Category Archives: Nature

Honey in all its varied sweetness

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

 HoneyKERALA11sept2015

Festival includes training for bee keepers and a session on epitherapy

The seventh edition of the honey festival got underway at VJT Hall here on Wednesday. The four-day festival provides the people of the city an opportunity to taste several varieties of honey and familiarise themselves with a plethora of honey-based products.

Hundreds of honey farmers from different parts of the State are part of the festival and are displaying their unique honey varieties. The festival is being jointly organised by the Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists (FIA), State Horticultural Mission, Kerala Agricultural University, State Biodiversity Board, and Horticorp.

The varieties range from Coorg honey and Wayanadan honey to sunflower honey, stingless bee honey and several others.

Also on sale are honey products such as honey wax, soaps and facial creams, and many products with honey as their base. Hives of stingless bees, Newton bees, honey extractors, and other honey production equipment are also on display.

A training programme is being conducted for apiculturists (bee keepers) over these four days. The training will also include a day’s session on epitherapy, the treatment of various illnesses using honey and allied products.

Mission and museum

According to C. Manojkumar, a breeder from Kannur, the annual honey festivals in the capital city have helped the apiculturists earn good profits in a short time.

“At last year’s festival, my stall had sales of around Rs.4-5 lakh. The total sale across all the stalls was well above Rs.50 lakh. This year, the government has announced that a State Honey Mission will be formed under the Horticultural Mission. Also, a honey museum on the lines of the Central Bee Research Institute is also being planned in Kannur,” says Mr. Manojkumar.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Staff Reporter / Thursday – September 10th, 2015

Coconut wood furniture unit to take off soon

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Department of Wood Science, Kerala Agricultural University and Coconut Development Board have joined hands to set up a furniture demonstration unit that will tap the abundance of coconut timber supply in the State.

The project, for which an outlay of Rs. 50 lakh has been sanctioned, is linked to Coconut Board’s ongoing replanting and rejuvenation of coconut gardens programme. The Board is providing aid to coconut farmers to remove senile palms and to replace them with new ones.

According to an estimate by the Board, there are a total of 18 million coconut palms in the State of which 14,83,107 have been reported to be senile.

This implies that there is abundant supply of coconut timber in the State though the palms are now cut down and mostly wasted, said E.V. Anoop of the Wood Science Department.

A Board official said that the removal of senile and sick palms was in progress. Root-wilt affected palms are concentrated in the districts of Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki though the Coconut Board programme is on throughout the State.

The furniture unit is meant to make export-oriented, high-end furniture. It is also expected that people in Kerala will give up their apparent aversion to using coconut timber for making furniture.

The furniture unit, which will be a technology demonstration facility, is being set up in collaboration with the Kodungalloor Coconut Producer Company and Kerala Furniture Consortium, said Mr. Anoop.

The response has been positive as coconut producer companies and furniture-makers are eager to utilise the new opportunity, he added. The venture will work on a value chain model involving coconut timber extraction, conversion on site, design and manufacture. One of the most difficult areas for farmers now is to find labour for cutting down the palms and transporting the timber.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by K.A.Martin / Kochi – August 27th, 2015

Reading hymns of nature with camera

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Nature

Fr. Pathrose.— Photo: Special Arrangement
Fr. Pathrose.— Photo: Special Arrangement

Sans cassock, Fr. Pathrose could be mistaken for a professional nature photographer.

Impulsive and passionate about photography, the priest of the Syrian Church sets off with his backpack at the drop of a hat to destinations as far and rich in biodiversity as Nepal, Bharatpur, Tuticorin, Wayanad and the like to delight in the ‘camera moments’ that the nature offers to him.

“He’s a blink and you miss him-type,” beams writer and actor V.K. Sreeraman, who fostered the priest’s talents with the lens. “And, like me, he’s a resident of Kunnamkulam, widely known as Kerala’s haven for fake goods. But in reality, it has several original gems like Fr. Pathrose.”

In fact, the priest wears several hats: he’s the principal of the Bethany St. John’s English School at Kunnamkulam, a karate black belt, naturopathy expert and a poet.

