Who knew that evolutionary biology might surprise us with more examples of fathers playing an important role in the rearing of offspring? Most of the time, for most species, we think of the mother being invested with all the reasons to be the “responsible” parent.
Bird of the Day: Wilson’s Plover
Fort De Soto, FL
Periyar Sightings: March 12, 2012
Mr. Remack & his family (from France but originally from the US) were guests at Cardamom County and shared their moments in the Periyar Tiger Reserve with us.
During our stay at Cardamom County my family and I visited the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Because the sun seemed quite hot we didn’t expect that we would spot many animals. But we were very lucky to spot the wild dogs ready to hunt sambar deer, an elephant and some of the wild boars. We spotted some birds too. We were really pleased to have such wonderful sighting. – Mr. Remack
The Emperor’s New Silk
“We see a huge market for food,” Hu “Tiger” Tao, a postdoc at Tufts University told Co.Exist. “People are always looking forward to some kind of sensor that’s easy to use and gives you information about spoilage.”
Bird of the Day: Grey Indian Jungle Fowl (Thekkady, India)
Sightings at Periyar Tiger Reserve
Ms. Rita & her colleagues (our current guests at Cardamom County) from Malaysia have shared some of their photos taken during the Nature Walk at Periyar Tiger Reserve.
I have visited Kerala every year for the past few years with my colleagues. This time we stayed at Cardamom County, where we scheduled a Nature Walk in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. We had some good sightings of birds and animals. It was an excellent journey being in the forest with just the four of us and our forest guide. The guide seemed to be very experienced, giving information all along the path which we followed in Periyar Tiger Reserve. We also spotted little tadpoles. The guide informed us that it is the current breeding season for them. We enjoyed it a lot and hope for the same in future. – Ms. Rita
Marketable Faces: Part One (Men in Blue)
Throughout Kerala, colorful trucks unload tons of produce and commodities every morning. Wholesalers, warehouses, and markets all maintain a steady flow of goods – and the cycle begins anew each morning. I occasionally venture into central Cochin’s main market (Broadway) to photograph the process, and the colorful people that are washed about by the endless tide of fruits and vegetables, fish and fowl.
Real Rural California
In India, the migration from rural to urban areas is one of the most dynamic changes to the economy, the environment, the landscapes, the urbanscapes (just as in China and other rapidly developing agrarian economies) so it is refreshing to see and hear the stories that writer and photographer Lisa Hamilton shares on this site (click the image to go to one of those stories):
In February/March 2012, an ad-art campaign on trains throughout the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system will feature select portraits of people and places from rural California. In fall 2012, photographs from Real Rural will comprise a show at the California Historical Society Museum, and there will be a concurrent ad-art campaign on billboards in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Continue reading
Linking Locavores
Click the image above for a journalistic description of a utilization of new technology to conserve valuable traditions and provide more efficient access to healthy, tasty food. Or, after the jump, a short video of the same.
Bird of the Day: Red-tailed Hawk
Great Swamp, NJ
Cottage Industry
Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore founded Shanti Niketan (meaning an Abode of Peace) laying the foundation for what is today known as Vishva-Bharati University, home of one of the best art colleges in the world. In 1922 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi visited Santiniketan and met Sushen Mukherjee, a young man inspired by the movement for Indian Independence. The meeting influenced Mukherjee to set up Amar Kutir “my cottage” in 1927, establishing a rudimentary cottage industry for sari printing, handloom, and leather craft production 15 miles away from Santineketan on the banks of the Kopai River near West Bengal. Continue reading
Cashew-nut tree (Anacardium occidentale)
The Cashew-nut tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a fast growing tropical evergreen tree which grows up to the 12 meters in height. The nut is attached to the lower portion of the cashew apple which is conically shaped. The cashew nut (seed) hangs at the bottom of the apple, covered by a shell that hardens as it ripens. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Hill Myna (Thekkady, India)
Nature Walk: March 09, 2012
Mr. Roshan & family from the U.S.A were staying with us at Cardamom County and shared their Sightings at Periyar yesterday from their Nature Walk.
As they avid hikers, today they trekked on another route in our Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Really, Monsanto?
We try to be careful consumers of information, and link out to stories that match our interests and have relevant factual content. Not everything that every government says passes the “truthiness” test, but we are reflexively interested in the views and findings of a group like this:
PEER is a national non-profit alliance of local, state and federal scientists, law enforcement officers, land managers and other professionals dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values.
Reflexive does not mean blindly accepting of everything they say, but we are inclined to pay attention to scientific findings related to the environment. When they raise issues like this related to wildlife refuges then the inclination transforms into something stronger and more urgent: Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Red-crowned Parrot
Weslaco, TX
Places to Bird: Part 2*, The Salton Sea
Yellow-footed Gull
Driving in California’s Imperial Valley, you come across something completely unexpected. On the horizon in the middle of the Californian desert, you can faintly see what appears to be the ocean.
Periyar Sightings: March 8, 2012
Mr. Roshan & family from the U.S.A were staying with us and shared their experiences of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Coming from the Rocky Mountains our family loved the 3 hour Nature walk in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. We were so impressed by the large Indian Wildlife such as the Sambar deer & Indian gaur (Bison). We also saw the world’s smallest deer (the mouse deer) and many birds and monkeys. The forest felt very safe with our knowledgeable forest guide. – Mr. Roshan Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Douglas
Amie, she-er than she, was a bit late on noting the birthday of one favored writer, and I, me-er than me, will be a bit early noting another. Click on the image to the left and you will find a fun opportunity to celebrate this birthday and at the same time support conservation for these creatures, which I still have not seen in the wild but hope to one day do so, or at least participate in something like this; anyway, take a look:
11 March 2012 would have been Douglas Adams’ 60th Birthday. To celebrate this event, Douglas’ family and friends, in association with ‘Save The Rhino’ (one of Douglas’ favourite charities) are holding a very special birthday celebration in his honour at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. An evening’s entertainment from some of the finest names in the world of science, comedy, entertainment and music, with a very special premiere performance of Douglas’ material, this is one event that is definitely not to be missed. Continue reading
Denser, Faster, Greener
Click the image above to go to the article in which Alex Steffens, of Worldchanging (and TED, and plenty of other deserved) fame gives a synopsis on how to ramp up urban greening most efficiently:
If we’re talking about transportation, the best thing a city can do is densify as quickly as it can. That needs to be said every time this issue comes up, because it’s the only universal strategy that works. That’s the best-documented finding in urban planning—that as density goes up, trip length goes down and transportation energy use goes down.
