A new variety of Humboldtia brunonis

A team of researchers of Center for Medicinal plants research of arya Vaidya sala, Kottakkal named a new variety of Humboldtia brunonis as variety raktapushpa.

Malabar Trogon - Quarterly Newsletter of Malabar Natural History Society.

Malabar Trogon May – August issue, a yet another appreciable task by MNHS includes the narration about Odonata Watching in South Kerala, Food availability for Red – whiskered Bulbul by C.K Vishnudas, water bird census of north kerala wetlands 2006 –07 and much more……

Mangroves at Kolavipalam - Do They Need more protection?

Turtle Protection - A Rare Scene From Kolavipalam Beach near Calicut

Nature awareness program at Calicut

Yesterday I visited the exhibition on nature organized by Kerala Forestry Dept. The program was very informative . Indeed it was a wonderful effort.

Community Reserve Forest at Kadalundi

A wise decision from Kerala Govt to protect the mangroves in kadalundi by declaring it as community reserve.

The Paradise of Mangroves in Kerala

The Guardian of Land - Mangrove

Fish caught in the net - Scene from kolavipalam

Hope of the tomorrow...Scene from Kolavipalam

Peoples' movement that will save the mangroves.

Mangroves are forests' less-understood, poor cousins. If forests are getting a bad deal you can imagine what mangroves are going through. In a state like Kerala where backwaters run through bursting human habitats, mangroves have been cherished for long, though lately they have been considered dispensable impediments in the way of economic development. But now there is hope. A group of enthusiastic, lay naturalists have risen to the task and the tenacious family of flora called mangroves is gamely fighting back. Some of newly legislated state laws of course will help, but it is the peoples' movement that will save the mangroves.

Mangroves an other scene

Mangroves in kerala

What is wrong with acacia plant?

First leaves of Acacia plant is different from next leaves.The normal type of leaf is bipinnate, but it is often modified, especially among the species that have had to adapt to the intense heat and drought of Australia. The Australian species have vertical phyllodes that are modified leaves. We don't encourage planting of acacia because it exhaust under ground water and fertility of soil.

Scene from Dhoni ,Palakkad , Kerala

"A growing tree is a Living symbol of a progressive nation"

Every Year june 5th is celebrated as world environment day, which remembers us the importance of trees,forest and conservation of nature.

Forest means water

Water means life

No Forest no water

No water no life

So come forward to plant trees and transform every barren land in to a forest.

June 5th World Environment Day

Healthy forests for the sustainable welfare of all living beings.Scene from chenath nair Reserve forest Dhoni , Palakkad ,Kerala.

"Open your eyes and sharpen your ears to see and feel the beauty of nature".

Little Squirrel and Mango Tree

It was a rainy day, i went out for my routine walk. Plants were seemed to be very fresh after having a good bath in the stormy rain. eventhough there was drizzling sun was shining. I was very thrilled to see and touch the plant. suddenly a little squirrel came to close to me. As if it wanted to tell me something. Patiently i noticed its move. Then I realized it wants to taste the ripen mango in my mango tree ( sorry, it is not mine gift of god for all the creatures ). After realizing its motive the photographer in my blood awakened.So i rushed inside for my handy cam. As i expected, squirrel started to climb the mango tree it was not in a hurry( as we humanbeings). It seemed to be take permission from the mother tree for a moment.Then it directly went for its feed. ( i am wondered how exactly it identifies which is ripen or which is not ). I felt it kissed the mango once, before it started eating.

fortunately i was very patient to take the lively scene. suddenly a pair of wood pecker landed on its branches. they also wanted to taste the same. I forecasted a fight between squirrel and woodpecker. But what happed is that squirrel left the place as soon as the woodpecker whispered something. ( This i felt very jealous to king solemn known for his ability the language of birds and animals )Woodpecker started to taste ripen mango , after their turn is over
squirrel came back to finish the mango.

"Open your eyes and sharpen your ears to see and feel the beauty of nature".