A native of Nedumkandam in Idukki district, he enrolled himself in a seminary in 2000 before joining Plus Two.

“I used to write poetry and stories during that time, but when I enrolled for degree at the Catholicate College in Pathanamthitta, film personality and Professor Madhu Eravankara introduced me to the finer aspects of viewing a scene through the lens. Kathaprasangam artist Prasad Anchal further fine-tuned it into a love for nature,” explains Fr. Pathrose.

Starting off with a second-hand camera using film roll, he slowly graduated into wielding an ordinary digital camera before obtaining a DSLR.

FACE

The Forum for Arts and Cultural Events (FACE) instituted by Mr. Sreeraman organised the first exhibition of his nature snaps at Kunnamkulam along with those of seasoned lensman Manoop Chandran. The show has come to the city’s Durbar Hall now.

“It’s only recently that I realised I’ve shot over 1,000 pictures of birds and animals in the wild and from the Kole fields of Kunnamkulam,” says Fr. Pathrose, currently in Munnar on a photography sojourn. “Those who say everything in nature has been lost haven’t looked around. I’ve clicked so many rare birds. It’s a pleasure to see how they interact with their surroundings,” says the priest, eager to rush off to Kashmir at the next opportunity.

Father Pathrose is a man of many talents. Nature photogprahy is just one of them.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by S. Anandan / Kochi – August 28th, 2015

KUFOS to promote vannamei shrimp farming

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature, World Opinion

Minister for Fisheries K. Babu has said that the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) will popularise vannamei shrimp farming across the State.

In his inaugural address at the two-day training and aqua-expo on the prospects of Litopenaeus Vannamei, an exotic white shrimp, here on Thursday, Mr. Babu urged the shrimp farmers to speed up the process of ushering in a vannamei revolution in the State.

Compared to the other States in the country, we are very late to earn profits out of vannamei culture, the Minister said.

He said that KUFOS would organise training programme in each districts to spread vannamei shrimp farming.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – August 21st, 2015

Creating the Best Out of Waste

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

A man working at the paddyfield on the premises of the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant
A man working at the paddyfield on the premises of the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant

Brahmapuram  :

Several people, including  professionals, have recently turned farmers by starting their own gardens or by setting up organic farms at home.

Apart from the expenses incurred on setting up the vegetable garden, these farmers are spending large sums of money for buying the manure for the plants. The money they spend for purchasing manure ranges above Rs 30 per kg, and for the branded items, the price is over Rs 100 in the market. But a little-known fact is that the bio-manure generated from the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant is available at just Rs 6 per kilogram. The manure, named ‘City compost’, now a hit among the vegetable cultivators in the city, is also available at Rs 300 for a pack of 50 kg from Brahmapuram waste treatment plant.

“As it is generated from garbage waste, the manure has all the ingredients needed for the vegetables to grow. There is no need for adding  further ingredients as it has the contents of meat, blood, food waste and all types of other waste. The price, compared to the market rates, is also low. As we are not running it as a profit-generating enterprise, we haven’t opened any outlets in the city,” said A A Byju, who has been running the plant on contract basis for the last four years.

With organic farming become a trend in the state, the demand for the manure from the plant has skyrocketed. “Every day, on an average, around 40 tonnes of manure is made, of which 70-80 per cent is sold. Earlier, we could only sell around 10 tonnes per day and had to find space to keep it. But, from last year, there has been a huge demand from different places,” he added.

Interestingly, the demand for the manure is mainly from Tamil Nadu districts.

“Some are using the manure to prepare their product for the market. Most of them will mix the manure with their product as this is the cheapest and of the best quality. Several companies sellinng branded manure have also approached us for the item,” said Byju.

