Baobab tree is historical to Mumbai, but residents are unaware of their omnipresence. One man took up the challenge to document them.
Baobab trees are defined by their swollen base and long height. Pic: Zico Fernandes
I knew of the Baobab tree as a massive tree somewhere in Africa, but little did I know that for most of my life in Bombay, I had been living among these gentle giants. Both the colleges that I studied in had a Baobab tree within 300 meters, but I never noticed them.
“If a Baobab spoke, man wouldn’t understand!” This phrase displays the profound nature of the trees and their existence that has surpassed centuries. Pic: Zico Fernandes
Originally from Madagascar, Africa, the Baobab trees are defined by their swollen base – with a girth upto 36 ft – and height – up to 98 ft – and live a remarkably long life. I was inspired to advocate for the trees in Mumbai after an article highlighted a Baobab that was attacked by miscreants in 2014, and since 2017, I’ve been discovering and documenting Baobab trees in Mumbai – through an Instagram account – and have been featured in Mid-day and Hindustan Times.
The Baobab plays an important role in the environment, medicine and the circle of life. Pic: Zico Fernandes
I started my Instagram account to write about each tree that I visit in Bombay. I would start my journeys to scout for trees on Sundays so I could ride around easily and avoid traffic. Pic: Zico Fernandes
I have documented 30 odd trees on my Instagram account but I have heard that Bombay has around 120 of these scattered all over. I am no botanist, I have this account because of my love for this tree. Pic: Zico Fernandes
I want people to know how lucky Mumbai is to have so many Baobabs around the city. The city is so fast paced that these beautiful trees are often ignored, but Mumbai is probably the only metropolitan city to house so many Baobabs. Pic: Zico Fernandes
I plan to start a Baobab takeover on Instagram since I am not in the city for a few months. Followers from Bombay can take over the account for one day, visit a Baobab that they know and post on the account themselves. Pic: Zico Fernandes
In a report, environmentalists warn marsh blockages increase flood risk for South Chennai and call for urgent measures to avert ecological damage.
On a regular day in May, the calls of migratory waders and other shorebirds foraging in sprawling mudflats fill the air in the southern reaches of Chennai. May is the dry season for the Pallikaranai Marsh, when water levels naturally recede, exposing the critical feeding and breeding grounds that attract hundreds of bird species to this globally recognised urban wetland. But this year is different. The mudflats are gone. In their place is a stagnant expanse of water. This unusual water level during the dry season is not due to early rains. Indiscriminate construction within the marsh is blocking the…
The Bombay Natural History Society had earlier pointed out that protecting wetlands and ensuring aviation safety should go hand in hand.
The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO)'s decision to appoint Australian aviation consultancy Avisure to study bird movement around the Navi Mumbai International Airport has raised fresh questions about the future of Navi Mumbai's wetlands. The agency has cited the ongoing study as grounds to defer legal protection for DPS Flamingo Lake, arguing that no irreversible decision should be taken until the assessment of bird-related aviation risks is complete. But bird movement around the airport is not being studied for the first time. Findings of BNHS More than a decade ago, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) was…
