Wildlife Sanctuaries of India–Jim Corbett National Park

/ EJ Lee / 3 Comments

Jeep Safari-Jim Corbett National Park

(Picture above is from Corbett National Park‘s official website)

I am going to be doing some brief research and write about each of the 53 Tiger Reserves in India from now on. They are governed by Project Tiger, which is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India.

Project Tiger was established in 1973 to “ensure a viable population of tiger in India for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values and to preserve for all time, areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people.” Continue reading →

Anayirankal – Munnar

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Photo Credits : Ullas G

Photo Credits: Ullas G

The view from the Anayirankal dam  is one of the most popular excursions points in Idukki district.  Situated near Munnar en route to Thekkady on the Munnar state highway, the dam is flanked by steep hills and tea plantations, making it a tranquil and scenic picnic spot. Continue reading →

Jack London & Literature’s Role In Environmental History

/ Organikos / 2 Comments

Caleb Crain‘s book review of this biography will no doubt be of interest to any of our readers who follow Seth’s work on the history of environmentalism.  Subscription to the New Yorker is required, and worth it, but here is the blurb available to all prior to passing the pay wall:

Jack London never felt that he got enough meat. When he was seven, he stole a piece from a girl’s basket—an incident that he called “an epitome of my whole life.” Although his mother claimed that “he didn’t go hungry in our house!” and a childhood friend recalled being served steak during a visit, London insisted that he had been deprived. “It has been hunger,  Continue reading →

Marma Chikitsa – Ayurveda Treatment

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Photo credit : Ranjith

Photo credits: Ranjith

Ayurveda is science of life. Although Ayurveda is practised all over India, Kerala is perhaps the only state where this science of medicine still follows age-old traditional laws. Marma Points are positions on the body where flesh, veins, tendons, bones and joints meet. Oil therapy is an important Marma Chikitsa, where warm Medicated oils are used in specific Marma points. Continue reading →

Cenote, A Mesoamerican Phenomenon

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Thanks to National Geographic‘s Newswatch service for bringing this story, related to SUNY Albany’s work in a part of the world still being explored, to our attention:

The Mayapán Taboo Cenote Project will undertake an extensive exploration of the underwater cave, Cenote Sac Uayum, to document 20+ submerged skeletons and artifacts. Team leader and National Geographic Grantee Bradley Russell will also investigate the modern belief that a supernatural power- a feathered serpent- guards the water within. Continue reading →

Too many birds, not enough Herps!!!

/ Jake / 8 Comments

We can’t let the birders have all the fun, so I’m going to start posting my favorite reptiles & amphibians!  (I’m clearly in good company on the subject, however!) These amazing creatures are often unjustly vilified, but if you take a closer look you will realize just how beautiful and unique they are.

So I will start for now with Crotalus cerastes, the desert sidewinder (SW US/NW Mexico) — This small pit viper is specially adapted to live in the desert, most notably in its locomotive behavior of “sidewinding” which leaves a trademark imprint in sand.  Enjoy!

Image

Image

2013 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

/ Organikos / 1 Comment

The spat: For several hours, the noisy sounds of courtship and mating were all Joe McDonald was treated to as he sat, sweltering in the hot sun, in a boat on the Three Brothers River in Brazil's Pantanal. So when the female jaguar finally emerged from the undergrowth and walked down to the river to drink, he was grateful for the photo opportunity. But that was just a start. After slaking her thirst, the female flopped down on the sand. Then the male appeared. After drinking and scent-marking, he approached the female, who was lying in what appeared to be a pose of enticement. At least, that's what both Joe and the male thought. She rose, growled and suddenly charged, slamming the male back as he reared up to avoid her outstretched claws. His own claws were sheathed. "I couldn't believe the energy and intensity of those three seconds," says Joe. The pair then disappeared into the undergrowth to resume their courtship, leaving Joe with a sense of awe and a rare, winning image. (Joe McDonald / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013)

The spat: For several hours, the noisy sounds of courtship and mating were all Joe McDonald was treated to as he sat, sweltering in the hot sun, in a boat on the Three Brothers River in Brazil’s Pantanal. So when the female jaguar finally emerged from the undergrowth and walked down to the river to drink, he was grateful for the photo opportunity. But that was just a start. After slaking her thirst, the female flopped down on the sand. Then the male appeared. After drinking and scent-marking, he approached the female, who was lying in what appeared to be a pose of enticement. At least, that’s what both Joe and the male thought. She rose, growled and suddenly charged, slamming the male back as he reared up to avoid her outstretched claws. His own claws were sheathed. “I couldn’t believe the energy and intensity of those three seconds,” says Joe. The pair then disappeared into the undergrowth to resume their courtship, leaving Joe with a sense of awe and a rare, winning image. (Joe McDonald / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013)

Thanks to Atlantic’s website for bringing this to our attention:

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, founded in 1964, is an annual international showcase of the very best in nature photography. Owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide, the contest includes 18 individual categories, ranging from birds and mammals to “Creative Visions” and “Nature in Black & White.” Continue reading →

Kummattikali

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Photo credits : Sooraj

Photo credits: Sooraj

Kummattikali is a folk dance celebrating the arrival of King Mahabali to visit his subjects during Onam. Kummattikali is famous in the north of Kerala,  especially the region of Thrissur. It is believed that the presiding deity of Vadakkuumnathan Temple in Thrissur asked the attending spirits to perform for him. The dance they presented came to be known as Kummattikali. Decorated masks carved from wood adorn the face while the body is covered with a grass skirt . Continue reading →

