Category Archives: Nature

Farmer of Hagarga converts barren land into a self-sustainable green farm

Lakshmikant Hibare on his farm at Hagarga village in Kalaburagi taluk.  

The three-acre farm, which now has several varieties of plantations, was once without water

A matriculate progressive farmer Lakshmikant Hibare from Hagarga village, about 15 km from Kalaburagi, is a living example for the farming community as he has adopted agroforestry along with various techniques for conservation of natural resources, while earning a good income cultivating in his three acres of land.

The untiring efforts of the farmer have helped him convert his barren piece of land into a self-sustainable green farm.

It is indeed difficult to believe that the farm, which now has 850 sandalwood trees, 850 red sanders trees, 800 drumstick trees, 225 Java plum trees, 225 Lucknow 49 guava plants, 225 Thai orange trees, 225 red orange trees and 125 timber plants and 125 melia dubia trees, along with vegetable plantations, was once a barren land, without water. The farmer has also planted lemon trees and fever nut trees as border fencing. Though he has a borewell and a water harvesting pond on the farm, he has installed a drip irrigation system for water supply. Lakshmikant Hibare has adopted the organic way of farming and composting process for improving soil fertility.

Besides growing fruits and vegetables, Lakshmikant Hibare has established a poultry farm that breeds a special variety of chicken, BV-380. The farmer earns between ₹ 40,000 and ₹ 50,000 per month by selling eggs, vegetables and fruits from his farm.

Lakshmikant Hibare, who planted sandalwood and red sanders two years ago, also runs a nursery. Replying to a query, he explained that it takes at least 15 years to 18 years to procure usable sandalwood from the plantation.

Meanwhile, farmers from across the district and students from agriculture colleges visit his farm to take his advice and to learn more about his farming techniques.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Praveen B Para / Kalaburagi – September 15th, 2020

Bulk Drug Farm Park to come up on 1,000 acres in Kadechur-Badiyal

Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar has said that the Kadechur-Badiyal Industrial Area in Yadgir district will shortly get a Bulk Drug Farm Park on 1,000 acres of land.

He was addressing reporters after visiting the industrial area on Tuesday.

He said that the proposed Bulk Drug Farm Park will come up on 1,000 acres of land as Raichur MP Raja Amareshwar Naik has shown special interest in bringing such a park to the region. He has also submitted a proposal to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda.

“We have reserved the required 1,000 acres of land out of the 3,300 acres that has been acquired in the industrial area. A delegation will be taken to Delhi to discuss the proposal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Sadananda Gowda,” Mr. Shettar said and added that this industry will help develop the district.

Recalling Invest Karnataka-Hubballi that was held in Hubballi, the Minister said that nearly a 1,000 industrialist-delegates participated and 43 memorandums of understanding had been signed.

“As many as 15 companies have shown interest in establishing factories in the Kadechur-Badiyal Industrial Area. After the Invest meet, ₹ 31,000 crore was proposed to be invested to develop industries in the State,” he added.

Mr. Shettar said that remarkable changes had been brought in by the industrial policy, and an authority has been constituted to give a boost to tier 2 and tier 3 cities. A Special Investment Region Area has been adopted in the policy covering Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga and these areas will see considerable growth, he added.

The Karnataka Industries (Facilitation) Act 2002 has been amended giving certain relaxations to industrialists and the required land will be allotted to them. According to the amendment, industries with less than ₹ 15 crore capital will get the necessary approvals from the district administrations and those with more than ₹ 15 crore capital will get approvals from a committee headed by the Chief Minister and himself. “Industrialists can start their industries immediately after applying for permission without any waiting period. This was the first such reforms in the country,” Mr. Shettar said.

‘Meaningless remarks’

Reacting sharply to Monday’s remarks by the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Mr. Shetter said that “his remarks are meaningless. Initially, he was saying that the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress had toppled the coalition government. Now, he is saying that it was the drug mafia. He will change his versions according to the circumstances he is in. He could have instead revealed the right reason why the coalition government collapsed.”

Mr. Raja Amareshwar Naik, Chairman of Nijasharana Ambigara Chowdayya Development Board Baburao Chinchansur, MLA Shivaraj Patil, MLC B.G. Patil, BJP district president Sharanabhupal Reddy and Chandrashekhargouda Maganur and others were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Yadgir – September 01st, 2020

Explore the past, present and future of plants

Science Gallery Bengaluru will hold its first digital exhibition from August 21 to 30

Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB) will hold its first digital exhibition, ‘PHYTOPIA’, which will explore the past, present and future of plants, from August 21 to 30.

