What are Geoff Green's reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?

According to Tishani Doshi, Geoff Green, wanted to involve students in the expedition to Antarctica because he believed that doing so would help provide 'them with inspiring educational opportunities'. He believed that taking students to Antarctica would help students understand the planet better. It would be an experience that would transform their understanding of the world we live in.

Geoff Green was 'tired of carting celebrities' to the Antarctic continent who could 'give' back in a limited way. It is clear from a reading of the lesson that a visit to Antarctica was much more than a sight-seeing expedition for Tishani, and, for that effect Geoff Green because the continent is like a 'living laboratory' a time-capsule that provides us with vital feedback about the health of the planet.

According to Tishani Doshi, Geoff Green believed that the Students on Ice programme would offer students a 'life-changing experience' that would help develop and prepare 'a future generation of policy makers' who can work in a more pro-active manner to protect the planet from decline. There is a chance that young people can be taught to care for the planet if they are given meaningful experiential learning experiences.

Climate change is one of the most contested environmental issues today. Unless we halt global warming, our very future on this planet will be at stake. While grown-ups and adults brush away such concerns believing that they have always plagued us, it is people like Tishani who can plan for the future when they become adults who have a say in making policy decisions regarding the health of our planet.

A Sunday Visit to Old Delhi Springs Some Unexpected Surprises!

Books by the Kilo

A Sunday visit to Darya Ganj today sprang a few surprises. Gone were the street-side stalls overflowing with piles of books, instead of a street lined with numerous actual shops selling books, there were just a couple of them. I was able to get George Orwell's, Animal Farm from the first shop that had also diversified into stationery items and then decided to explore more options in the narrow alleys down the road. My brother and I finally landed up in a shop that had a huge number of books of all kinds. The best part was that some of the books were being sold at the rate of Rs.200/- per kilo. I was able to buy a further four books from the Dhruv Book Centre at Darya Ganj, including one titled The Tandoor Murder a book authored by Maxwell Pereira. When I talked to the proprietor of the shop, he told me that they were doing good business although the inroads made by e-books on kindles and tablets had definitely affected the sale of actual books. I guess he was trying to put up a brave face! However, I know that where there once used to be roadside stalls, there were empty spaces.

You never know, you might come across a rare book!

This Visit for me came after almost ten years!

Intricately designed facades a throwback to a resplendent past

Where the signs point towards the famed Paranteh wali gali

The famed Paranthe wali gali

Our next destination after Darya Ganj was Chandni Chowk. Another surprise awaited us when we reached it. We could not drive down Chandni Chowk since entry from the Red-fort side had been restricted. However, we were able to enter the place by driving from the Cycle Market side. We could drive unrestricted till the entry point to Nai Sarak and Ballimaran. It was, moreover, a pleasant sight that met us when we reached Chandni Chowk. The bollards, vistas and neatly planned walkways including restrictions on vehicular movement made it less crowded, though I guess we had reached the place early at about ten in the morning so there were fewer people around.

Emperor Firoz Shah's Tomb stands tall

It is said that the foremost Tomb is that of Firoz Shah

The intricate design of the roof of the tomb is simply amazing

The entrance to Emperor Firoz Shah's Tomb

After Chandni Chowk, we had planned to visit the Qutb Minar, the world's largest brick-made tower in the world. On the way, we had also decided to visit Sunder Nagar as we remembered the days in the nineties when we were regular visitors to the  Sunder Nagar Sweet corner. Unfortunately, when we reached the spot, we could only see another sweet shop. Of the erstwhile shop, there was simply no sign. Disappointed we made our way to the Qutb Minar tower but we were scared to see large crowds at the ticket counter. Scared by the prospect of having to stand for hours in long queues we decided to visit the monument another day! Instead, my brother suggested that we should visit Haus Khas. I guess that was a life-saver in a way because it turned out to be a good decision! 

One of the few domed buildings

The Pillars in one of the halls - mathematical accuracy!