The contractor, along with his team, is also distributing the manure free of cost to some NGOs, schools, hospitals and government offices to support vegetable cultivation. The rest is also used in their farm set up at Brahmapuram plant.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Anil Kumar T / August 03rd, 2015

ZSI centenary fete to begin today

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel

A scientist arranging specimens at an exhibition of the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, in connection with its centenary celebrations. —Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup
A scientist arranging specimens at an exhibition of the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, in connection with its centenary celebrations. —Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Kozhikode Collector to flag off centenary run at its centre

The year-long centenary celebrations of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) at its Western Ghat Regional Centre will kick off with a ‘Centenary Run’ starting from its campus at Jaffar Khan Colony in Kozhikode on Wednesday.

School and college students, staff members of the regional centre and people will participate in the run and the curtain-raiser event followed by it in the afternoon.

A variety of programmes including national seminars on Western Ghat conservation, workshops, public awareness programmes and competitions for school and college students will be among the programmes to be organised as part of the centenary celebrations, said P.M. Sureshan, senior scientist and officer-in-charge of the centre.

The natural history museum at the centre has been spruced-up to welcome the visitors as part of the celebrations. The museum that features a wide variety of representative fauna of Western Ghats, will be a key attraction for the visitors during the celebrations, said Dr. Sureshan. The museum has a good collection of seashells, insects, fossils, seashore animals and fishes to attract the viewers.

A section titled ‘A Journey through the Western Ghats,’ takes the viewers through the photographs and embalmed samples of living thing including birds, animals and butterflies endemic to the Western Ghats. Besides eye-catching pictorials and models of life from the Ghats, the section also features pictures of a large variety of amphibians, mammals, fishes, retails, molluscs and dragonflies in the section. Entry to the museum will be free from 10 a.m.

‘Taking Science to People,’ is the theme of the centenary celebrations. “That will precisely be what we attempt to do through various programmes as part of the celebrations,” said Dr. Sureshan, who maintained that the centenary celebration would also be an occasion to introduce the institute to the public as well as to the scientific community outside. District Collector N. Prasanth will flag off the centenary run at the centre at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Mayor A.K. Premajam will inaugurate the centenary celebrations at the centre at 2 p.m.. Dr. P.S. Easa, former director of the Kerala Forest Research Institute will deliver the keynote address on the occasion.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Musthari / Kozhikode – July 01st, 2015

Bid to spread vannamei shrimp farming

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature

Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), in the first phase of its efforts to spread vannamei shrimp farming in the State, will transfer farming technology to 30 farmers in Kerala.

Vannamei is an exotic white-leg shrimp, which is now widely farmed on the eastern coast of India.

A training programme for farmers selected from various parts of the State would be held at the Puthuvype fisheries station on Monday, said a press release from KUFOS here. KUFOS had started trial farming of vannamei shrimp, the first of its kind in Kerala, in March this year after getting permission from the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), Chennai.

The university has now decided to extend farming after a review of the trial, which has been a success in the brackish water ecosystem of the State.

KUFOS Vice Chancellor B. Madhusoodana Kurup will inaugurate the training programme, and Pro-Vice Chancellor K. Padmakumar will preside.

The training programme is aimed at educating the shrimp farmers in the State about the white leg exotic shrimp, Litopenaeus Vannamei, and precautions to be taken prior to farming in Kerala’s conditions.

The selected farmers will be trained in various aspects such as management, nutritional requirement, feed management and biology, and life cycle of the species.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – May 25th, 2015

Endemic varieties showcased at Thekkady flower show

Agriculture, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Views of the Thekkady Flower Show at Kallarackal grounds in Idukki on Sunday.— PHOTOS: GIJI K. RAMAN
Views of the Thekkady Flower Show at Kallarackal grounds in Idukki on Sunday.— PHOTOS: GIJI K. RAMAN

The ninth Thekkady Flower Show, which opened at the Kallarackal grounds here on Saturday, showcased endemic flowering plants like mirabilis and marigold that were once common to the house gardens of Kerala.

At least 200 varieties of flower plants, in addition to the vegetable and fruits plants, have been included in the show. The show has given maximum care to include endemic flower plants as they are best suited to the climatic and topographical conditions here, said T.T. Thomas, general convenor of the organising committee. He said the flower show has tried to renew interest in cultivation of vegetables and flowers on terraces.