Science Gallery Bengaluru Mediators, a group of selected and trained young adults, will hold 60-minute sessions every day to engage in conversations with visitors based on the theme of the exhibits.

On Fridays and weekends, there will be talks and events by prominent scholars and artists such as on ‘Who feeds Bengaluru’ and ‘On documenting indigenous food culture’.

In addition, there will be workshops, and an opportunity to submit articles that look at plants critically and creatively.

“The United Nations generally has research-led years. For example, last year was the International Year of the Periodic Table. This year, it’s the International Year of Plant Health. Last year, we did our first pop-up exhibition called ELEMENTS. This year, we thought of plant health. We haven’t done it narrowly on plant health, but took that as a starting point to think about what is it that excites us about plants,” said Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey, founding director, SGB,

Stating that while the exhibition is open to everyone, she says the programming, including workshops, and masterclasses, is specifically targeted at young adults between the ages of 15 and 28.

The exhibition has been developed in partnership with the John Innes Centre, an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology based in the UK. The programme partner is Bengaluru Sustainability Forum and Bangalore International Centre is the outreach partner. Chemical ecologist Shannon Olsson, ecologist Harini Nagendra and independent scholar Sita Reddy are the academic advisors to the exhibition.

As for the challenges of holding an exhibition online for the first time, Dr. Phalkey said, “We are an institution that was meant to produce physical exhibitions. It meant we had to retool ourselves and reimagine what our programming would look like. We want to provide a high quality experience but not necessarily limited to the 10 people who have high-tech devices. It was about being able to produce an interesting exhibition while trying to catch people’s attention. Because those who can, are already consuming so much online right now, from shopping to education. So, how do you create something that will draw them in? That, for us, is a challenge and a debate.”

Entry is free. Details at https://bit.ly/phytopia2020

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Aparna Narain / August 19th, 2020

He turns arid land into lush farm

Mangaluru :

Where there’s a will there’s a way. Odduru Farm at Ganji Mutt in Bantwal Taluk, located nearly 25 km away from Mangaluru, is a classic example of this.

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A once barren land where one could only find laterite rocks is now home to lush greenery, all thanks to the sheer determination and perseverance of a progressive farmer Ulepadyguttu Rajesh Naik. When Bantwal taluk was declared a grey area owing to deficient water, Naik decided to do the unthinkable and turned his 120-acre arid land lush green through organic farming.

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A BSc graduate, Naik (58) had never hankered after a routine job. He had his interests deep-rooted in agriculture. His family had a large patch of land, but it was never cultivated as it was situated on a plate of laterite stone. The barren land and lack of water, however, failed to dry out his enthusiasm. He used the laterite plate for cutting out stones for construction, and soon water started oozing from the bottom of the plate. A water tank was thus formed. He has two such large tanks today that never go dry.
The bigger challenge was to transform the barren land into thriving farm land, which took Rajesh to several places in search of models. But none impressed him. Finally, in 1986, he decided to go with his own model of a fully developed organic farm on a dry patch of 120 acres. “It has not been an easy journey. Organic fertilisers enrich soil slowly, but my patience and perseverance paid off finally,” says Rajesh.

On his 120 acres of land, he now grows arecanut, coconut, banana, cashew, different types of vegetables, pepper and fruits among others by using organic manure. The farm has as many as 10,000 arecanut and 1,500 coconut trees. Two artificial lakes, 50-ft deep at the centre, provide water to the entire land. His land has yielded great results and products.

Over 650 litres of milk are also produced at his farmland. The bio-gas slurry produced by over 180 cows, is used for plantation of coconut, arecanut, vegetable plants among others. He also generates electricity from bio-gas, which almost meets his requirement of power. Naik’s multi-farming activities can provide an idea or two to those, who always complain against less income by agriculture.

“Small land holders must always opt for multi-crop plantation. Loss is inevitable in case of single-crop farming in times of erratic monsoons. With technological advancement and organic solutions, it is not difficult to earn profits,” said Naik.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Ganesh Mavanji / Express News Service / November 27th, 2016

Bengaluru student among 20 finalists of Peta contest

Bengaluru :

Beating hundreds of others, Bengalurean Kushal Hebbar has made it to the finals of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India’s Cutest Vegetarian Next Door contest.

