meet Mr.Madhu Menon who is a Director of ANALA (Ahmedabad Nature Lover’s Association) when he came to Cardamom County for a property visit on the 25th of Feb. He happily shared his nature loving photos with us.
The dangers of coming between a mother and her child are well known. Bears are infamous for their maternal aggression. Lionesses delegate to other lionesses their maternal duties in order to hunt, but if anything gets too close, it’s “out with their bowels”! What about herbivores? Continue reading
People come to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in hopes of seeing tigers. Few do, but with a dwindling population and excursions limited to the fringes of the reserve, it’s no surprise. However, the tigers that do venture on the edges of the forest, mere kilometers away from Thekkady, leave ample evidence of their lifestyle. Paw prints are a common sight, and less frequently, carcasses of their prey. Simply being in their habitat is an experience worth having. (Warning: slightly graphic images below) Continue reading
These are some of the pictures taken by Ms. Laila, who stayed with us at Cardamom County, from her excursion at Periyar Lake Tiger Reserve. Continue reading
True Indigo is a shrub that grows to be around 4-6 feet tall and the plant is best known for its source of the indigo dye. Continue reading
A Primeval Jungle
Imagine, for a moment, that you are stalking the primeval jungles Continue reading
We are sharing our property with frequent visitors such as the common macaque, Niligiri languor, palm civets, squirrels, and so many different birds, too. This morning we took these pictures in our All-Natural Farm. Continue reading
So I’ve left behind the wild, lush landscape of the Costa Rican rainforest and arrived in Strasbourg, France, to find a completely different kind of green.
Costa Rica is one of those countries the climate change debate focuses on – it’s the epitome of natural diversity and everywhere you turn there is some species or habitat that could be gone in 20 years’ time. Or 10 years’ time. From the rainforests I hiked through to the sloth sanctuary my mum and I visited, everything there seems at once so wild and so fragile. The conservation efforts we see there are direct, tackling the specific problems the land faces: protected areas are being designated, turtle-watching programmes are being set up to monitor and protect the species, and the people at Aviarios sloth sanctuary provide education for locals as well as caring for the animals.
Places like the Manuel Antonio National Park have to concentrate on the effects of climate change.
We are sharing some of the snapshots taken by Ms. Sofia, who stayed at Cardamom County on 6th & 7th of Jan-2012, from Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Organikos 