Little Squirrel and Mango Tree - Scene 1

Little Squirrel and Mango Tree - Scene 2

Little Squirrel and Mango Tree - Scene 3

Little Squirrel and Mango Tree - Scene 4

I 'm guided by these words - Blogger mangroveskerala - 51th Post

Each time a man stands up for an ideal,
or acts to improve the lot of others,
or strikes out against injustice,
he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope ,
and crossing each other from a million
different centers of energy and daring
those ripples build a current that can
sweep down the mightiest walls of
oppression and resistance.
- Robert Kennedy

"Sometimes, I feel I’m another mad mangrove tree." - By Pokkudan

His real name is Pokkan, quite an earthly name for an untouchable pulaya (a downtrodden caste group of agricultural labourers and fisherfolk) born in the 1930s in Kerala. When he was born, his umbilical cord was like a blown-up balloon, or the bloated, elongated, seeds of the common mangrove tree. Out of affection, his kith and kin called him Pokkudan. He is now known as Kallen Pokkudan.
All his life, Pokkudan has lived close to the wetlands and, for over a decade, he has been collecting, preserving and planting the seeds of the ‘mad mangrove’ tree (long-fruited, stilted mangrove know as rhizophora mucronata). The association between the man and the tree is so close that Pokkudan says, "Sometimes, I feel I’m another mad mangrove tree." His name is now synonymous with mangrove conservation in Kerala.
When Pokkudan started planting mangrove seedlings in 1989, at the age of 52, he was all alone. Environmentalists had not begun to pay attention to the destruction of mangrove forests, the rainforests of the coastal ecosystem. The Coastal Regulation Zone Act had not come into force. Researchers had not begun to make a beeline to the pockets of wetlands in Kannur district in north Kerala, where Pokkudan lived. In just four decades, the extent of mangrove forests in the state had dropped from over 700 sq. km to a paltry 17 sq. km. Yet, Kannur still possessed nearly 45 per cent of the remaining wetlands in the state.

(Crusader who saves mangroves By Surendranath C.)

A Sea Turtle - Scene from Kolavipalam

Recently i visited kolavipalam near payyoli in kozhikode district , famous for sea turtle protection. Bhavya a B.Com final year student , voluteer of this movement narrated about the behaviour of sea turtles and its egg laying seasons. she also explained about their activities in order to protect the sea turtles and mangroves in the region.

How does one calculate the worth of a 50 year-old tree's services, in Rupees?

if it is a mango tree, you might think of adding up all the mangoes, and timber you have got and working out their cost. But , it is not so simple.
Even a tree that has no fruits to yield could ask for a mind-boggling amount of over 60 lakhs for all the services it has rendered in fifty years. Let us take a look at the details.

The cost of 50,000 kilograms of oxygen @ Rs 20/- per Kg 10,00,000

Wages for controlling atmospheric pollution 10,00,000

Wages for holding water and converting it into vapour 8,00,000

Wages for preventing erosion and producing manure 5,00,000

Rent for providing shelter to birds and animals 3,00,000

Returns for the medicines given in raw form 25,00,000

Total 61,00,000

Munnar Eviction - A good lesson to encroachers.

The war against encroachments in Munnar, idukki district kerala continues.By demolishing a six-storeyed unauthorised resort on Nadayar Road and slapping summary eviction notice against five others on Sunday, the Special Task Force (STF) has sent a clear message to the encroachers in Munnar that they mean business.

Environment Day - News From Kerala

Students from Kerala would plant a record 20 lakh trees on environment day. The kerala state Govt notified 9,500 hectares of forested areas at mankulam as reserve forest.

Silent Valley - We want to protect it

Silent Valley is famous for its population of the rare Lion Tailed Macaque. Besides this it also hosts healthy numbers of Tigers, Leopards, Elephants, Gaur (Indian Bison), Leopard cats, Jungle cats, Fishing cats, Civets, Mongoose, Wild dogs, Sloth beer, Otter, Flying Squirrels, Malabar Giant Squirrels, Indian Pangolins, Porcupines, Wild boars, Sambar deer, Spotted deer, Barking deer and Mouse deer. Just like its vegetation, it also boasts of rare bird species such as the Ceylon Frogmouth, Black Crested Baza, Shaheen Falcon and the Nilgiri Laughing Thrush among 170 species found there. It is also home to over 100 species of butterflies and 400 species of moths.

The mangrove ecosystem

The word "Mangrove" is considered to be a combination of the Portuguese word "Mangue" and the English word "grove". Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants of tropical and subtropical intertidal regions of the world. The specific regions where these plants occur are termed as 'mangrove ecosystem'. These are highly productive but extremely sensitive and fragile. Besides mangroves, the ecosystem also harbours other plant and animal species.