Kushal is among the 20 finalists selected by a panel of Peta judges, who took three factors into consideration – the contestants’ physical features, dedication to protect animals and reasons for being vegetarian.

Now, the public can vote for their favourite contestants. The two winners, one male and one female, will be decided on the basis of the three parameters as well as public voting.

Kushal, a final-year computer science engineering student at BNM Institute of Technology , has been a vegetarian all his life. “I love animals and wouldn’t want to eat non-vegetarian just for the sake of taste,” he said.

“On an average, vegetarians are slimmer and healthier than meat-eaters. And over their lifetime, they spare many animals the horror of factory farms, slaughterhouses and fishing nets,” said Peta nutritionist Bhuvaneshwari Gupta .

“In addition to causing animal suffering on a massive scale, eating meat and dairy products has been linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and obesity. Also, a United Nations report concluded that animal agriculture is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems,” says Peta.
The winners of the contest, which was open to all non-celebrity Indian residents, will be declared on November 1

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Bangalore / TNN / October 15th, 2016

Gorgeous homes & their enviable yards …

by Ambika Nagaraj

Tranquil homes with dream gardens as focal points with trails of green and bursts of colour graciously welcoming you are instant charms your eyes would love to feast on, isn’t it? There is perhaps no view more delightful than facing such lush green artistry.

Today, we introduce you to people who are into decorating the green space at their beautiful homes in city for not just one or two but for over years and decades with the same spirit and fervour which deserves all the admiration. While many of them have been constantly taking part in the Dasara Best Home Garden contest since years and consecutively winning prizes for their efforts, a few others have been into it the same way too, irrespective of their participation in the competition that the Department of Horticulture organises as part of the festival each year.

Read out to know how their passion has been driving them towards turning that dream space at home into a magical yard …

Shyamala Prasanna 

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Can you imagine being rewarded for maintaining a beautiful garden at home for not five or ten but a whopping 21 consecutive years? Yes, this lady has done it. Such is her dedication that weather she will be in town during the festival or has plans to travel elsewhere, she ensures the green space at her home is decorated well within the stipulated time with such perseverance.

Shyamala Prasanna, a resident of Lakshmipuram has a beautiful and specious garden at home that’s all of beautiful plants, shrubs, herbs, bonsais and more, each one unique from the other. Though according to Shyamala this green space always remains neat, it is specially decked up during the Dasara festival each year. “I started participating in this contest conducted as part of the Dasara festival about 21 years ago,” gushes Shyamala in excitement, “the Department of Horticulture conducts many contests as part of Dasara each year and this one has been my choice ever since it first started as I love plants. I have decorated the garden with different themes, adding new plants of new verities decked up with colourful toys and dolls every time.”

In Shyamala’s garden, one can find plants of over a hundred different verities, which include artistically made bonsais, vibrant flowering plants, cacti, ornamental plants, different types of foliages, and a well maintained lawn. “Apart from the plants, I have some permanent ornamental items which add a lot of weight to my green space. The main among those are the permanently set up waterfall and the swing which almost all my visitors love. And then comes my bonsai collection. I have made bonsai like the ages old Christmas and Banyan trees, fruit bearing trees such as those of sapota, orange, lemon and cherry, many flower bearing trees such as gulmohar and bougainvillea to name a few, which look very pretty and are very special to me,” she adds.

And during Dasara each year, Shyamala decorates her garden with different themes using dolls and idols, which add an extra zing to her special space at home. “I have a set of dolls that I arrange and rearrange differently with a unique theme every Dasara. This year, the specialities are the Rajasthani desert, the temples of South India, China Town, ‘Winter Wonderland’ around my Christmas tree bonsai, a section representing Peru around my bonsais, an area resembling the zoo with toys of animals like those present in the Mysore Zoo, the Dasara theme based dolls, the colourful terracotta dolls like frogs and swans around the water based plants to name a few” she explains. “And a verity of bonsai called Penjing is where we create decorative landscapes upon a tray. This year I have done the same on a tray hand made by me that I learnt during a workshop which adds extra value.” “And I place several toys, dolls, colourful stones and decorative items all over the garden accordingly”, he adds. And she has a special collection of decorative items that she carefully preserves and uses only during Dasara to decorate the garden.

What’s more, she also has a section dedicated to kitchen gardening where she grows a few plants that turn out to be useful for her in cooking.

Do we even need to be astonished that she has been constantly rewarded for her dedication towards her passion?

