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(June 06, 2022) Interview by Uttara Mendiratta  Starting in March 2021, we came across reports on the Airgun Surrender Abhiyan that had been initiated by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Arunachal Pradesh. We noted it with mild curiosity, but did not think it was more than a localized phenomenon. But soon, through our interactions with the forest department, it became clear that this was not a one off event but a growing movement, and one that the forest department felt very invested in. The fore...

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(April 25, 2022) Savannas – large expanses of grass-dominated landscapes dotted by shrubs and woody trees – are often referred to as ‘wastelands’ in India. They have long been considered to be remnants of forests degraded by human disturbances such as fire and grazing. However, studies indicate that the savanna grasslands of peninsular India are ancient ecosystems that pre-date humans and hold high species richness, endemism and unique biodiversity[1]. Tropical forests are looked upon as ...

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(February 03, 2022) Written by Sourabha Rao There is an almost supernatural power a spot-billed pelican can affect you with when you watch it in flight, swooping down from its roost to pick up a twig as its nesting material or to drink water. Imagine yourself on a boat among islets on the banks of River Kaveri and you see tens of them perched on trees, some of which are flying around you and sometimes right above your head. © Zhayynn James Add in a few painted storks into this flurry of flight. And ...

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(January 25, 2022) Article by Sourabha Rao A vast tiger reserve with its dense, green-black depths. In this forest have long-lived its ‘children’ who know their habitat intimately. We are talking about India’s largest tiger reserve, Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), and the tribal people called the ‘Chenchu’ who have been an integral part of it. While the frontline staff of the forest department is relentlessly committed to the well-being of this tiger reserve, ...

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(January 19, 2022) Interview by Sourabha Rao Recently, we had the pleasure of talking to Alisha Dutt Islam, an environmental artist, botanical illustrator, information designer and educator. Her body of work, in her own words, ‘focuses on helping my audience process data in an easy and enjoyable manner with primary focus on the environment.’ Listening to her ideas about art and its power to set in motion positive change was refreshing. We hope you enjoy this exchange of thoughts as well!  ...

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(January 17, 2022) Written by Sourabha Rao An article Dr. Nigel Collar wrote about the urgency of a lesser florican conservation programme, in January this year, began with this assertion: “I am terrified over the future of the lesser florican.” The italicised emphasis on the word that conveys his concern remains justified, for he asserts that if we do nothing now, the ‘critically endangered’ lesser florican will be completely gone in about twenty years. Illustration: Aditi Rajan ...

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(January 13, 2022) Here’s the sixth part of our ‘Birds of Chopta’ series – with the following seven birds and poems dedicated to each one of them. We hope you enjoy it. Poems by Sourabha Rao. Photo courtesy shared below each image. 1. Black-and-yellow grosbeak © Akbar Ali Asif a new space within, swollen with rapture the earth holds so much and your responses rest within you – dense, vivid, your own forming you as you participate in this great dialogue the world...

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(January 05, 2022) (ಭಯ, ಕುತೂಹಲ, ಹಾಸ್ಯ) ಲೇಖಕರು: ಸತೀಶ ಗಣೇಶ ನಾಗಠಾಣ ಅಬ್ಬಬ್ಬ... ವಾಹ್! ಅದ್ಭುತ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಯದ ಕೌತುಕ ಖಜಾನೆಯನ್ನ ತನ್ನೊಳಗೆ ಭದ್ರವಾಗಿ ಅಡಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ದಟ್ಟಮರಗಳ ದಂಡಕಾರಣ್ಯದ ಸುತ್ತ ಒಂದು ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ರಸ್ತೆಯ ಮಧ್ಯೆ‌ ಸಲೀಸಾಗಿ ಜೀಪನ್ನ ಚಲಾಯಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವು. ಆಹಾ! ಇಂತಹ ದೃಶ್ಯವನ್ನ ನಾನೆಲ್ಲೂ ಕಂಡೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ವಿಸ್ಮಯ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಪರಕಾಯ ಪ್ರವೇಶವೆಂದರೆ ಇದೇ ಎಂದೆನಿಸುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.   ನೋಡನೋಡುತ್ತ ಕಾನನ ಲೋಕದ ಪ್ರಪಂಚದ ಕೋಟೆಯೊಳಗೆ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವು. ಮೈಮನ ರೋಮಾಂಚನಗೊಳಿಸುವಂತಹ ಜಾಗವಿದು. ‘ಭಲೇ ಭಲೇ ಚಾಂಗಭಲೇ’ ಎಂದು ಉದ್ಗರಿಸುತ್ತಿರಬೇಕಾದ್ರೆ ಪಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲಿ...

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(November 29, 2021) Here’s the fifth part of our ‘Birds of Chopta’ series – with the following seven birds and poems dedicated to each one of them. We hope you enjoy it. Poems by Sourabha Rao. Photo courtesy shared below each image. 1. Green-tailed sunbird © Pradeep so many colours on such a small being we unknowingly learn to love inconsistencies this unsuspecting teacher has taught his lesson and is about to fly away how is it, then, we also learn to love that which...

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(November 24, 2021) Written by Sourabha Rao There is an effortless grace some beings embody, like it were that simple, in the way they stand, walk, and just are. One such rare, immense being is the great Indian bustard (GIB). Walking as if it never flinches away from being gallant, the crown of its head is a distinct black, starkly contrasting with its head and long neck. With a brown body, long and bare legs, this bustard can stand up to one-metre tallness. One of the heaviest flying avian species in the wor...

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