Red Mangrove

Red Mangroves are even more special because their roots provide rich marine habitat since they are submerged in sea water. ( Special thanx to Reefball team to give me the permission to publish the photo in my blog)

Reeef Ball Foundation - International environmental NGO

The Reef Ball Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 publicly supported non-profit that functions as an international environmental NGO. Our mission is to restore our world's ocean ecosystems and to protect our natural reef systems. To accomplish our mission, we use Reef Ball artificial reef technology, our innovative coral propagation and transplant system, public education, and training communities to build, restore and protect reefs. We work with governments, other NGOs, businesses, schools, research institutes, private individuals and community organizations. We have placed Reef Balls in 56+ countries (list of countries) plus we have projects in 14+ additional countries giving us a global reach of 70+ countries. Our projects include artificial reefs, estuary restoration, red mangrove plantings, oyster reef creation, coral propagation, advise for biological recovery from disasters, erosion control (often beach erosion), education on preserving natural reefs and include the world's most practical and advanced reef rehabilitation systems now in use.

Silent Valley National Park, Kerala - Please Join hands to protect

Silent Valley National Park, KeralaLocation: 40 Kms From Mannarkkad, Kerala

Coverage Area: 77 sq. kms

Attraction: ButterfliesBest

Time To Visit: September to March

Silent Valley has a very eventful history in comparison to the other wildlife parks in the country. The local name for the park is Sairandhrivanam (the forest in the valley) and had been a centre of hot debates and protests in the decades of the 70's and 80's of the 20th century. The history of the park goes way back to 1888 when the region was declared a reserved land under the Forest Act and later notified as a Reserved Forest by the Government of Madras in 1914.

Reaching There: By Rail : The nearest railway station is Palakkad, 75 kms. By Air : Nearest airport is at Coimbatore, 55 kms.

Nothing can replace the natural beauty

Rays of Hope - Walking Mangrove

Bounty of Nature

A Scene from this bloggers home.

How can we hatred these beautiful creatures

Photo taken Rohit Chakravarthy - Nagpur Naturalist

Tender Leaves of mangroves - A close view

Preserve these scence for the next generation also

Let us join hands with new vigour and vigilance to look after our mother earth

Membership

---------------

If any body wants to get membership in Malabar Natural History Society please quote your Name and Address as comment.I will forward the details to the Secretary, Malabar Natural History Society, Kozhikode.

Malabar Natural History Society( MNHS ), Kozhikode.

About MNHS

--------------

A Society consisting of nature lovers, bird watchers and environmentalists. Organization completes 5 years of its operation in the field of Environmental education and biodiversity conservation.

"Earth Day"

Earth Day is a moment in time for us to think in terms of our way of life, our aspirations, our philanthropy.Earth Day commemorates earth health and promotes making the environment cleaner and safer. Its connection with war is that munitions pollute the environment and mines are safety hazards. Wars also threaten the world's genetic heritage and hence its capacity to feed itself in the future. International Earth Day also seeks to restore balance in the ecological community and within the human community by addressing issues relating to the environmental, global peace and justice. The threat posed by large scale warfare between nations has given way to civil unrest and ethnic or religious turmoil within countries.

Need Development without hurting nature and others habitats

Mangrove Park in Quilandy

Quilandi Muncipality decided to start a Mangrove park in anelakkadavu coast .

Preserve these scenes for the next generation also

Survival of fittest - Scene from Kadalundi

Right action from Kerala Forestry Dept

A post graduate wit NET is needed to appoint as research fellow.

A post graduate wit NET is needed to appoint as research fellow to study on the mangrove ecosystem of Kannur. Fellowship Rs. 8000p.m. Dr.Khaleel Chovva, Research Centre in Botany, Sir Syed College, Taliparamba.Mob: 9447300189

Mangroves provide habitats for Birds - Scene From Kadalundi

The Root system of Mangroves in action

The paradise of mangroves - Scenes from Kadalundi

“Conserve mangroves and propagate eco-tourism "

The mangroves are strongly rooted with their stilt roots and buttress roots. Rhizophora ,Ceriops and Acanthus mangroves, have roots from the branches that grows towards the ground that again support the mangroves from strong sea up-surges and cyclones and storms.

The Paradise of Mangroves - Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary

Please keep visit this blog to view the beautiful scenes from the kadalundi mangrove forest...

A book worth reading on mangroves by Pokkudan

Kandalkkadukalkkidayil ente jeevitham. It covers everything about the mangroves and its habitats. Also it reveals mangroves major role for nurishing vivid varieties of fishes...Pls read this book and come forward to preserve the gods gift for us...ie mangroves.