The advantages of growing plants in grow bags are that they can be done even in small places.

Even a small family can maintain at least 10 vegetable bags that will ensure availability of pesticide-free vegetables, he said.

The flower show also has arts and cultural programmes in the evening with focus on folk, temple and tribal art forms. Seminars which highlight measures for waste control, energy saving, water protection and small entrepreneurial activities for housewives will be held. Mr Thomas said that on the inaugural day itself, over 3,000 people visited the show. An important feature is that a large number of tourists are visiting the venue, he said. The flower show is being organised by the Thekkady Agri Horticulture Society.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by A Correspondent / Kumili – April 06th, 2015

Vamanapuram to Harvest Rainwater

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature

Vamanapuram block panchayat president Baby Sulekha leading members of the Vamanapuram block in a procession kicking off ‘Mazhaneermahima’, a project which aims to carry out rainwater harvesting of pre-monsoon showers
Vamanapuram block panchayat president Baby Sulekha leading members of the Vamanapuram block in a procession kicking off ‘Mazhaneermahima’, a project which aims to carry out rainwater harvesting of pre-monsoon showers

Thiruvananthapuram :

Can rainwater harvesting of mango showers solve drinking water crisis this summer? The panchayats in Vamanapuram Block are attempting to do it, with ‘Mazhaneermahima’. The slogan of the rainwater harvesting project is ‘Let’s welcome the monsoon by harvesting rainwater.’

On Sunday, the project was kicked off with a ‘Mazhaneermahima Vilambara Yatra’, a procession from Vamanapuram block. ‘Mazhaneermahima’ is implemented as part of the Integrated Watershed Management Programme. The project lasts till May 21. In the first phase of the project, notices spreading awareness on water conservation and rainwater management were distributed in the houses in Nellanadu, Manikkal, Vamanapuram, Pullambara, Pangode and Kallara panchayats.

A group of people will visit 300-odd households in each panchayat to spread awareness.

Sunday’s event was inaugurated by Vamanapuram Block Panchayat president Baby Sulekha. Block secretary Sarina A Rahman, vice-president G Purushottaman Nair and various panchayat presidents in Vamanapuram block were present at ‘Mazhaneermahima Vilambara Yatra’.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / April 06th, 2015

Tribal rhythms on bamboo pieces

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Thiruvananthapuram :

Any attempt to find a connection between Kerala’s popular percussion instrument chenda and pieces of bamboo may sound bizarre. But in the hands of a set of tribal artists from Kasaragod, bamboo pieces chatter in a voice similar to that of chenda.

Named as mulam chenda (bamboo drum), the instrument is made of one-meter long bamboo pieces, end of which are tied with long ropes. The instrument with long narrow slits on the middle part of the bamboo pieces has tonal resemblance with chenda when hit with specially designed sticks.

According to Ananthan M V and his troupe of nine other percussionists hailing from ‘Mavilar’ tribal community from Kasaragod, the instrument is a symbol of their indigenous culture and music, which is now a part of their livelihood. The group was in the city as part of the ‘Thala Maholsavam’ organized by Vylopilly Samskrithi Bhavan that began on Saturday.With the support of Kerala Institute for Research Training and Development Studies (Kirtads) and other government-registered organizations the team has performed in more than 350 venues across the country.

The group often uses mulam chenda as an accompaniment to the tribal songs composed by them in Malayalam and Tulu. “As per the custom, the actual duration of the performance is one day with intervals, but when performing outside we have to do it in a stipulated time and we prepare the songs and rhythms accordingly,” Ananthan said.

Mulam chendas are classified into two, the ‘veek chenda’ or the bass drum and ‘mani chenda’ or the melody drum. The instrument was used for ritual customs to please the presiding deity of the tribe, marriage rituals and to scare off birds and animals from agricultural fields. To make mulam chendas one has to select the suitable pieces from the bamboo variety ‘aringadom mula’, which should be done on a new moon day that too according to the moopan’s (tribe leader) guidelines.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / March 16th, 2015