#Donate Online For Tree Plantation | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sciencespies · 4 years ago

Text

The Great Koala Rescue Operation

https://sciencespies.com/nature/the-great-koala-rescue-operation/

The Great Koala Rescue Operation

I arrived on Kangaroo Island bracing myself for the sight of acres of blackened trees and white ash, but I had not expected the parasitic bright green vines wrapped around almost every charred trunk, glowing phosphorescent in the sunlight. This was no parasite, I learned. It was epicormic growth, bursting directly from the burnt trunks themselves, a desperate bid for photosynthesis in the absence of a leaf canopy.

The growth looks nothing like a eucalyptus tree’s normal adult leaves. It’s soft and waxy, with rounded edges instead of long pointy tips, and it blooms from cracks in the trunks or right from the tree’s base, rather than along the branches where leaves typically grow. It is beautiful, and also very strange, in keeping with the surreal phenomena that became almost commonplace over this past apocalyptic Australian summer, even before the coronavirus pandemic further upended life as we know it. A few weeks earlier, in Sydney, I’d watched red-brown rain fall to the ground after rain clouds collided with ash in a smoke-filled sky. During a recent downpour here on Kangaroo Island, burnt blue gum trees foamed mysteriously, as if soap suds had been sprayed over them.

Even in less strange times, Kangaroo Island can feel like the edge of the earth. Although it sits fewer than ten miles off the southern coast of Australia, about 75 miles from Adelaide, it is a geographical Noah’s Ark; its isolation from the mainland 10,000 years ago because of rising seas transformed it into an ecological haven. It is vast and rugged, with dramatic views of bush or sea- or cliff-scapes in every direction. National parks or protected wilderness areas make up a third of the island’s 1,700 square miles. Much of the rest of the island is farmland or privately owned backcountry. In recent years, the island has rebranded itself as a high-end tourist paradise, with unspoiled wilderness, farm-to-table produce, fresh oysters, and wine from local vineyards. But while there are luxury accommodations here and there, the island’s few small settlements feel decidedly unglamorous, befitting laid-back country and coastal towns.

Left, Kangaroo Island sits a few miles off the coast of South Australia. Right, at the height of the fires, in January, most of the island’s western half was ablaze, as seen in these images based on data from a NASA satellite.

(Guilbert Gates; NASA Worldview (2))

The fires started here in December, after dry lightning strikes on the island’s north coast and remote western bushland areas, and then escalated and jumped containment lines, ripping through the island in early January, with high winds and hot temperatures fueling the front. Two people died, and hundreds of properties were affected, many of them farms. Tens of thousands of stock animals were lost in the blaze. While the bushfires all over Australia were horrific, burning more than 16 million acres—nearly eight times the area lost to fire in Brazil’s Amazon basin in 2019—people around the world focused on Kangaroo Island because of the relative scale of the fires, which consumed close to half the island, as well as the concentrated death and suffering of the island’s abundant wildlife, including wallabies, kangaroos, possums and koalas. Wildlife experts worried that certain vulnerable species endemic to the island, such as the glossy black-cockatoo and a mouse-like marsupial known as the Kangaroo Island dunnart, might be lost forever.

Flinders Chase National Park, the vast nature preserve encompassing the island’s western edge, is closed indefinitely. There were rumors that parts of this natural bushland, which depends on fire to propagate, might never fully regenerate, because the heat from the fires was so intense that the soil seed bank may have been destroyed. Climate change researchers are warning that while fires in Australia are “natural,” they’re now so hot and frequent that even fire-adapted plants don’t have the chance to recover. A major fire burned 85 percent of Flinders Chase just 13 years ago. Matt White, an ecologist at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, in Victoria, told me the fires are almost certainly decreasing biodiversity, despite “the oft-repeated rhetoric about the resilience of Australian flora.” Now the fires are out, and the immediate danger has passed, but life on the island is very far from normal. On certain parts of the northern coast, coves are silted with ash, black tide marks on the sand. Outside several towns are signs directing people to a Bushfire Last Resort Refuge, a chilling reminder of how bad things can get.

A lone koala clings to a charred trunk in a severely burned plantation of eucalyptus trees.

(David Maurice Smith)

Kangaroo Island’s east coast, where I disembarked from the ferry, seemed relatively unscathed, but as I drove west through the central agricultural area, known as the Heartlands, I crossed a line into devastation. The color palette shifted from the beige and olive green of roadside scrub to charcoal trunks and scorched leaves in shades of orange, an uncanny simulacrum of autumn. The deeper into the fire grounds I went, the more the shock of that green epicormic growth scrambled my perceptions, as did the long green shoots of grass trees, emerging from their blackened, pineapple-shaped trunks. These trees are pyrophytic—they thrive after fires.

In Parndana, a small agricultural town, I saw a handwritten sign outside a makeshift store offering free groceries to families affected by the fires. A newsletter posted in a gas station reported on wineries going under, tourism businesses destroyed, and burned buildings requiring asbestos cleanup. In a roadside café near Vivonne Bay, on the south coast, I found mental health pamphlets and notices of counseling services and depression hot lines for a community reeling from losses. An Australian Psychological Society handout was stacked on the counter: “Now, a few months after the fires, many people are feeling tired and stressed, and they know that their daily struggle isn’t going to be over any time soon.”