The Flowering Mangrove - A Scene from Kuruvangaud coast

Dont Distroy it ....Mangroves provides habitats for different species of fishes.

The Rays of Hope - Mangrove Saplings

Scenes From Kuruvangaud ....Mangroves under threat of Destruction...Continues

Scenes From Kuruvangaud ....Mangroves under threat of Destruction..Continues

Scenes From Kuruvangaud ....Mangroves under threat of destruction

Mangroves are known as "Kandal Kadu" in Malayalam.

Walking Trees

Mangroves are also called as walking trees. Mangrove habitats spread by sending down roots from its branches.These walking trees fall in the category of something called halophytes, which essentially means that they can tolerate high volumes of water for a long time. They can also survive the high salinity conditions, which are common in the coastal environments that are influenced by tides.

Largest Mangrove Forest

Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.Sundarban forest is situated between Bangladesh and India.

Mangrove Destruction In Kerala - News

Please stop cutting down the mangroves in kuruvangad coast near koyilandy. Other wise it will cut you down in futue.

Mangroves - Buffer b/w violent ocean and the fragile coast

Mangroves are excellent buffers between the violent ocean and the fragile coast, especially during hurricanes, which can bring powerful storm surges onto shores. The massive mangrove root system is quite efficient at dissipating wave energy. This same root system also helps prevent coastal erosion. As tidal water flows through the root system, it is slowed substantially enough so that it deposits its sediment as the tide comes in, and the return flow is kept slow as the tide goes out to prevent re suspension of some of the finer particles. As a result, mangroves can build their own environment. Because of the uniqueness of the mangrove ecosystems, they are frequently the object of conservation programs including national Biodiversity Action Plans.

Mangroves - The fish breeding areas

Many people, and especially fishers, know that mangroves are important fish breeding areas as well as nursery grounds for juvenile fish. Many of the fish we eat from our coral reefs actually start out by hiding and feeding in the mangroves and then moving onto the reefs when they get big enough. This includes all of the fish listed above as well as snappers, longmaot, mustasfis, redmaot, sweetlips, sawfish and some loche.

mangroves- some statistics

In India mangroves are found mainly in West Bengal- 4,200 Square kilometers, Andaman & Nichobar Island-1,190 square kilometers, Maharastra-330 square kilometers, Gujarat- 260 square kilometers, Goa-200 square kilometers, Andhra Pradesh-200 square kilometers, Orissa-150 square kilometers, Tamil Nadu-150 square kilometers, Karnataka-60 square kilometers and Kerala-17 square kilometers.

Mangrove Varieties

There are 44 types of mangroves and 15 mangrove associates which grow along with the mangroves. Other than in India, mangroves are found in rich quantities in Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Nigeria, Philippines, and the United States of America.

Mangroves-an ecotone between land and water

Mangrove ecosystems

Mangroves support unique ecosystems, especially on their intricate root systems. In areas where roots are permanently submerged, mangroves may be host to a wide variety of organisms, including algae, barnacles, oysters, sponges, and bryozoans, which all require a hard substratum for anchoring while they filter feed. Mangrove crabs improve the nutritional quality of the mangle muds for other bottom feeders by mulching the mangrove leaves.( for more read wikipedia)

Bhitarkanika Mangroves

From the community Bhitarkanika Mangroves . please do join in this community.

Bhitarkanika mangroves are one of the complex and fragile mangrove ecosystems in India which is represented by as many as 3 Protected Areas, namely Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika National Park and Gahirmatha (Marine) Sanctuary. Of the 72 species of mangroves identified world over, 62 species thrive here. This area harbours the world’s largest rookery for olive ridley sea turtles and a sizable population of the endangered salt water crocodile. The area also hosts significant population of king cobras, horse shoe crabs, 3 species of monitor lizards, large and diverse population of resident and migratory birds. This is the only place in the country where you get to see eight species of kingfishers at one place. This area was notified as a Ramsar site recently and has been identified as Important Bird Area of the country.

Mangroves provide biodiversity

Mangroves are trees or shrubs that grows in shallow and muddy salt water, especially along quiet shorelines and in estuaries. Typically they produce tangled masses of arching roots that are exposed during low tides. Some mangrove roots extend above the water. These specialized vertical branches, called pneumatophores, act as aerating organs. ( Refer encarta for more )

Pokkudan - Man behind mangroves

No need of any introduction for pokkudan, a well known figure in kerala working for the conservation of mangroves and its implantation...please read pokkudan's auto biography to know more about him.....