Environment

Report by Usha Rajagopalan   The morning of the Kere Habba on 21st Feb. saw over 30 volunteers coming as early as 7 a.m. and setting to work stringing festoons between trees, paper lanterns, sticking event posters, and more. Almost ALL the decorative items were "home made" by children and adults. Snehadhara Foundation did likewise with sketches and artefacts painstakingly done by their children. Many hands made for quick work and it was all done in a couple of hours. It was time for a sumptuous breakfast made and served fondly by Krishna, South City and Pavithra from Brigade Millennium.    Volunteers…

The Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka along with Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA) is organizing 'Janapada Suggi'  an initiative to promote the rural folk culture of Karnataka. The program will take place at the Allalasandra Lake (Yelahanka) gate entrance on Saturday, 28th February, 6 p.m. onwards.   This is the first time that a program on this scale is being organised in Yelahanka. While urban folks will get to learn about folk art, the event will also provide an opportunity for rural artists and troupes to showcase their art.   Awesome entertainment is assured! Be there with your…

  Sincere thanks to our neighbourhood clean-up crew at Puttenahalli Lake, 15th Feb 2015 (Pic: Vishnupriya)  A glimpse of Snehadhara Foundation's work in progress - getting ready for its role at Puttenahalli Kere Habba.  A few enthusiasts did the bird count at our lake during the Bangalore Bird Count last weekend. Despite the several constraints, natural and man made, we are happy to report that as many as 28 species were spotted at our lake. If you would like to spot these birds and/learn basics of photography, please join the exclusive session for beginners at the Puttenahalli Kere Habba 3:30…

Come February 22nd, the Whitefield community will come together to celebrate green living at the 9th edition of the Green Bazaar in Bengaluru. Called ‘Eco Habba’, the event will be a commemoration of all that is ‘green’ about Whitefield. Date: February 22nd Time: 7 am to 7 pm Venue: Herbs & Spices Restaurant, Opp. Vijaya Bank, Whitefield Click here for event details. A press note from The Alternative says water warriors, kitchen gardeners, voluntary traffic wardens, tree huggers, compost conquerors, spot-fixers, lake-savers - all these local heroes will get together to inspire those people who are looking to be inspired. Considering the many…

PNLIT takes great pleasure in hosting "Lake Alive: Puttenahalli Kere Habba 2015" on Saturday 21st February. The festivities will start from 3 p.m. and go on till 7 p.m.Location: Puttenahalli Lake, JP Nagar 7th Phase (next to MLR Convention Centre, Brigade Millennium) "Kere Habba" is an initiative of the Namma Bengaluru Foundation to promote conservation of lakes. Partnering PNLIT in this event is Arghyam's India Water Portal.  The first Kere Habba that was held at Kaikondrahalli Lake in January was attended by over 3000 citizens.  Entry is free and open to all. There will be food and other items available on sale. Donations to PNLIT, exempt u/s 80G, are welcome.  Visitors can…

  “My favourite weather is bird chirping weather.” - Terri Guillemets It is a rather rare occasion when people from around the world get together for a common cause. When it happens, it makes for a marvelous spectacle. The Great Global Backyard Bird Count is one such event, where tens of thousands of people, though separated by geography, are one in spirit. What makes it truly spectacular are the sights that these good folks will be witness to.   This weekend marks the 18th edition of the Great (Global) Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Launched by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and…

It is that time of the year when some fellow Bengalureans will together paint the town red. Or yellow, purple, orange, pink, violet; name it and you’ll see the colour. Those Bengalureans are our beloved trees, getting into bloom, making namma Bengaluru look vibrant and pretty. It was a nippy and chirpy Saturday morning, with the White-cheeked Barbets calling tirelessly. Being a ‘true South Indian’, I had to complete my ritual of one cup of strong filter coffee, even at the risk of getting late. I still managed to reach in time for Neralu’s opening activity, Katte Parichaya by Kiran Keswani and team…

Hundreds of citizens came together on the weekend of February 7th and 8th to celebrate the garden city’s  glorious natural heritage at many locations, including NGMA, KR Rao park and Dodamavalli Katte. Citizens of all ages participated enthusiastically in tree walks, listened to talks by naturalists and artists, and appreciated the movies, performances and street plays. Citizens came together to  celebrate the garden city’s  glorious natural heritage. On  Saturday February 14th, the festivities will move to Bal Bhavan, Cubbon Park, with a host of art activities and cultural performances that bring a grand closure to the NERALU tree. List of activities planned…

Padme Float at the mirror pool at NGMA The first phase of Neralu, the three-day Urban Tree Festival, concluded at NGMA (National Gallery of Modern Art) Bengaluru, on Sunday Fenruary 8th. Citizens of all ages participated enthusiastically in tree walks, listened to talks by naturalists and artists, and appreciated the movies, performances and street plays. At Neralu, children experienced the world of trees through animated storytelling sessions, tree journaling, and sketching workshops. The tree walk conducted for young adults from Samarthanam Trust for The Disabled emphasised the different ways in which trees can be perceived. Other highlights of the Tree…

On January 14th in Bengaluru, Hebbal dipped to the minimum temperature of the day at 6.04 am, Electronic City felt the minimum temperature at 6.18 am. Vidyaranyapura recorded the lowest temperature at 6.24 am, and Jayanagar as late as 7.10 am. Despite Hebbal being located only 16 km from Jayanagar, there was a significant difference of 1 hour 6 minutes when both areas recorded minimum temperature. The same is true for rain too. It doesn't rain in Whitefield, when it does in Jayanagar. So the preparedness is different for Whitefield and Jayanagar for a rainy day predicted by Meteorological Department.…