Photo credit: Ramesh Kidangoor
From Behind the Wheel: Colour-Coded Pondicherry Parking
Photo credit: Ramesh Kidangoor
Dahlia – Bridesbouquet
Collerette Dahlia
Dahlias are the most common garden flower found in the High Ranges of Kerala. In Thekkady they bloom with colorful and dense flowers year round, but in places where frost occurs or in climates with four distinct seasons they bloom from high summer to the frosts of the fall. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Whiskered Screech-Owl (Idlewilde, Arizona)
Conservation and Your Health
Park in København -Enriching the city’s biodiversity
Conservationists have always referenced the benefits of biodiversity to the natural world, but many people wouldn’t associate that benefit with our own species. Humans have always had a bond and relation with the natural world, so it is logical that the change, no matter how small, in one would affect the other. According to a Discovery Magazine article, there is new compelling evidence out there showing that biodiversity is good for our health, and the lack of it in urban areas might be the cause of the rise in inflammatory and allergy problems.
The main evidence comes from a Finnish study that found that children who lived in a more biodiverse environment were less likely to have an allergic reaction to a controlled allergen substance than children who did not.
…the urban-dwelling nature of developed countries may be to blame for their increasing problem with inflammatory diseases. If so, conservation of natural spaces, including parks and other green initiatives, may be key to protecting the health of future generations. Continue reading
67th Independence Day Celebration – India
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
India became an Independent nation on August 15, 1947 and celebrates Independence Day on that same date annually.  Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programmes take place in governmental and and non- governmental institutions throughout the country. Continue reading
Superlative Sharing
India Republic Day Doodle
Although the “Google Doodle” above was published to commemorate the day the Indian Constitution came into force, it seems appropriate to reshare it for Indepence Day as well. That spirit of sharing is evident in the internet giant Google’s launching of the Google Impact Challenge in India. Nikesh Arora, Google’s senior vice president and chief business officer, wrote
On the eve of India’s Independence Day, we’re celebrating the spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship of the world’s largest democracy by spotlighting the best local nonprofits that are using technology to make the world better. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Tyrian Metaltail Hummingbird
From Behind the Wheel: Temple Brass
Panangad
Thirumalai Nayak Palace – Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Thirumalai Nayak Palace was built by Thirumalai Nayak, one of the greatest of the Nayakkar Kings of Madurai, with the help of an Italian architect in 1636. The palace is a classic example of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The main palace has a rectangular courtyard flanked by tall arcades each with their own distinct carvings.
Citizen Science in Belize: Part 1/2
Photo © ReefCI
It might seem strange to accompany a posting about marine conservation with a photo of a fish on a spear, but in this case, it is entirely warranted.
I recently returned from the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve in Southern Belize, where I spent two weeks working as a volunteer with ReefCI, a NGO dedicated to coral reef ecosystem conservation. Located 30 miles off the coast of Belize on the southern tip of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (the second largest in the world, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef), the Sapodilla Cayes constitute a unique ecosystem.
Along with other volunteers, I assisted the ReefCI marine biologist with population surveys of conch, lobster, and commercial fish species, as well as coral reef health checks. At least one, and sometimes two surveys were carried out each day. The data collected is provided to the Belize Fisheries Department as well as to other cooperating NGOs.
Now about that fish on a spear. One of ReefCI’s projects is lionfish control. Spears Continue reading
Bird of the Day: White-rumped Vulture
Ahmedabad, Gujurat
Ramakalmedu – Kerala
viewpoint to Bodi
Ramakalmedu is a popular nature destination situated along the Thekkady-Munnar road in Kerala. It is known for its green hills, fresh mountain air, and amazing vistas. This hilltop offers panoramic views of the picturesque villages of Bodi and Teni on the eastern slope of the Western Ghats. Continue reading
If You Happen To Be In San Francisco
We have plenty of thoughts on Detroit’s current state of affairs, and an occasional post on one oddity or another connected to the city; but only one recent post, and a brief followup, with a direct reference to its cultural heritage. Thanks to Wired for bringing this exhibit to our attention:
…Many famous architects, such as Albert Kahn, helped the city become an architectural hub, and Jarmain’s title, American Beauty, is named after Kahn’s American Beauty Iron Building. Even though Detroit is shrinking and structures are being destroyed almost daily, it still has one of the country’s best collections of late 19th- and early 20th century buildings…
And thanks to the Meridian Gallery for this description of the upcoming exhibit in San Francisco: Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Rufescent Tiger Heron (Gamboa, Panama)
Ooty – Tamil Nadu
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Ooty is the most popular hill station in South India, lying in the Nilgiri mountains in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located in the Western Ghats at a height of 2500 meters, Ooty is poetically called the “Queen of Hill stations Picturesque.” Dense jungles, huge inviting lakes, towering mountains, lush greenery and rambling tea gardens make up the landscape. Continue reading
From Behind the Wheel: Indian Highway Landscape Maintenance
Photo Credit: Ramesh Kidangoor; Trichy-Chennai Hwy
AguaClara in India
A water treatment plant construction site in the village of Gufu. Columns for the base of the overhead tank are visible. Photo by Maysoon Sharif.
While some people turn their sweat into water, Cornell student engineers who have previously built eight treatment facilities in Honduras are now expanding into a couple sites in Jharkhand, India. Anne Ju from the Cornell Chronicle reports:
Since its founding in 2005, AguaClara has worked to bring cost-effective, municipal-scale water treatment technologies to communities in Honduras, where more than half the population cannot access safe water. They have partnered with the Honduran nonprofit Agua Para el Pueblo to provide designs and transfer the water treatment technologies to communities. … Continue reading
Urban Pollinators
There are a growing number of websites, like the one above, that simply bring attention to an important issue in the ever-urbanizing world: how important plant life is to human life, and (not incidentally) the importance of how those plants get pollinated.  Click here for perhaps the leading blog on this issue, at least in the UK, which seems to lead the world on paying attention to this issue. The Guardian‘s Alys Fowler is the most consistent supporter in the journalistic world: Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Black-capped Chickadee (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Dreamscapes
Long exposure photo from Wadi Dana, Jordan
Credit: Milo Inman
Before Vincent van Gogh painted his most iconic work in 1889 I doubt he had access to time-lapse images of the stars over Saint-Remy, but I’m confident there was something in his genius that connected his artistic vision with the realities of the nightly movements between earth and sky.
One look at Indie Producer/Director and timelapse enthusiast Gavin Heffernan’s Death Valley Dreamscapes alongside Petros Vrellis’ innovative animation “Starry Night” was enough to convince me!
Organikos 