The Lake in the Firoz Shah Monument complex

Hauz Khas is, incidentally a place where artisans and artists gather to create some of the most artistic objects, whether it might be designer boutiques, household decorative artefacts, or even some of the most quirky hookahs! It reminds me of the short story, The Last Leaf where the aspiring artists, Sue and Johnsy live. Besides, Haus Khas is a must-visit place for food. The words, 'Hauz Khas' mean Royal Tank. The tank was excavated under the orders of Allaudin Khilji (1296-1316) for the use of the inhabitants of Siri, the second city of Delhi founded by him. Firoz Shah restored the water supply to the tank and built a madrasa around it.

Incidentally, I used a Canon f-2.8, 40 mm STM pancake lens for all the above photographs. I wanted to experiment with the lens since I have not used it for quite some time. While, no doubt, the lens doesn't have a wide enough field of coverage making it difficult to a wider area without having to move back quite a few steps. However, the result is very good, with crisp and sharp results.

Wildlife Photography Makes You A Better Person

The King Stands Tall-Asian Antelope at The Sultanpur National Park

Perhaps one of the greatest realities of Wildlife Photography is that things rarely turn out as planned! Setting out on a photo shoot in the wilds will make you question all the rules that you have been taught or learnt through experience! There have been times when I have made the arduous trek to my favourite spot only to realise that I had the wrong lens, or that I had in my hast forgotten to set the correct ISO setting or even that it was too foggy, cloudy or even that all the wild birds and animals had disappeared from sight. One of the greatest disappointments was to spot a family of Sarus Cranes which began to disappear into the underbrush the moments I pointed my lens at them! These obstacles, however, should not force one to back out of Wildlife Photography and instead opt for any other form of photography, that is, of course, if you have an inclination for the adventure offered by this form of photography.

The Inquisitive One

The story behind the photograph on top was a rather interesting one. I stepped down from the trail at the Sultanpur National Park towards the edge of the lake in search of a family of Sarus Cranes. While walking towards the edge, I suddenly turned back to see my Brother in Law Atul gesturing urgently indicating something right in my path. On peering into the trees I spotted a male Asian Antelope standing still looking at me. It was so sudden, there I was with my camera in my hand and standing a couple of meters away was a young male Antelope, face to face. This Antelope gave me the chance of taking quite a few photographs before moving away. My brother, who was also with me joked stating that the Antelope probably had very poor vision. I, however, have my doubts. It was not very dark and the sun was in front of me, so I was in a dark zone and the Antelope could not see me.

A pair of Nursing Sarus Cranes spotted at the Sultanpur National Park

The first photograph titled The King Stands Tall was an interesting one since this Asian Antelope Bull first confronted me on the trail in the Sultanpur National Park. He stood unmoving, blocking my path for quite some time and I also did not know what to do. After some time, the bull bolted off the trail and blundered into the open field, but by that time I was prepared for him and took a few shots of him. If you look closely at the photograph you will notice a Doe looking at me from the distance!

The Curious Three

It is always a good idea to take photographs of three animals together. It is somehow much more interesting than having a single animal before you. I was able to photograph three of these female Asian Antelopes while on a visit to the Sultanpur National Park recently. The rather curious expression on their 'faces' particularly drew my attention. I guess, therefore, a threesome provides a better story to photograph!

A Flash of Yellow-An Indian Golden Oriole

Things happen in a flash for those who set out to photograph wildlife. An incident, in this case, was a flash of yellow that crossed my vision. If it hadn't been for the bright yellow colour, I would have missed spotting a pair of Indian Golden Orioles. One of them paused long enough for me to focus on it, after, of course leading me on a run to catch it as it flitted from one tree to another. The strong wind helped me as the birds clung on to the branches battling the wind!

A Regal Crest Dominates the View

Hoopoes are generally amicable birds and they will offer the photographer a good opportunity to photograph them. I was able to follow one of them recently while on a visit to the Sultanpur National Park and the gusting wind seemed to ruffle quite a few feathers, literally as well as metaphorically. Like the Golden Oriole, I had to catch up with the Hoopoe as it hopped from branch to branch. Catching a Hoopoe in the middle of two dead branches brought out the colours really nicely. The dark-grey colour of the bark of the tree highlighted the brown tone of the feathers.

