Environment

PNLIT is delighted to tell you that it has been shortlisted for the People's Green Award instituted as part of the TCS World 10K. Public voting and Jury assessment will together decide the final three winners.   PNLIT is a local people's initiative to tackle the problem of dying lakes and water shortage through public participation. We were instrumental in getting the Puttenahalli Lake restored and are the first citizens' group in Bangalore to officially maintain a lake.  We work within a very tight budget from donations made mostly by individual well wishers.  The People's Green Award will help us get some…

In a city of vanishing lakes, PNLIT is a small team of ordinary citizens who campaigned successfully to rejuvenate Puttenahalli Lake in J.P. Nagar and has now become its official caretakers. PNLIT's goals are to recharge the water table, indirectly providing water for an increasingly parched locality and to transform the lake into a secure bird habitat though in the middle of an urban jungle. Within two years of restoration, over 200 tree saplings have been planted and over 50 bird species spotted in and around the lake. PNLIT meets expenses from voluntary donations, mostly from residents in the area.…

In a city of vanishing lakes, PNLIT is a small team of ordinary citizens who campaigned successfully to rejuvenate Puttenahalli Lake in J.P. Nagar and has now become its official caretakers. PNLIT's goals are to recharge the water table, indirectly providing water for an increasingly parched locality and to transform the lake into a secure bird habitat though in the middle of an urban jungle. Within two years of restoration, over 200 tree saplings have been planted and over 50 bird species spotted in and around the lake. PNLIT meets expenses from voluntary donations, mostly from residents in the area.…

Brief background: Spark the Rise is a platform built by Mahindra "for ordinary people to take charge of India's future". Anyone with a plan could submit it to http://www.sparktherise.com/ to get volunteers, advice or donations. From August 2011 to March 2012, 1346 projects were posted on the site. For six months, Mahindra awarded monthly grants of Rs 4 lakh each, to 8 outstanding projects. "PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory" was one such awardee, and one of the 18 projects in the Grand Finale, where additional grants were at stake.   20th April 2012 was an eventful day for the Spark…

Brief background: Spark the Rise is a platform built by Mahindra "for ordinary people to take charge of India's future". Anyone with a plan could submit it to http://www.sparktherise.com/ to get volunteers, advice or donations. From August 2011 to March 2012, 1346 projects were posted on the site. For six months, Mahindra awarded monthly grants of Rs 4 lakh each, to 8 outstanding projects. "PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory" was one such awardee, and one of the 18 projects in the Grand Finale, where additional grants were at stake.   20th April 2012 was an eventful day for the Spark…

PNLIT is happy to announce "PNLIT Greenscraps" an introduction to nature journaling which will teach children how to observe, sketch and write about what they see in the natural world around them. Too often we do not notice that little ladybird sitting on a pale green leaf or the cobweb in an early morning glistening with dew drops. These are the small pleasures that uplift our mood and give meaning to our day. These are invaluable lessons in appreciating natural wonders which stay with us as we grow older. Ms. Sangeetha Kadur and Ms. Shilpashree who designed the Greenscraps workshops…

PNLIT is happy to announce "PNLIT Greenscraps" an introduction to nature journaling which will teach children how to observe, sketch and write about what they see in the natural world around them. Too often we do not notice that little ladybird sitting on a pale green leaf or the cobweb in an early morning glistening with dew drops. These are the small pleasures that uplift our mood and give meaning to our day. These are invaluable lessons in appreciating natural wonders which stay with us as we grow older. Ms. Sangeetha Kadur and Ms. Shilpashree who designed the Greenscraps workshops…

Steps and Seat  What scenes have these steps seen?Who are the people who've sat upon that seat?How many have rested their backs there?On the steps, how many feet?How many suns have cast their lightUpon the steps and the seat?How many misty winter mornings?How much of summer heat?How many quarrels or scoldings?How many newspapers unfurled?How many people have used seat and stepsTo get away for a while from the world? ⊕

Steps and Seat  What scenes have these steps seen?Who are the people who've sat upon that seat?How many have rested their backs there?On the steps, how many feet?How many suns have cast their lightUpon the steps and the seat?How many misty winter mornings?How much of summer heat?How many quarrels or scoldings?How many newspapers unfurled?How many people have used seat and stepsTo get away for a while from the world? ⊕

Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has started a unique and interesting citizen science programme to collect and share information on the status and distribution of HouseSparrow in India.By logging on at the CitizenSparrow website and spending 5 minutes documenting the presence or absence of sparrows in localities you know well, both at present and at any time in the past, you will join enthusiasts all over the country in helping sparrows.For more details and to record your knowledge please click here   Karthik K. is looking after this initiative, along with Dr Koustubh Sharma and Dr Suhel Qader. They will…