Society

“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” - Anonymous proverb. So if you haven't yet planted a tree in your lifetime, use the opportunity this coming Independence Day morning and visit Chinnappanahalli Lake (near Marathahalli). The Chinnappanahalli Lake Development Trust (CLDT), with the support of Strategic Outsourcing Services, has organised to plant about 200 saplings. Thursday 15th August, 7:00 a.m. onwards. For more information, please contact Mr Prabhashankar Rai <ps_rai@hotmail.com>. Those in the Yelahanka area can give a hand to the Yelahanka Puttenahalli Lake and Bird Conservation Trust (YPLBCT). Established as a formal trust in…

I like August. The weather is fine and the patriotic fervor is high in the air. I see people around me proudly sporting tri-colour pins. A far cry from the days when we were told to study hard, so that we can go “abroad” and chase certain coloured cards. Today we carry our Indian passports with pride. The “Made in India” label is cool and coveted. We support local art, local produce, local cuisine – just about anything local and native is ecofriendly and is in vogue. So, I think that a blog on “local native dogs” is would be…

I like August. The weather is fine and the patriotic fervor is high in the air. I see people around me proudly sporting tri-colour pins. A far cry from the days when we were told to study hard, so that we can go “abroad” and chase certain coloured cards. Today we carry our Indian passports with pride. The “Made in India” label is cool and coveted. We support local art, local produce, local cuisine – just about anything local and native is ecofriendly and is in vogue. So, I think that a blog on “local native dogs” is would be…

Being a parent these days is tough. Kids today are so opinionated or pampered that they not only choose what c­­lothes to buy/wear, but also invariably decide what is cooked at home! And you’re not alone. When you talk to other parents at school, park or playground, the topic inevitably turns to foods and vegetables that kids will not eat. That means slowly but surely they are missing from the parents’ plate too — eventually. After all, which parent wants to spend more time making another dish?  The tendency is to eat what the kids eat, and the dishes that…

Being a parent these days is tough. Kids today are so opinionated or pampered that they not only choose what c­­lothes to buy/wear, but also invariably decide what is cooked at home! And you’re not alone. When you talk to other parents at school, park or playground, the topic inevitably turns to foods and vegetables that kids will not eat. That means slowly but surely they are missing from the parents’ plate too — eventually. After all, which parent wants to spend more time making another dish?  The tendency is to eat what the kids eat, and the dishes that…

My journey with gardening started about three years ago, when I brought home the Kambha from Daily Dump and started composting my kitchen waste. The feeling of empowerment that I got from doing my bit soon translated to a conscious decision to move towards organic foods. This then led to starting my own kitchen garden that first began with five containers of tomato and brinjal plants. Brinjal grown in kitchen garden I cannot quite describe the feeling of joy from a first harvest, but I can assure you that once you experience it you will be hooked to growing your…

My journey with gardening started about three years ago, when I brought home the Kambha from Daily Dump and started composting my kitchen waste. The feeling of empowerment that I got from doing my bit soon translated to a conscious decision to move towards organic foods. This then led to starting my own kitchen garden that first began with five containers of tomato and brinjal plants. Brinjal grown in kitchen garden I cannot quite describe the feeling of joy from a first harvest, but I can assure you that once you experience it you will be hooked to growing your…

If we think that with fencing the lake area to prevent further encroachment, planting trees and bushes and nurturing them, eliminating sewage, and getting more rain water into the lake, we have saved the lake, we're in for a surprise. That is just the beginning!     It was last August when a gentle green carpet started spreading itself over the dormant waters of Puttenahalli Lake. PNLIT trustees brought this to the notice of a few experts who said it could be a form of algae, and that the best way to get rid of it was to get more clean water…

If we think that with fencing the lake area to prevent further encroachment, planting trees and bushes and nurturing them, eliminating sewage, and getting more rain water into the lake, we have saved the lake, we're in for a surprise. That is just the beginning!     It was last August when a gentle green carpet started spreading itself over the dormant waters of Puttenahalli Lake. PNLIT trustees brought this to the notice of a few experts who said it could be a form of algae, and that the best way to get rid of it was to get more clean water…

With so many butterflies flocking to our Puttenahalli lake of late, it seems appropriate to get experts to identify them and take good pix of these fleeting, flighty beauties.      In June came Ms. Chinmayi, a lepidopterist from Banashankari and she photographed and identified quite a few of the butterflies. Read about her visit here.   Last week Dr. Kunal Angola and Naveen, research scholars from the Butterfly Park at Bannerghatta spent a good two hours at the lake. Their visit opened our eyes to more of these pretties.    Butterflies don't really need exotic plants. The common weed Tridax (Coat…