Babbling Cuckoos

Sometimes a lucky photographer will be able to capture the story of the shot. Spotting one 'Koel' or an Asian Cuckoo will be a lucky sighting, but photographing a couple of them fighting and squabbling with each other is simply amazing. I was able to spot not one but two Cuckoos squabbling with each other recently on a visit to the Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon. Their chattering and loud voices drew me to the Acasia tree where they were having a heated debate. Somehow, they were so wound up in their arguments that they did not pay any attention to me.

Drongos are very difficult to photograph, and that is probably because their dark feathers make it difficult to photograph outdoors. However, if you have sufficient distance between the bird and the background, and if the background is of a different colour from that of the Drongo, then hopefully you might be able to get the eyes in focus. It is easier to get the eyes of the Cuckoo in focus because of their red colour, this doesn't happen in the case of the Drongo,

A Drongo Sits Still 

Sometimes, however, it is quite possible that you might come across a beast of prey, well, not exactly Tigers and Lions, but then you might be surrounded by Jackals such as what happened with me. There was one particular Jackal that I named 'Scarface' because of the scars on his face. It looked as if he had entered into a fight with other jackals, or perhaps something much bigger had attacked him?

Scarface, the Veteran

The Cunning one

Wildlife photography often leaves you improvising and changing well-laid and time-tested rules. I often ditch my tripod so that my movement is not hampered. I keep changing the settings for each photograph, switching from an ISO setting of 100 to a maximum of 1600. Depending on the situation I switch from an f-stop number of 5.6 to anything up to f-22. Similarly. the shutter speed can vary from 1/100 to 1/2000 or even higher.

A pair of Nursing Sarus Cranes have their chick cleverly hidden in the grass

In spite of all the disappointments one might face during a particular visit to a Biodiversity hotspot, one should believe that the very act of attempting to photograph wildlife can help make the world a better place! A record of animals and migratory birds spotted at a particular time of the year and the locality can help trace migratory patterns, ecological degradation, food patterns, the impact of human activity on ecosystems and even the impact of global warming. 

A Flock of Greater Flamingos spotted at the Basai Wetland

Sometimes, the most graceful birds of prey can give you a sense of beauty in all their forms. The Black-Winged Kite, a small-sized, rather beautiful raptor can be most enthralling to look at. The black and grey colour scheme of its plumage accompanied by its sharp beak and bright red eyes makes it rather imposing. The red eyes are suggestive of its nature, it is a hunter and it has the sharp eyes of a hunter. The Shikra too is an impressive bird. It is a hunter and in the past, it was used to hunt for small rodents like rats to feed larger falcons that were maintained by the kings of the Mughal era.

A Shikra in search of Breakfast at the Sultanpur National Park

A Black-Winged Kite spotted at the Sultanpur National Park

In the end, I would like to conclude this blog post with a poem that summarises my experiences as a wildlife photographer. It is called The Connect.

The Connect

I spot a flash of yellow from the corner of my eye.

A tingling in the back, warns me of something in the

Copse, watching me. I know it is there and scan the

Bushes for something to spot.

A rustle in the branches above as a bird watches me.

From above, a pair of doves take flight as I pass by.

Two Cranes walk past majestically, a baby, hidden

In the grass follows them.

In the distance, the Antelopes watch me wary and tense

Ready to take flight at the earliest alarm. The sun shines

Bright, the wind gathers strength, the Golden Oriole and

The Drongo hold on tightly to the branch.

A Peacock in the distance calls out to its mates, a single

Call multiplied by ten more, a loud cacophony of calls a

Message passed on to others. Up ahead a pair of Geese

Glide gracefully down to land.

I wonder where they have come from, the Bar-headed 

Geese, the Greylag Geese and the Northern Pintails. Is

It cold from where they come? Will they stay long in this

Place so I might visit them again?

And I thought all the Flamingos lived in the coastal areas.

But here they are, far inland. Perhaps they are searching

For ancient wetlands that once had vast swathes of water,

But now are no more to be seen.

Out of the undergrowth a brace of Partridge streak across

My path, too fast to note, and after them amble a pair of

Golden Jackals. They stare at me and then move away with

A dismissive gesture as if I don't count.