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Suma Krishna 

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Suma is one enterprising lady in Mysuru for whom her garden is her soul. So the moment you pass by the front yard of the green space at her home you will feel truly welcomed. And the same has been winning her the first place in the big home garden category from the past 27 years constantly and her efforts prove that she deserves it every bit.

Suma Krishna is a resident of Kuvempunagar who has been gardening at home since almost 30 years now. “Wherever I go, especially when on trips and tours, all that keeps constantly running in my mind is nothing but my garden and dolls that I can purchase and decorate” she grins, humbly showing off the collection of plants and hand-picked dolls from places across the globe.

“While garden decoration has been my hobby, I began taking part in the Dasara contest ever since it was started and have been winning the rolling shield each time,” she explains, She has decorated her garden with extreme vibrancy choosing every plant and using every bit of the decorative piece carefully. Having grown everything ranging from fruits to vegetables and bonsai to a wide variety of flowering and decorative plants, the speciality of her garden lies in the fact that she prepares her beautiful garden for the contest all by herself with least help from her gardener.

“I start preparations for my garden about four months before the contest begins and sow seeds, planning things according to the time they take for cultivation, as each plant takes its own time to grow rightly by the time of the contest,” says Suma.

“While the garden is well-maintained all through the year, I add decorative trinkets, toys and dolls during Dasara. That apart, I also reuse the broken pots, dry and dead wooden trunks and any unused product that can be recycled and used in my garden by painting or curing them and reusing them to plant saplings, make bonsai or simply decorate them to suit my garden,” she explains, showcasing a few examples for her work. “My garden looks more vibrant throughout Dasara,” she says, even as she walks past another corner of the yard and opens the doors to showcase her kitchen garden from where she gets to pluck for home, things like coriander, pudina, a few variety of vegetables, fruits and more.

Lastly, the trail ends with that space of her home which is full of tall trees where parrots, sparrows and many varieties of colourful birds arrive to either take shelter or and rest a while before they fly away to relish the delicious figs hanging from the tall fig tree, that the family can blissfully watch through the glass panes from the dining area within, admiring the beauty of nature in leisure.

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Prabha Subramanya 

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Do you feel a small yard means you can’t have the garden like you want at home? But Prabha can prove you wrong. As a majority of the ground space at her home has been used up for construction, the creative lady has decided to deck up the terrace atop the building, making it the most beautiful part of her gorgeous home.

With this, she has not just maximised the space for home gardening but has also been winning a prize under the terrace garden category consecutively since the last eight years now.

Prabha Subramanya is another zealous gardener residing in Vijayanagar who is an avid Bonsai aficionado. She first began bonsai gardening at home about 20 years ago, to learn which, she attended classes back then. And the lady’s passion is such that, every bit of the bright terrace at her home is now a feast to one’s eyes, filled up with over 80 varieties of plants, each one made to look unique and livelier than the other by her.

“It’s a live art like no other art on earth so no wonder any one would find it as attractive,” says Prabha, “For, though preparing a bonsai is a task full of difficult procedures, we tend to magically indulge in doing everything associated with it from pruning, re-potting, trimming, cleaning and fertilising the plants with happiness. And, especially with flowers and fruits grown upon them, they are the prettiest things any one would ever see.”

Prabha has been winning a prize under the Terrace Garden category since the last seven years and that’s when she actually first began participating in the event. “Though I attended classes 20 years ago, I wasn’t too sure about taking part in the Dasara contest as I didn’t have plants worth a display those days. It is only since the last eight years that I have had a good collection of different varieties and since then, I have been taking part in the contest and winning the first place. However, as my gardener helps me equally in the maintenance, I always send him to collect the prize,” the modest lady says.

The bonsai types Prabha has made include: Maple, Kengai (cascade bonsai), Hokidachi (broom style), Han-kengai (semi cascade), Sokan (double trunk style), Kabudachi (multi trunk style), bonsai landscape and many more.

“It is an art that requires constant attention and dedication. But once we get involved, it is an ongoing process. We keep coming up with the ideas of making new varieties. I need to spend a minimum of one hour on my terrace each day. And I start my focus on the garden about four months before the contest begins. The live art is such a passion that it keeps me going,” she asserts.

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Padmakumar  & Rohini 

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Dr. P.D. Padmakumar, a resident of the city and ardent gardening connoisseur didn’t participate in the Dasara contest this season. He was on a tour to the US during the time which came as a hindrance for participation he says. But for the veteran enthusiast, maintenance and decoration of his garden doesn’t mean special only during the festival. “My garden is well taken care of, though I do not participate in the contest. However, I have taken part for the last 11 years and won prizes continuously, which is a very special feeling,” says he.

