We are sharing some of the snapshots taken by Mr.Whiteley, who is staying at Cardamom County from 2nd of Feb-2012 onwards, from Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Card Players, High Stakes
Click the image above to read more about the purchase of Paul Cezanne’s Card Players for a record $250 million. Or read the following brief description of the painting’s composition: Continue reading
Positively Happy
My high school chemistry teacher always said, “Don’t be negative; be positive. Multiply the love and divide the hate,” while she used her hands and fingers to represent each mathematical symbol. This phrase would surface in my memory occasionally, but I must admit I rarely took it to heart. However, I was preparing for a presentation about affirmations when I stumbled across a Ted Talk that affirmed this old saying.
I found this short speech relatable, funny, and surprisingly thought-provoking.
Peaks Over Poverty: Taking Adventure Travel to new Heights
Guest Author: Emma Frisch
– Emma Kirwan, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Peaks Over Poverty
Life in the Andes is harsh. 70 million people live in poverty, of which 44 million are rural people who rely on farming for survival. However, water demand, which is primarily used for agriculture, exceeds the available supply by 40% and is worsening with climate change.
Rural mountain people play a key role in preserving fragile highland ecosystems. The way they manage land and water directly impact human and environmental health for nearly half the world relying on mountain resources. The trickle-down effect; we’ve all heard of it before! This is precisely why Peaks Over Poverty was founded; to bring attention and critical resources to highland communities in Ecuador and worldwide.
Photo: Steve Sherwood
So how did we propose to do that? On a hike with my colleague Steve Sherwood (decked out in my hi-tec gear), it suddenly occurred to us. Continue reading
Wordsmithing: Cousin
In Kerala, and perhaps other parts of India, “auntie” or “uncle” are terms of endearment among youth for anyone of “respectable” age. No blood ties are necessary. In many Western cultures the OED definition tends to prevail, respectively, for these two terms:
A sister of one’s father or mother; also, an uncle’s wife (= aunt-in-law).
A brother of one’s father or mother; also, an aunt’s husband (= uncle-in-law).
And cousins?
Leading From Behind
We avoid politics as a rule, and weapons even more so; but from time to time there are reasons for exceptions. The photo above represents one such occasion. Click it to go to the source, which captions the photo:
President Obama reacts as 14-year-old Joey Hudy of Phoenix launches a marshmallow from his “Extreme Marshmallow Cannon” during the White House Science Fair.
Bird of the Day: Black-footed Albatross
Monterey, CA
It May Look Friendly…
Kerala’s bus stations are scheduled Pandora’s Boxes. Locals have learned to live with the emergent demons. An unprepared visitor might have trouble coping with the dense mass of humanity that is the spirit of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation. It is in fact questionable to me whether locals are actually bothered by the absurd multitude of other passengers, or by the laughable impossibility of gaining access to an undersized and uncomfortable seat. Who knows whether they enjoy the sensation of being in a dog-fighting spacecraft during their daily transit or not? It’s a distinct possibility that the acceptance (or insensitivity) of these people for ridiculous roads was grandfathered in during what I can only presume was the Wild West for aspiring colonial drag racers… “Exciting East”?
True Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria)
True Indigo is a shrub that grows to be around 4-6 feet tall and the plant is best known for its source of the indigo dye. Continue reading
Birding in North America
Black-footed Albatross
A voice rang out from the stern of the boat, “Black-footed Albatross, nine o’clock”. Dreams from the night before were coming true as an Albatross, the hermit of the sea, sailed past me and onto my life list…Number 600. A journey that began five years ago had reached a major milestone. The day before I reached 600, my dad and I arrived at our Monterey hotel anxiously awaiting our pelagic trip. I was four species short of my milestone, and I wanted to reach it in California.
Architectural Conservation in Dubai?
What do you do with a 5 hour layover in Dubai? Whenever I fly with Emirates, I somehow find myself with a lengthy layover at the Dubai airport. The last time this happened I was lucky enough to have a friend in town to show me the infamous skyline by night. This time, however, my flight arrived in Dubai at about 6am. So after an hour or so nap on the fairly comfortable waiting lounge seat, I headed off to check out old town Dubai by Dubai Creek. The pink women and children-only taxi dropped me off in the Shindagha area, right beside the docking area for the abras, the commuter boats. I walked along the quiet and pristine port towards a cluster of traditional-looking buildings.
Low and behold, I stumbled upon a sign reading “Traditional Dubai House”. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Painted Bill Crake (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador)
Cinnamon (Cinamomum zeylanica)
Most of the people in India have enjoyed the sweet and pungent taste of Cinnamon. Also known as “Sweet Wood” in some countries, Cinnamon is one of the species native to the hills of Kerala and Sri Lanka.
Cinnamon Bark is widely used in cooking as a flavoring spice in both sweet and savory recipes. Cinnamon is main flavor in Indian dishes like Briyani, chicken curry etc. Continue reading
Lessons Of The Road
I recently wrote about India’s pithy little roadside instructions with the promise of photos to come. My last drive to Thekkady was on an unusually traffic free day, so it seemed safe enough to pull over and finally get my shots.
Confidence in Dreams
It has been a struggle to pick topics to write about for the past several weeks, and in my innate pursuit of perfectionism I became wrought with indecision. I could write about sustainable facilities design; I could uncover the truth about many LEED-certified buildings; I could even write about the ecology-based dormitory where I am writing this now. 
But among these various topics, I could not find one that I felt “good enough” to write about at this time. So to dissolve some of my indecision, I chose to reveal some of my mind’s musings, many of which the perfectionist side of me deems crazy, but day-by-day I am learning to embrace.
Each morning, I wake to the sound of my alarm clock and the chime of my smartphone being flooded with emails. A month ago I thought nothing of this activity, but lately I have found it unnerving. The annoyance I am feeling developed over my winter break. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Red-billed Oxpecker
Mpala Research Center, Kenya
Snorkeling Elephant
Although only about 26 sq km of out of the nearly 1,000 that make up the Periyar Tiger Reserve, the lake is the nucleus of the national park. During summer, elephants are commonly sighted crossing the lake. This video was taken by senior Forest watcher Mr.Kannan near Mullaperiyar dam on 1st February 2012. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Yellow Warbler (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador)
Sightings at Periyar
Elephant
These photos were taken by Mr.Kannan who is a senior forest watcher, was has dedicated his life to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. He is a man who knows the nooks and corners of the sanctuary after having trekked there over 40 years.
Ecological Adventure Careers
Click the image above to go to the location of this video featuring ecologist and explorer Mark Moffett who
has trekked across the globe to find his stories and capture them on film. Just like the creatures he photographs, Mark can be found crawling in the dirt or clinging to the tops of trees to get that perfect shot. Joined by a scaly friend, he shares his breathtaking work, urging all of us to go out and find stories of our own. Continue reading
Organikos 