They chuckle at me, even as I carry my Camera and Tripod,

Denying me a decent pose! And I, the exhausted one think 

Breakfast to eat! I guess it was all a waste of time to come all

This way to get a good photograph!

As I walk past the trail and head back home, I wonder if I was

Able to get anything in my camera. A voice tells me what was

Important was the connection I had with them, the wild birds

And animals, even if they laughed at me!

A Heron waits for Breakfast at the Basai Wetlant

A Purple Heron Flies across the water at the Basai Wetland

The Remains of a Monitor Lizard at the Basai Wetland

The Sultanpur National Park Welcomes its New Kid on The Block

 

This Wednesday when I visited the Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon with a couple of acquaintances, I did not expect to see much. However, when I reached the location I was pleasantly surprised to see the latest offspring of a pair of young Sarus Cranes. I was surprised to see how nervous the pair of birds were on spotting me, but later realised that they were anxious for the safety of their little one that was lurking in the depths of the grass! This little chick would be the cousin of an earlier spotted a  year old juvenile that I had spotted during the winter season.

I was able to spot the older cousin of the chick later on while exploring the National Park. It became clear that there were two different families in the park. The latest family had probably given birth to their first offspring. This in itself is good news for the park as it means that we will be seeing two new offsprings of the Sarus Cranes growing into maturity; an increase in the population of Sarus Cranes that live in and around the National Park. I have spotted the older chick a number of times whenever I visited the Park. I was, moreover pleased to see that the elder cousin of the chick was able to take flight along with its parents. I was, unfortunately, not able to get close to the second family of the older cousin because the moment they spotted me, they flew away!

The first glimpse of the youngest parents of the Sarus Crane Chick did not, initially reveal that they were nursing their (probably first) offspring as it remained hidden in the grass. The young parents of the chick were rather nervous and wouldn't stay still. This was a bit surprising because, in earlier times, the Sarus Cranes appeared rather dismissive, though cautious on spotting me. In the above photograph, it looks as if the parents are communicating their concerns about the welfare of their offspring on seeing me. At that time, I wasn't aware of the young offspring hidden in the grass. It was only later on that it emerged from its cover and I was able to photograph it.

The chicks of Sarus Cranes, as you might observe from the photographs have a dull brown plumage and they don't get the bright red, grey and white colour scheme of the grown-ups for quite some time, probably after more than a couple of years after they are born. I have seen the older family guarding their offspring for almost a year now. This suggests that Sarus cranes are not only dedicated to each other in matrimony but also that they are caring parents who nurture their offspring for more than a year. This speaks volumes about how familial Sarus Cranes are!

Each day I see the juvenile Sarus Crane, my heart swells out in hope for all those wild birds and animals that are being threatened by developmental activities in the area. A few years back, one could spot Sarus Cranes in the Basai Wetland, but now that it has become a target for development, Basai Wetland is no longer home to the tallest flying birds in the world. Human greed, shortsightedness and lack of planning have resulted in the destruction of most of the wetlands in Gurgaon. We call ourselves educated, enlightened and wise, but, unfortunately, we are simply not doing enough to preserve the Biodiversity hotspots in Gurgaon!

The presence of cattle in the Sultanpur National Park is perhaps another example of how even in Wildlife Sanctuaries, even in the so-called Ramsar Sites, the actual wildlife has to vie for space with domestic cattle, dogs, and cats! We keep touting our National Parks as Biodiversity hotspots because they earn us some revenue, but then we turn a blind eye towards the destruction of better-populated wetlands because they don't earn us any revenue.

Bungalow 20, Lansdowne

An Ode to Lansdowne

To the hills we go, to scale some heights,
The sun comes up, the hills approach, the
Wind sings true, the roads hiss past, for all
I know, you live to see, the trees speed past
As you move along, to see new sights.

The sun comes up, the hills approach and

All our cares we leave behind, the wind sings

True, and life goes on, the roads hiss past and

We move along. For all I know you live to see

The hills that rise to touch the sky!

I know, you live to see, the trees speed past,

And to smell the scent of Pine resin to freshen

Up the senses. To see new sights and the sun to

Rise. If the setting of the sun is magical, then

Can its rise be less spectacular?