The retired Joint Director, Department of Animal Husbandry, who spends a lot of time in decking up the green space at home says it has been passion not just for him for his wife Rohini Padmakumar too. “We plant, decorate and look after our garden together as it’s not just mine but my wife’s passion too,” the Veterinarian explains.

And ask him as to how such a busy man developed an interest in gardening and pat comes the reply “It wasn’t a sudden desire to indulge in gardening. I always loved it and during my services I got to travel and stay in many different places but the homes we stayed in lacked sufficient space for gardening though we would try to decorate as much as we could. Hence, once we came to own house here where we have sufficient space for gardening, we began planting all that we like.”

The chief focus of the doctor’s house is on kitchen gardening. “It’s a great feeling when we get to grow our veggies, pluck them fresh and cook for food. We have so many varieties fresh greens and vegetables all organically grown,” he says adding “we have over 30 varieties of plants and the kitchen section includes plants like mint, amruthaballi, doddpatre, curry leaves, aloe Vera, beetle, tulasi, pumpkin and papaya to name just a few.”

Such is their love for the lively lush greenery at home that the couple even produce vermi compost in their garden space to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposed vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast to make an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertiliser for the plants in their garden.

Now who wouldn’t want to evade in a yard so full of lushness so enchanting?

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source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / October 08th, 2016

Government to conserve Malnad Gidda cow

Project will be implemented at livestock breeding and training centre at Koila, says Manju

The government has taken up a project to conserve and promote the Malnad Gidda cow breed, according to A. Manju, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services.

Addressing a gathering at a function organised to lay the foundation stone for a veterinary college at Koila, he said that the project would be implemented at the livestock breeding and training centres at Koila in Dakshina Kannada and at Koodige in Kodgadu district.

“The government has sanctioned Rs. 5 crore for the project,” he said adding that 50 cows had been selected now for breeding.

Maland Gidda is an indigenous breed of cow whose numbers are on the decline.

The veterinary college at Koila would be opened in 2018. The Minister said that the State’s milk production had touched 75 lakh litres a day now. He said that the government would recruit 650 veterinary doctors within a month.

Mr. Manju said that the government had constituted Karnataka Sheep Federation with 260 cooperative societies attached to it.

U.T. Khader, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, urged the Minister to open a dairy unit of Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Union Ltd. at Koila.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / Special Correspondent / Koila (Puttur Taluk) / October 10th, 2016

Film on Bannerghatta National Park released

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A 20-minute short film titled ‘Bannerghatta Breathing for Bengaluru,’ throws light on man-animal conflict, the rich biodiversity of the forest patch spread across 270 square kilometres and challenges due to increasing urbanisation around the forest.

It shows the wildlife and biodiversity of the fragmented forest patch in full valour.

The lone wild tiger roaming in Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) has also been captured in the film.

It also covers the problems which the department has been facing because of shrinking land due increasing denotification and mining. The movie also dwells on the history on how the forest patch was notified, how the zoo was carved out of it and how land was added to the patch to strengthen elephant corridors.

The film has been commissioned by Sunil Panwar, Deputy Conservator of Forest, BNP and has been filmed by conservationists and film makers duo Ashok Hallur and Padma Ashok of Ideas for Change. The film was released on Friday by Governor Vajubhai Vala.

Butterfly Walk
The Karnataka Forest Department will organise a Butterfly Walk in Hennur Park on Sunday, October 9, for Bengalureans. The park spread across 34 acres has over 34 species of butterflies. During the walk, people will be shown different species, the host plants, the larvae and the nectar plants. Apart from Forest department officials, experts are also being roped in to create more awareness among people.

The Forest department has created three artificial ponds in the park and improved the biodiversity to increase the number of species to the park. The open storm water drain passing through the park, has little impact on the butterflies. This park along with parks in Jarakabandekaval and Doreswamypalya. The green environs of Doraisanipalya Jallary Reserve Forest off Bannerghatta Road is home varied species of butterfly.

