Cool Season Is Upon Us In Kerala
The cool season vegetable nursery of the Seed Processing Plant, Alathur, Palakkad under VFPCK.
Raxa Collective has been on a mission to increase and improve the transparency of our food sourcing since 2010. Already, Cardamom County had established an organic garden and River Escapes had been engaged in local sourcing from fishermen in the backwaters. Milo was the first to suggest we add culinary quality oyster mushrooms to our organic gardens, and he set up the cultivation system there. The next leap forward was the development of Kayal Villa as a quiet retreat set on 6.5 acres of aquaculture and agriculture estate.
Next? Coolness.
‘Tis the season to plant veggies (thanks to The Hindu’s coverage of agricultural issues in Kerala):
The cool season vegetable cultivation in the plains of the district will start next week and end in February.
During the period, the Seed Processing Plant at Alathur, under the Vegetable and Fruit promotion Council, Keralam (VFPCK) will supply 10 lakh seedlings of cabbage and cauliflower to popularise cool-season cultivation using safe methods. Continue reading
Wild Flowers: “Touch-Me -Not” (Mimosa pudica)
Mimosa pudica
“Touch-me-not” is a low growing prickly shrub with very sensitive compound leaves that close together and droop down when touched. The genus name is derived from Greek mimos, which means mimic and pudica, which means shy, referring to the sensitive leaves. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Green Violetear Hummingbird
Los Quetzales, Panama
Sign Of The Times
The only time(s) we link to commercials is when there is some point of interest related to our main themes, and/or if the amusement value is too good to resist. In this case, while we strongly prefer the hand made roti that many of Raxa Collective’s team members make and serve up at various properties, this appliance could be a signal that the economic progress of India has made such actions quaint history for the average local household:
Rotimatic is world’s first fully automatic roti making appliance. Continue reading
Photography Tips: Posers
Although luck is always a factor, Kabini is well-known for leopards lounging in trees almost seeming to pose for the camera.
The Crested Serpent Eagle is another photographer friendly species to be found there. You see so many of them that you can pick and choose which one to photograph and which to leave. The best part is that since Kabini Forest Reserve only allows vehicle safaris, the Mahindra Jeeps put you at eye level, making it easy to compose good images. The greens of the forest provide an excellent complementary background as well. Continue reading
Periyar Sightings – Nature Walk
Photo credits Mr. Shyam
Mr. Shyam, naturalist and tour escort from Wild Kerala Tour Company, went for the Periyar Tiger Reserve Nature Walk last week and has shared some of his photos with Raxacollective. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Grey Headed Fish Eagle (Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka)
The Universe is a Circle; Except When It Isn’t
Collaboration is dear to our hearts, whether it be interpersonal, international or intercollegiate, not to mention intercorporate to coin a phrase. I couldn’t help but recall our posts on Elif Bilgin and Sush Krishnamoorthy when I came upon this video and read the bio of Shixie (Xiangjun Shi), the creative force behind it. Kudos to Brown University and RISD for having such an impactful program!
When I left home for college in the US, I was fortunate to be selected for the very first class of a new Dual Degree program, presented by Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design. WIthout predecessors, and in trusting embrace of Brown’s open curriculum, I was pretty much able to design my own education. Continue reading
Wild Flowers: Feather-leaved Cassia
Cassia mimosoides
Native to India and Sri Lanka, Feather-leaved Cassias are seen on the forest floor of scrub and degraded forest, prefering hills up to 1600 metres. The plant flowering from October to February, attracting many species of butterfly. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Great Horned Owl
Endo Valley, CO
The Black Sea Nettle (Chrysaora achlyos)
Photo Courtesy: http://www.MontereyBayAquarium.org
Continuing my exhibition of exotic animals, I present a prime example of the bizarre and awe-inspiring ability for the ocean to produce truly alien creatures. The Black Sea Nettle (Chrysaora achlyos), otherwise known as the Sarlacc or Black Jellyfish is found in the Pacific Ocean. A fairly massive specimen, its bell can reach diameters of 1 meter in length and its tentacles 6 meters. Displaying a vividly contrasting maroon hue against the ocean’s blue/green backdrop, Chrysaora achlyos preys upon zooplankton, and are often found en masse during red tide phenomenons in which zooplankton are responsible. Continue reading
Wild Periyar – Indian Gaur
Bos gaurus
Wild Gaur is one of the Periyar’s top 10 mammals. The tropical climate, rich and productive banks of the Periyar reservoir attracts Gaur that gather in large numbers to graze on fresh fodder and drink and bathe in the waters of the famous lake . Continue reading
Photography Tips: Wait for it!
I often say that wildlife photography is not just about Tigers or Leopards. Spend time with common subjects and you will be rewarded with photo worthy lighting and action.
Understanding animal behaviour and previsualizing your images is the key to making good images. In the case above we waited patiently with the herd of spotted deer since the lighting was good. We aimed at this spotted deer with velvet antlers and hoped to get images of it in isolation…we waited for the right moment and this one posed for us. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Los Cedros Reserve, Ecuador)
Wildlife Sanctuaries of India–Bandhavgarh National Park
Sita, National Geographic
If you are really, really desperate to see tigers in their natural habitat, maybe you should try visiting Bandhavgarh National Park in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh since it has the highest concentration of tigers among all the national parks in India! With an area of 105 sq km open to tourists and a buffer zone of 427 sq km, Bandhavgarh National Park is home to almost 50 Bengal tigers.
A female tiger named Sita, who also appeared on the cover of National Geographic and is the most photographed tiger in the world, also lived in Banhavgarh. In fact, most tigers in the reserve today are thought to be descendants of her and a male tiger named Charger. Continue reading
Greater Cat Ears – Wild Flowers
Cyanotis tuberosa
Native of peninsular India and Sri Lanka,this stocky succulent herb is seen among the rocks in gravelly and sandy soil growing up to 1200 meters. The plants blooms during September, October and November. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Lesser Whistling Duck
Bharatpur, Rajasthan
My Animal of the Day – Pfeffer’s Flamboyant Cuttlefish
After much deliberation (1 day), I decided that I did not want to limit myself to just one particular group of animals to enthusiastically promote to the Raxa Family; instead, from now on I will be sticking my hand in a hat and pulling a name out with whatever insanely awesome or obnoxiously exotic organism I have chosen and posting it. Truthfully, my love and admiration for certain organisms extends well beyond those of just reptiles and amphibians; so why constrain myself to just those?
Photo Courtesy Diverosa.com
Wildlife Santuaries of India–Kanha National Park
Who doesn’t love the Jungle Book? image © Disney
If you ever feel nostalgic and would like to relive your childhood years, you should consider visiting Kanha National Park in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh; it inspired the Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling and served as a setting for The Jungle Book!
A sloth bear!
Photograph by Zigmund Leszczynski/Animals Animals-Earth Scenes; National Geographic
Kanha is a Tiger Reserve in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, India
This park is known for its abundant population of royal Bengal tiger, leopards, sloth bear, swamp deer, and Indian wild dog. The park’s main flora consists of lush saal, bamboo forests, lakes, streams, and open grasslands. Continue reading
Organikos 