The trip to Lansdowne was a much awaited trip for my family and my sister's family especially after almost two years of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns resulting from it. Initially we had thought about visiting Jim Corbett National Park but then decided that it was too hot and that we needed to visit a new hill station in the North. The name that came to our minds was Lansdowne, a town known for being a Cantonment area and the home of the Garhwal regiment. Upon reaching a consensus, we decided to book rooms in a homestay resort in Jai Hari, a spot five kilometers away from Lansdowne.

We started from Gurgaon one fine Friday morning on the 3rd of June at about 4:45 in the morning on a full tank and after making a few pit-stops, reached jai Hari Khal at about 2:00 in the afternoon. The kilometer reading on the odometer was 284. The weather was quite warm initially, but then it started to cool down as the day advanced. The first day of our two day tour was spent exploring the resort and the area surrounding it. The sunset viewed from the balcony was simply stunning.

On the second day, we decided to explore Lansdowne and we booked a cab to take us sightseeing because we did not want to take the hassle of driving around in our cars asking for directions. We left for Lansdowne at 9:30 in the morning and our first stop was at the St. John's Church, A Roman Catholic Church that has been a must-visit place in Lansdowne since the nineteen thirties. It had been in a dilapidated state before being restored. The St. John's Church in Lansdowne is the oldest church in the Cantonment area.

The second place we stopped at was the St. Mary's Protestant Church which was constructed in 1896. The church fell into a state of disrepair after 1947 but then has now been restored into its original form by the Garwhal Rifle's regiment and is now fully functional. There is, incidentally a lot of history associated with both of these churches which is intertwined with the historical background of the Garhwal Regiment.

The third place we visited was the Tiffin-Top or the Tip-In Top Point, 2.5 kilometers from Lansdowne and at a height of 2000 meters above sea level. During the winter months one can see snow-covered mountains in the distance.

The fourth place we visited was the Santoshi Mata Temple. This temple is a much place of worship and tourists make it a point to visit it while visiting Lansdowne. The temple is maintained by the Garhwal regiment. Though most tourist brochures claim Tip-In-Top to be the highest point in the town, the fact is that the temple is accessed from a road that climbs up from Tip-In-Top making it located at a higher point than Tip-In-Top point.

The fifth place we visited in Lansdowne was the Bhulla Taal, a man-made lake built by the Garhwal Regiment. This is a popular spot in the tourists' itinerary for Lansdowne. One can gain entry to the lake by paying Rs. 150/- per head (the amount includes fees for hiring a paddle boat). The area before the lake has swings, a restaurant and a Souvenir shop. The proceeds from the money collected is added to funds for widows of fallen heroes of the Garhwal Regiment.

The sixth and last place visited by us while on a visit to Lansdowne was the Darwan Singh Museum.It is named after the famous Victoria Cross awardee, Darwan Singh Negi. The museum is a repository of important war artifacts, weapons and official records of the Garhwal Rifles regiment starting from the First World War. Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed to take photographs inside the Museum. One can also spot static displays of a Naval Harrier Fighter Jet, and an Armoured Personnel Carrier.

Lansdowne is a historically significant town, especially because of its association with the British during the colonial era. The architecture of the buildings is significantly British in nature, whether it is the fire places, the chimneys or the over all interior designs. One mysterious ruins of a building dating from the British raj was labelled simply as Bungalow No. 20. When we enquired about the building from some of the locals, the only answer we got was that it had always been like that and that they had not memories of its ever being occupied. A rich food for imagination, Bungalow No. 20 revived my creative and imaginative juices pouring in, making me wonder about its origins, the people who had once lived in it and most significantly, why it had been abandoned while the other Bungalows still house officials from the regiment.

Apart from the official sites that we visited, there were a few things that were most surprising. The first was that the resort that we were staying in was supplied with spring water, water that was literally pouring from the depths of the mountains. The second thing was that while on a trek to the bottom of the resort I was head-butted in the backside by an overenthusiastic mountain goat. The third thing was that the crows in the mountains are persistent naggers. The pheasant calls out to its mate in a cry that can persist for minutes on end. Lastly but not least, I was able to photograph an insect that looked like a pink Alpenliebe Toffee!