BBP open on Vijayadashami
The Bannerghatta Biological Park will remain open on October 11, on the occasion of Vijayadashami. Tuesday is normally a holiday. The management this time has decided to keep it open, said an press release.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / Bosky Khanna / Bengaluru – DHNS, October 08th, 2016

Bengaluru researchers discover rat-like mammal species in Sikkim Himalayas

Bengaluru :

When PhD student Nishma Dahal  embarked on her first trip to east Sikkim, little did she know it would lead to a stunning discovery in the eastern Himalayas . The efforts of Nishma and other researchers from National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) have led to the identification of a new species of pika, a mammal which resembles a tailless rat.

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The new species, Ochotona sikimaria, is an important part of the ecosystem and is vulnerable to climate change. Members of the rabbit family, pikas have been in the news in North America for their sensitivity to increasing temperature, which has caused several populations to go extinct. Pikas live on high altitudes in mountianeous regions, which makes them more susceptible to habitat loss due to the increasing global temperature.

The discovery was a great challenge for Nishma as most pika species closely resemble one another. She started her work by collecting pika pellets to extract the DNA and identify the species.

Though the pellets are puny, Nishma was successful in amplifying the mammal’s DNA from them. When Nishma compared these DNA sequences to those of other pika species in the world, she found them to be quite different. But this was only the beginning of her mission.

To prove it was indeed a new species, Nishma had to compare the Sikkim pika to its close relatives, which are found in China. It took Nishma and Uma Ramakrishnan, whose laboratory at NCBS led the study, two years to build collaborations with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zoological Museum of Moscow and Stanford University  to get detailed data on the sister species.

The NCBS research reveals while Ochotona sikimaria appears similar to the Moupin pika (found in China), they are quite distinct from a genetic and ecological perspective. So far, the new species seems to be limited to Sikkim. The NCBS team searched for the Sikkim pika in other Himalayan regions, including  Arunachal Pradesh, central Nepal (Annapurna and Langtang), Ladakh and Spiti but to no avail.
All is not well for this tiny mammal, says Nishma. “Unlike other mammalian species inhabiting such harsh environments, Pikas do not hibernate. They prepare for winter by collecting and storing hay piles. We must investigate their vulnerability to increasing global temperatures, and to do so we must better understand their ecology and population dynamics. Such information is lacking in the case of Asian Pikas,” she said.
“The opportunity to work on Himalayan biodiversity has been amazing, and I have learned how little we know about our own species. Pikas are ecosystem engineers, and we must understand more about them to protect them,” said Uma. The study has been published in the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Bangalore / TNN / September 27th, 2016

Healing farm goes by ancient knowledge

Cretan Labyrinth
Cretan Labyrinth

Moodbidri :

Imagine gorging on mulberries, durian and rambutans for lunch sitting amid trees and in the company of peacocks. Or sipping the juice of homegrown pineapples in the thick shade of giant Burmese bamboos. It may sound like the exotic tourist locales immortalised by Harry Belafonte’s foot-tapping numbers. But you need not go as far as the Caribbean for such a tropical paradise. Closer home in Moodbidri is a 200-acre farm owned by Dr Livingston C Soans.

Explore the farmhouse and you’ll find not just a variety of flora but also some esoteric patterns and pyramid-like structures. These are tools for healing techniques popularised by Dr Soans, 82, a much-feted botanist, water diviner and ancient healing expert.

These healing techniques or energy zones have been inspired by ancient civilizations like the Mayan, Sumerian, Aztec, Egyptian and even Indian. Some of the ancient structures like the Egyptian pyramid, native American energy wheel or Cretan Labyrinth are replicated here for energy rejuvenation.

Dr Soans, who began researching ancient healing techniques a few decades ago, says this is part of alternative drugless therapy. He has constructed two labyrinths — one based on a design in a French cathedral and the other based on one used by Greeks on the island of Crete.

“Modern options are highly commercial or difficult to follow in totality, but the ancient healing devices like the Medicine Wheel, Pyramid and Cretan Labyrinth and its French version offer healing techniques from within,” he says. Elaborating on how animals pick up special spots on the ground to curl up or how ancient temples are built in specified places where energies can be identified by the dowsing techniques, he says, “These devices help medicines hasten the healing process.”

The Moodbidri facility gives people access to these tools at a price, he says, adding that the Cretan Labyrinth has been set up in hospitals in the US and Europe.

The  Cretan Labyrinth, something like a Mandala, is a circular layout of intricate pathways, that roughly take up a kilometre to reach the centre of the labyrinth, all of which is laid on 150 sq ft. “In Europe I found that patients, after regular treatment in hospitals, were advised to use the Cretan Labyrinth for better healing process,” he says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by M Raghuram / September 25th, 2016