Photo credits :Ramesh Kidangoor
Hampi is one of the most frequently visited tourist sites in Karnataka state and India’s most prominent Heritage sites. This village in Northern Karnataka is the former capital of the Vijayanagar Empire. Continue reading
Allepey District
We appreciate the reminder provided by one of the Atlantic’s many talented writers, about a topic we have had more than passing interest in for the last couple years. Our own previous mention of this film, and the phenomenon make this article no less interesting:
There are more than a thousand banana species in the world, but you’ve probably only ever tasted one. The Cavendish banana is the one we know and love. It’s the one the international banana economy is based on–the only species that’s exported from one country to another, anywhere in the world. But its extinction is coming… Continue reading
Female – Los Quetzales, Panama
We had already come to the conclusion that camera traps are valuable for the sake of conservation. Thanks to the Guardian‘s coverage of these bears and the camera trap provided by a generous foundation to a worthy recipient:
Caught on camera trap: brown bears feast on salmon – in pictures
Explore.org has launched a summer salmon bearcam to stream live video from Brooks river in Alaska’s Katmai national park. Organisers hope for the first time to record the entire salmon run, from the frenzied dash upstream in July through to the autumn months
The Hindu— File Photo
We’ve written about the importance of forest stewards before, primarily because in many cases they straddle the roles of guard and guide within the territories they protect. But many of those protected areas in India are suffering from severe shortages of qualified field staff, putting enormous areas of land, not to mention the wildlife that call it home, at risk.
But the Karnataka Eco-Tourism Development Board is initiating an innovative plan to train volunteers to be forest naturalists who will assist the forestry department a minimum of two weeks per year in their anti-poaching activities.
In order to create this pool of trained volunteers, the Karnataka Eco-Tourism Development Board is offering, for the first time in the country, three- and four-day Naturalist and Volunteer Training. The board is offering the training programme in association with Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd. Continue reading
![[image]](https://i0.wp.com/si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-XW468_expert_A_20130617183027.jpg)
Continuing the conversation about diet with experts (click the image for the source), who are asked what single change they would recommend:
Jeffrey Flier: With Caveats, Consider a ‘Mediterranean Diet’
This is a tough question to answer, for many reasons. Here are three:
1) Diet is extremely complex. Continue reading
Photo credits: Eldhose
Pink Roses are popularly crop for commercial and domestic cut flowers. This low-growing climber is well-suited to cooler regions and therefore is very commonly found in the High Ranges of Kerala. Pink Roses are good repeat bloomer.
Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor
Coracles are local fishing crafts that are circular and ideal for navigating river waters. These traditional vessels are made out of reeds and the design is believed to have been used for centuries. They are mainly used for fishing and river crossings. Continue reading
All six minutes are a pleasure, but the last few seconds resonate across time and space:
This past fall, Yolanda Cuomo, a New York-based artist and graphic designer, learned that she had to vacate her Chelsea studio of twenty-five years. Continue reading
Pondicherry Beach Road; Photo credit: Ramesh Kidangoor
Thanks to James Fallows for referring this on his blog page on the Atlantic‘s website:
After a brief stage-business intro from me, the first 15 minutes or so are Harvey presenting an overview of how to think about carbon, coal, natural gas, electric grids, extreme weather, and other sources of problems and possibilities. The rest is our discussion, and questions from the audience. Continue reading
Datura suaveolens
Angel’s Trumpet is native to Tropical America but naturalised in India, especially in the Western Ghats up to 2000 meters. It’s a tall shrub with very large drooping trumpet-shaped white flowers. Continue reading
John W. Adkisson for The New York Times. Peony, a Carolina dog. Some of the breed’s rare traits include a fishhook tail, a pointed, somewhat lupine face and the habit of digging snout pits.
DNA is the trick that brings some new respect to this canine line, in a debate we did not even know about until today’s New York Times Science section revealed it:
Carolina dogs, like a few other breeds, are without certain genetic markers indicating European origins, suggesting they have been in the Americas Continue reading
Mountain ridge border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu
This past weekend I was able to explore the surrounding areas of Kumily and Thekkady, where I am staying for the next three and a half months. For this trek I went with RAXA Collective team member Salim, who is very knowledgeable and familar with the area. First he took me to see a scenic overlook. Here I saw and learned about the natural mountain border that separates parts of the state of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. After a short drive from the overlook we arrived at a small spice plantation where Salim taught me about some of the local spices grown in the area such as cardamom, lemongrass, mint, and cinnamon. Continue reading
Associated Press photo. Organic foods have made big inroads in supermarkets like this Hannaford store in Quincy, Mass.
This question is asked in relation to the diet of a particular nation, but the various answers provided by these experts could apply anywhere:
Sales of organic food have been rising steadily over the past decade, reaching almost $30 billion in 2011, or 4.2% of all U.S. food and beverage sales, according to the Organic Trade Association.
Many of the consumers who purchase these products say paying more for organic produce, milk and meat is a trade-off they are willing to make in order to avoid exposure to chemical pesticides and fertilizers and milk from cows given bovine growth hormone. But other families—especially those whose food budgets may be more limited—wonder if organic food is really worth its hefty price tag.
So far, researchers haven’t been able to provide them with a definitive answer. Continue reading
The sacrifices of agriculture are obvious to some, yet unperceived by others.
Good news: after lots of talking, listening, and uphill walking, we’ve completed our work in Barrio Nuevo. Researching the shade coffee project in Barrio Nuevo was extremely insightful. I admit, the success of the project was a bit disappointing, but this itself was a lesson in being more detached form one’s research. From a research standpoint, there’s nothing wrong with a project failing. What good would this evaluation be if we were only confirming that everything was going well?
So what went wrong? Why did it go wrong? How can it be fixed? And is there hope for agroforestry in Barrio Nuevo still? These are the questions I’ve been asking myself for almost a month and here’s what I’ve concluded from the first stage. Continue reading
Thanks to India Ink for this story:
Four years ago, Masood Hussain, one of Kashmir’s most renowned artists, worked on a series of watercolors of places, people and activities in and around his city, Srinagar. Imbued with realistic touches, alive with filigree details, and emitting a translucence bequeathed by the medium in the hands of a master, the series “Transparent Strokes” was snapped up by visitors to the city. Continue reading
Organikos 