Ants, Wasps And That Nagging Question

/ Organikos / 1 Comment

Mr. Zimmer’s the one to finally comment on the suspicious similarities between ants and wasps, in blurb form here and in full form linked below to his New York Times column:

Growing up on a small farm, I was able to get to know the insects that lived on the property pretty well. Some I liked, and some I hated. Continue reading →

Fellow Travelers

/ Organikos / 1 Comment

We pointed to this interview he gave some time back, in which he talks about how his company came to be, and what it has meant to him personally. We have enjoyed news stories in the last couple years covering some of his company’s innovative approaches to making their business model viral–not only so consumers are more hooked, but so that other entrepreneurs get hooked on their business model.  In our own small way we are fellow travelers, at La Paz Group, with Patagonia’s much older, established business; we hew to the same path even as our particulars could not be more different.

This letter by Patagonia’s founder provides his simple explanation of what this new initiative of the company is all about. The website’s FAQ section explains it all in a nutshell:

…What are the responsibilities of Patagonia Works as the holding company?

The Responsibilities of Patagonia Works:

  •   Nurture entrepreneurial ventures
  •   Incubate environmentally responsible companies
  •   Diversify corporate holdings
  •   Extend the reach and the influence of the brand to new markets
  •   Influence the global business paradigm
  •   Offer a new way to measure return on invested capital
  •   Provide long-term economic health with consideration of environmental and social risk
  •   Promote The Responsible Economy, Patagonia’s ongoing environmental campaign
  •   Provide best-quality shared services and allow each business to focus on product, quality, sales and customer experience

Continue reading →

Para – Traditional Measuring Vessel

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Photo credits : Aaradhana

Photo credits: Aaradhana

A Para is a traditional measuring vessel associated with the rice paddy system in Kerala. Customarily the vessels are made of either brass or wood. Filling a Para to overflowing with a paddy offering to God is an important ritual by many devotees. Continue reading →

Photography Tips: Exposure and Light

/ Sudhir Shivaram / 1 Comment

Above is an example of one of the most common issues photographers face when they shoot against the overcast sky. As you can see in the left side image, the camera tries to expose to the background which is very bright and evens it out to a medium tone (core concept of exposure) when you are shooting in evaluative or matrix metering mode.

In this situation you need to understand how the camera exposes and override the camera settings and do an exposure compensation of +2 to +3 stops. When you over expose the image by that many stops, you get the result as shown in the right side image.

Continue reading →

Unakka Pazha Kootu

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Raxa interns and Amie, pre-mixing!

Raxa interns and Amie, pre-mixing!

Christmas is still two months away and Cardamom County is nowhere close to a location that receives snowfall, but we still rang in the holiday season a little early by holding the unakka pazha kootu ceremony. Unakka pazha kootu is a mixture of dried fruits, spices, and liquor, which is used as the core ingredient to make Christmas cake and pudding.

Setting the alcohol and mixture on fire

Setting the alcohol and mixture on fire

A MASSIVE amount of dried fruits—dates, cherries, cashew nuts, black current, sultanas, apricot, plums, fig, ginger peel, and orange peel—were elaborately and colorfully organized on top of carefully plastic lined tables laid out side by side inside the conference hall. Then, Shinou, our bakery chef, lit up a candle and literally set the fruits and alcohol on fire! Continue reading →

Enough Dancing Bears, Already

/ Crist Inman / Leave a comment

Patrick Barkham’s editorial in the Guardian does not sufficiently consider the occasional good that a zoo can do for the charismatic felines, but my sentiments are generally the same as those he expresses here:

…The Zoological Society of London is an august, enlightened charity, which carries out wonderful scientific work. London Zoo, created in 1826 as a rebuke to the cruel and squalid menageries of the day, makes the most of its limited space on the edge of Regent’s Park. So why on earth is it caging tigers? Does it really believe it is important conservation work? Continue reading →

Nandyarvattam Plant

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Tabernaemonta divaricata

Tabernaemonta divaricata

Nandyarvattam, also known as Crape Jasmine or East Indian Rosebay,  is an evergreen shrub is commonly found in Kerala. It can grow up to 5 to 6 feet and blooms throughout the year. Continue reading →

Library, Social Enterprise, Community

/ Organikos / 2 Comments

Raxa Collective’s work, mostly in rural communities, brings us into contact with many organizations–public sector, private sector and hybrids–that carry out work that does not look anything like the work we do, but with some of the same objectives. Business models differ, but the mission is focused on improving the opportunity set of communities. This organization is our idea of a trifecta:

Our Model

READ Global brings together education, enterprise and community development to create lasting social change in rural communities. READ partners with rural villages to build Community Library and Resource Centers (READ Centers) that offer knowledge, information and opportunities to villagers that lack the most basic educational resources.

READ Centers are designed to serve whole communities and their surrounding areas. Resources are available for all – adults, children, students, teachers, women and even those who are illiterate.

Take a look at our new photo essay to learn more about our programs, and to see the faces and stories behind the “READ Effect”: a testament to how READ Centers serve as catalysts to uplift entire communities. Continue reading →