Tribal Ecology Lesson

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08-bhramaputra-pic-IndiaInk-blog480

Photo: Brian Orland. Farmers belonging to the Apa Tani tribe transplanting paddy in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh.

 

Thanks to India Ink for the reference:

ZIRO VALLEY, Arunachal Pradesh — The end of April is planting time for the women of the Apa Tani tribe. Their 50-square-kilometer valley is a meticulously groomed jewel of green conservation, compared to the flood-beset Assam plains below or the slash-and-burn plots that neighboring tribes cultivate in the shrinking forests of the surrounding hills. Continue reading →

Kerala’s Classical Arts

/ Salim.E.I / 1 Comment
Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

From December to May Kerala comes alive with its colorful Temple festivals. Each Temple has its own lore, ranging from the fantastic to the bizarre, and always involving many people within their communities. Kerala’s classical arts such as Kathakali, Theyyam and Panchavadyam, among others enjoy a frenzied resurrection during the festival season. Continue reading →

First Egg: Same Box; Same Female; Same Ordinal Date!

/ Justin Proctor / 2 Comments

We couldn’t believe it either, but an ASY female (an ASY is a bird known to have hatched earlier than the calendar year preceeding the year of banding) that we banded last year has returned to the same box at the same site, built a nest and laid her first egg on the same ordinal date as last year. (In 2012, February had 29 days and the first egg arrived on April 30th, this year February has 28 days and the first egg arrived on May 1st.)  We celebrated how any other field biologists in the middle of nowhere would – a hot cup of tea and an invigorating game of cribbage. Continue reading →

Bolgatty Palace – Kochi

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Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

The Bolgatty Palace was built in 1744 by the Dutch and later taken over by the British. Today it is a hotel run by the Kerala Tourism Board. The palace is located on Bolgatty Island, one of the islands that form part of the city of Kochi. It is a two-storied building with well-laid verandas on both sides facing the seas. Set amidst lush, tropical greenery, this Dutch heritage building has the added advantage of a spectacular view of the backwaters.
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Artisanal Glass & Natural History

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Intro jelly fishAn article in today’s New York Times by C. Drew Harvell profiles the Blaschkas, glassmakers who were commissioned to create anatomically perfect sculptures of marine creatures for scientific purposes starting in the late 1800s, and current efforts to find living specimens of the same. From the introduction to one of the original collections, at Cornell University:

Before Jacques Cousteau and the aqualung, before Kodachrome and underwater photography – there were the Blaschkas, father and son glassworkers who produced some of the most extraordinary glass objects that have ever been made. Their work has been described as “an artistic marvel in the field of science and a scientific marvel in the field of art.”

Artifacts inevitably reflect the cultural values leading to their creation. In 19th century Europe and America, an explosion of interest in science and education directly affected Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. Reflecting these interests, new museums were built and opened to the public. They differed from earlier museums not only by admitting the public but also by featuring collections that illustrated science and natural history and often displayed systematic arrangements of plants and animals.

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Kathakali: non-speaking communication as an art form

/ Allegra / 2 Comments

My colleagues pressed me to arrive at Kathakali half an hour early : “You cannot miss the make-up session”, they insisted. Kathakali is non-speaking theatre you see. So the performance starts early on, before the show even starts. Continue reading →

Egg Coloration

/ Seth Inman / 5 Comments

Gray Catbird nest with eggs. Photo by Flickr user JMK Birder.

In my last post I covered Killdeer eggs and nests, focusing on their pyriform shape and mottled coloration. Here I’d like to talk a bit about egg pigmentation in more detail, since variation in patterns and colors is so fascinating in itself!

We saw with Killdeer that the spotted coloration of the eggs helped them blend in better with their surroundings, but what about eggs that aren’t marked at all? Well, white eggs, as we might assume, don’t have much camouflage potential unless placed in a white background, which is essentially limited to very light sand or gravel. White eggs, therefore, need to be disguised in other ways. They can be covered by things like feathers or vegetation, which is what many waterbirds do–wet leaves or seaweed can even stain parts of the eggs brown! They can also be laid in burrows or cavities where they won’t be seen anyway, which is what many woodpeckers, parrots, and owls, among other species, do.

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Malayalam font: research and reinvention at Thought Factory Design

/ Allegra / 5 Comments

One of the things you notice first when you arrive Kerala is the beautifully curvy and mysterious script. The Malayalam alphabet consists of 56 letters. Its rounded form comes from the fact it was primarily handwritten with a sharp point on dried palm leaves. Continue reading →

Spying on Mammals: Camera trapping in Ecuador

/ Evan Barrientos / 9 Comments

Hey Raxa readers, I thought I’d  share with you the process of putting up a camera trap in a tree, and also a couple of videos that I recorded with the camera trap. What adorable rodent did I get a great video of in a shade coffee plot? Take a look and find out! Continue reading →

Community-Enhanced Blogging

/ Organikos / 3 Comments

On occasion we have linked to stories in The Atlantic, one of the oldest continuously published magazines in the world. Most recently we have been paying attention to a science writer there. One writer we have not had occasion to link to is Ta-Nehisi Coates, who writes often about race, social justice, politics and other topics we care deeply about but which are not the focus of this blog.  He writes for the print magazine but he is also among the most prolific bloggers on the magazine’s website.  He has just posted a profound note (pasted in full below, but please click here so he gets full “internet metrics” credit for it) about the importance of community, aka The Horde, in his writing:

Last night The Atlantic won two awards. The first was for best website. The second was for essays and criticism. The essay in question was written by me. In my mind, these awards are linked. Writing for the website has fundamentally changed how I write in print. Continue reading →

Kerala’s Classical Music

/ Organikos / 1 Comment
Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Musical traditions in Kerala consists of both vocal and instrumental forms, the latter gradually overtaking the former in terms of popularity. Sopana sangeetham (classical music) is a typically Keralan style of music. The name comes from the fact that it was recited at the steps of the temple. Some consider sopana saneetham as merely a rustic variation of a local style of singing, sharing some elements with classic Carnatic music. Continue reading →

If You Happen To Be In Phoenix

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Click the image above to go to the website of these entrepreneurs who seem to be on their way with a new form of aviation.  Just today the plane made its first landing and stayover en route from West to East coast of the USA.  You can visit the plane if you happen to be in Phoenix between today and Tuesday:

The first leg of the 2013 Across America mission was concluded successfully. Bertrand Piccard did a wonderful job throughout the flight, bringing HB-SIA safely from San Francisco to Phoenix, and landing at 00:30 am MST (UTC-7) on Runway 08, Saturday May 4th. Continue reading →

Simple health tips to travel in Kerala from our Ayurvedic doctor

/ Allegra / 3 Comments

The first aid kit I packed to come here in Kerala is the size of a small shoebox. Except for mosquito repellent and cold cream I have yet to use it, and although I should be relieved, I am annoyed. It’s the heaviest part of my luggage and I’ll probably carry it all back home ! A lot of this medication treats tummy-aches and Kerala has a strong system of traditional medicine, Ayurveda, that handles those issues well and without the long tail of potential side effects.

“You were right to take precautions, when traveling you never know where you’re going to land and what you’re going to find.  Kerala is rich in water sources and is not at risk for Malaria. But you may want to travel to other parts of India which are less fortunate in those regards.” Dr Sulficker reminded me. Dr Pameela Sulficker is the Ayurvedic doctor here at Cardamom County, she introduces travelers to ayurveda at the Ayura Wellness Center. Continue reading →