Mpala Research Center, Kenya
Bird of the Day: Secretary Bird
Mpala Research Center, Kenya
Sound Off, Lights Dim, Refresh
The visuals are inspiring. The sounds are not. Aesthetic judgement is not reliable (beauty not only visual; it is sometimes in the ear of the beholder) but trust us on this one. Continue reading
Entering the Mythic Imagination
A Primeval Jungle
Imagine, for a moment, that you are stalking the primeval jungles Continue reading
Discoveries Worth Wonder
It may look a bit too clinical with those blue gloves, but note the perspective they provide. It is big. Continue reading
Consumption Matters
Either take 63 seconds to view Mr. Clay’s ideas in video form, or read this summary:
Healthy information consumption habits are about more than productivity and efficiency. They’re about your personal health, and the health of society. Just as junk food can lead to obesity, junk information can lead to new forms of ignorance. The Information Diet provides a framework for consuming information in a healthy way, by showing you what to look for, what to avoid, and how to be selective. In the process, author Clay Johnson explains the role information has played throughout history, and why following his prescribed diet is essential in today’s information age.
Frequent Visitors
We are sharing our property with frequent visitors such as the common macaque, Niligiri languor, palm civets, squirrels, and so many different birds, too. This morning we took these pictures in our All-Natural Farm. Continue reading
While The Sun Shines
The festival has the kind of illustrious history that makes it interesting enough on its home turf in Wales; its more recent evolution is a sign of creativity in motion. Take a look at this story from the most recent iteration of the festival in Kerala, and then after the jump see more on one of the festival’s participants in Colombia last week. Continue reading
Is It Winter?
The leading international forum for literary culture, aka The Times Literary Supplement, has a blog that covers more than literary topics. Click the photo to the right if you enjoy the snippet here:
In his new biography of David Hockney, Christopher Simon Sykes tells a story about the practicalities of making pictures: the young art student, caught up in a flurry of creativity, ran out of paint and couldn’t afford to buy any more. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Spotted Dove (Calicut, India)
Photo: T.J. Varghese
Praying Mantis
This photo has been taken near the tribal village (Mannakudi), Periyar tiger reserve December 2011
The praying mantis is the common name used for this insect due to their typical ‘Prayer-like’ stance. The word ‘mantis’ is actually derived from the Greek word ‘mantis’, which means fortune teller, or prophet. Continue reading
Bird Of The Day: Great Cormorant
Photo: T.J. Varghese
Periyar Reserve, Kerala
Theyyam – The Ritual Dance 2
In Kerala, almost every village has its own temple, with an annual festival. So there’s always a local festival happening somewhere or the other. As we mentioned about Theyam in our previous post, there are more than 400 Theyams performed in Kerala each year. Continue reading
Europe’s Green Capital
So I’ve left behind the wild, lush landscape of the Costa Rican rainforest and arrived in Strasbourg, France, to find a completely different kind of green.
Costa Rica is one of those countries the climate change debate focuses on – it’s the epitome of natural diversity and everywhere you turn there is some species or habitat that could be gone in 20 years’ time. Or 10 years’ time. From the rainforests I hiked through to the sloth sanctuary my mum and I visited, everything there seems at once so wild and so fragile. The conservation efforts we see there are direct, tackling the specific problems the land faces: protected areas are being designated, turtle-watching programmes are being set up to monitor and protect the species, and the people at Aviarios sloth sanctuary provide education for locals as well as caring for the animals.
Places like the Manuel Antonio National Park have to concentrate on the effects of climate change.
Bird of the Day: Chatham Mockingbird (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador)
(unique to Chatham Island In The Galapagos archipelago)
Red Leadwort (Plumbago Rosea Linn)
Red Leadwort (Plumbago rosea Linn ) is an ornamental plant which is found in most gardens in India. The main attraction of this plant is its flower stalk, but more importantly the plant is used in the field of Ayurveda for its medicinal values. Continue reading
Bird of the Day: Eurasian Black-Bird (Ooty, India)
Peel, Warp, Rust
Urban decay. From a bird’s eye view, an old city overgrown may look as clean and composed as a modern metropolis. But for an insect on a wall, every surface is a landscape; cracked and scarred, bruised and faded. Paint peels, creepers climb, and dust invades, creating an eerily beautiful visage of element and age. Historic Fort Kochi has no shortage of crumbling buildings and waterfronts, most of which are still in use. Mattancherry’s spice wholesalers operate out of buildings with as much character as themselves, and ferries come and go from half-sunken jetties of old stone. Any of a thousand walls can be seen as a canvas, small pieces of which may paint a tale of time. Continue reading
Feathered Finery
I am constantly amazed by the number of artists who find inspiration from the world of ornithology. Whether crafted with bits of bauble, tufts of fabric or a steady, painterly hand, birds have attracted the artistic imagination since mankind had tools to immortalize it.
Working with handmade clay, paper and paint, this “birdophile” artist who works under the name “Dou Dou” (the French term for a child’s “lovey”, or something that is most cherished) makes no secret of her feelings for the world’s feathered creatures. Continue reading
Periyar Sightings: January 6-7, 2012
We are sharing some of the snapshots taken by Ms. Sofia, who stayed at Cardamom County on 6th & 7th of Jan-2012, from Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The Dry Tortugas
Nesting Brown Noddies
The sun rose on a beautiful spring day in southern Florida. After a week and a half of birding with my dad across the state, our trip was coming to a close. During this time we had seen some amazing species: Mangrove Cuckoo, Snail Kite, Swallow-tailed Kite, Snowy Plover, Black-whiskered Vireo, Short-tailed Hawk, and so much more. However, we had saved the best for last.
Organikos 