yellow mangroves rediscovered at Kollam

Locally known as Ankandal, Ceriops tagal has been reported to be re-discovered in Kollam district of Kerala state. Wonderful find indeed!


Hats off to V.K. Madhusudhanan for his keen eyes.  The mangroves are the wonderful and distinct "GREEN UMBRELLA"s that shelter our waterbodies. For the amateur, the magrove forest may look like "any other weed growth" to be out-rightly felled. Many square kilometers have already been axed. So,  please hold it, this vegetation harbours many unique species (like this yellow mangrove which has been re-discovered)-some known, some yet to be noticed by science. Not just plant species, maybe fishes, other kinds of animals etc etc. The re-discovery of C. tagal will enthuse researchers of various disciplines to visit the mangrove areas in Kollam and elsewhere. Let us hope that such visits will not go in vain.   

Read more at http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/22/stories/2011062253420500.htm

Alapuzzha_itz the real Venice

with with Sabu and Jr in Vaada thodu

Take it from me..Alapuzha is the real Venice of the east...but for its clogged waterways....Sabu told me that these Thodukal used to be very wonderful some time back...KC had done so much to retrieve its beauty, but thanks to Alapuzhites negligence, Nature has struck back.

What not did I see..water hyacinths, a lot of paayal (fortunately my knowledge of aquatic plants is narrow, otherwise I would have thrown a few Latins around) and of course our plastic waste..Yup...under the dark, this is the best place to just throw your dirt....No wonder, me and Shiny were taken for a ride by the mosquitoes of Gujarathi Street!

Excuse my ignorance, the clogged waterways may look like a good green surface, but this is not good...a watercourse is getting killed....Not just the beauty but in Kerala, this means of transport has a long and chequered past. I am cross with the Alapuzhites for ignoring this beutiful place. If Valiya Divanji is to re-appear, he would be crying hoarse. 

Biological control of these aquatic weeds is not an impossible preposition...a targeted research program can definitely yield results.. and there is no dearth of biologists and aquatic experts in this district...It is only a matter of a solid will.

One of the my many joys of visiting Venice is simply walking through the streets and canals..same is the case with Alapuzha.Let us revive that in our own Venice.  We can even think of floating a few gondolas.

This is how Venice looks like....Alapuzha can equal this

Global Warming: Tree is the answer

A one-man mission in Palakkad has planted 2.5 lakh trees in 11 years....This is really awesome..I dont have words to describe this effort of this wonderful human being who has opened so many GREEN UMBRELLAS in our midst.

http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/13/stories/2011061360640400.htm 


I was driving through Thiruvella taluk yesterday.....the monsoon has painted more green into our landscape. I had a feeling that while the Almighty was carrying the green colour, it accidentally fell over Kerala. So green and lovely...thanks to all those who still retain the greenery amidst us.  

Hats off to you, Mr. Balakrishnan...Thanks too. May your tribe increase.