Amphibian Talk at Vidyaranyapura

by June 19, 2014 Environment

Take a walk around Narasipura 2 Lake in the late evening and you will not miss hearing the brilliant Narasipura Amphibian Harmonic Orchestra! Yes, with the recent rains, the frogs and toads are out and about. While the “Life Cycle of the Frog” is commonly taught in school, how many of us actually know beyond the spawn, the tadpole and its shrinking tail?    

An important part of the food chain, frogs and toads are considered to be very good environmental indicators. This means that having frogs and toads in an area tells us that the environment is healthy for them, which means it is favourable for humans too.

Six Common Indian Toads (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) at Puttenahalli Lake (Pic: Arathi Manay) 

We are lucky to have, right in Bangalore, an expert batrachologist (yes, that’s what amphibian experts are called) Dr Gururaja who lives in the vicinity of Narasipura Lake, Vidyaranyapura. Dr Gururaja works at IISc, at the Center for infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP). He has authored several papers and books on amphibians, one of the latest being “Pictorial Guide to Frogs and Toads of the Western Ghats”, published by Gubbi Labs. More about Dr Gururuja can be seen on his website here.

Here is an opportunity to get to know more about amphibians from the expert himself! Dr Gururaja will be conducting an hour long session. 

Date: Saturday, 21st June, 2014
Time: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Place: JustBooks, Vidyaranyapura 

To register for the session please call/e-mail JustBooks, Vidyaranyapura
Phone: 23644501 
Email: Frontoffice Vidyaranyapura <frontoffice@vrp.justbooksclc.com>
This is open to all age groups, and there is no entry fee. Also, you do not have to be a member of JustBooks. However the place can accommodate only about 30-35 people. Hence, the registration and seating will be on first-come-first-serve basis.

At the end of this session, those interested can register for an Amphibian Awareness Walk by Dr Gururaja, scheduled to be held around Narasipura Lake next weekend.  

 

Sections:

About Arathi Manay Yajaman

Arathi is a market researcher who loves to run and write. She has been actively involved in issues that affect citizens, including apartment management, waste management and lakes. She used to live in Mumbai and is now based in Bengaluru, working as a Community Anchor with Citizen Matters.
Read more by Arathi Manay Yajaman

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Mumbai floods once again. Will BMC’s climate budget help?

by July 25, 2024 Environment
Experts say that BMC's recently launched climate budget needs to be more focused on urban flooding to be able to protect vulnerable citizens.

On July 8th, rains lashed Mumbai, disrupting regular life and causing waterlogging and floods in low-lying areas and on important routes. Central Railway officials mention that almost 900 train services were cancelled leaving several commuters stranded, while many BEST buses were diverted. Since then several incidents of heavy rains and flooding have been reported in the city. Commuters, civic activists and residents have questioned the claims made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) about being prepared for the monsoons.  “The half-constructed, newly-built DP road number 9 in Chandivali was waterlogged, which caused inconvenience to commuters,” said Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Mumbaikars get a taste of Murbad’s forest food and tribal culture

by July 11, 2024 Environment
It was a treat for city dwellers to learn about wild vegetables and other forest foods harvested by tribal communities of Murbad, near Mumbai.

Throughout the year, vegetable shops and markets are stocked with select vegetables and produce that form our diets. This produce is grown in large scale farms and sold across the country despite geographic and seasonal variations. But 23rd June was an aberration for some of us, who spent time at the Hirvya Devachi Yatra. We got in touch with forest foods that grow in the wild, people who harvest them and make delicacies out of these.  The Hirvya Devachi Yatra was organised this year by the Shramik Mukti Sanghatana, Van Niketan, Ashwamedh Pratisthan and INTACH Thane Chapter. It has been…

Continue reading