The news media’s fixation on the island as the fires raged has created a complicated legacy for any reporter who turns up a month or two later. I was aware of being viewed with distrust by locals who’ve felt justifiably used in the media storm’s sudden descent and then abrupt disappearance. The press attention, combined with social media’s refraction of certain stories into trend roller coasters, has had the undeniable upside of an outpouring of genuine sympathy and generosity. An effort to recruit 120 volunteers to set up food and water stations for wildlife throughout devastated areas, organized by Australia’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was inundated by more than 13,000 applications in a matter of days. Online crowdfunding has raised close to $2.5 million for Kangaroo Island bushfire recovery. But there’s a downside, too: a trading in the suffering of others. In the midst of the fires, one foreign journalist demanded of a shellshocked local resident, “I want to see burnt animals, and where those two people died.”

The immediate compassionate response of people pulling together in a crisis is now wearing thin. Tendrils of suspicion are snaking their way through the community, as locals assess the distribution of government and crowdfunded resources. Almost everybody has their heart in the right place, but the reality is that these decisions are political and contested. Old divides are widening—between, say, stock farmers in the Heartlands and those motivated to protect the island’s unique wildlife, to say nothing of the divide between locals and outsiders.

Tens of thousands of koalas were killed in the island blaze, and an additional number perished from starvation or dehydration after the blue gum plantations where they lived were destroyed.

(David Maurice Smith)

The remains of a Tammar wallaby. Where the fires raged, populations of kangaroo and wallabies were devastated; up to 40 percent of the island’s unique kangaroo subspecies may have been killed.

(David Maurice Smith)

In every conversation, whether with a lodge manager, the owner of a feed business, or at the corner-store café, people wanted me to know that they’re upset about the way resources were being distributed. Special anger was reserved for rogue operators who have raised huge amounts of cash for wildlife work on the island, but with no real right to be there. Many singled out a Japanese outfit, reportedly run by a guy who turned up on the island with good intentions but zero clue. He had set himself up in a house in Kingscote, the island’s largest town (pop. around 1,800), and without coordinating with any recognized wildfire rescue operations was bringing in koalas from the wild that were healthy and didn’t need rescuing. Yet he had raised a small fortune through his organization’s website, from good people donating to the wrong cause. One islander told me, “I never realized disaster would be like this. At first, everyone helped. Then it got scary. It became about money, fame, randoms making an absolute killing.”

* * *

Kangaroo Island was given its modern name by the British navigator Matthew Flinders, who sailed the HMS Investigator to its shores in March 1802. The island was then uninhabited, but archaeologists later found stone tools and other evidence that ancestors of modern Aboriginal Tasmanians lived there thousands of years ago, at least until the island was cut off from the mainland, and possibly afterward. Rebe Taylor, a historian, writes that the Ngarrindjeri people of the coast opposite Kangaroo Island call it the “land of the dead,” and have a creation story about rising seas flooding a land bridge to the island.

Flinders and his men were amazed to find kangaroos—a subspecies of the mainland’s western greys—that were so unused to humans that they “suffered themselves to be shot in the eyes,” Flinders recalled in his expedition notes, “and in some cases to be knocked on the head with sticks.” In gratitude for this meat after four months without fresh provisions, he named it Kanguroo Island (misspelling his own). The French explorer Nicolas Baudin, sailing the Géographe, was disappointed not to have arrived before his English rival—their ships crossed paths as Flinders was leaving the island—but Baudin took 18 kangaroos with him, in the name of science. He made two of his men surrender their cabins to the animals in a bid to keep them alive. Baudin himself died from tuberculosis on the return journey, but some of the kangaroos survived, and they reportedly became part of the menagerie outside Paris owned by Napoleon’s wife, the Empress Josephine.

The recent fires killed as many as 40 percent of the island’s 60,000 or so kangaroos, yet worldwide attention has focused mostly on the fate of the koalas. At least 45,000 koalas, or some 75 percent or more of the island population, are thought to have died, and the crisis has revived an old controversy, with battle lines drawn anew between those who believe the koalas don’t deserve all the attention they’re getting and those who do.

Koalas have always had the species advantage of being considered cute, cuddly Australian icons, but they are not native to Kangaroo Island. They were introduced by wildlife officials only in the 1920s, from a breeding program on French Island, off mainland Victoria, with a founding population of fewer than 30 animals. The effort was an early attempt at conservation; habitat loss and hunters trading in their fur had driven koalas on the mainland to near extinction. Since then, the island had become overpopulated with koalas, which some people think are in danger of eating themselves out of house and home. In fact, since the late 1990s a government-run koala sterilization program has tried to stem population growth, not only for the koala population’s sake but also because the animals wreak destruction on native vegetation, including rough-bark manna gums, a type of eucalyptus that is key to preventing soil erosion, and paddock trees.

Charred eucalyptus trees sport green epicormic growth— shoots emerging from cracks in the bark to give the trees another chance at life.

(David Maurice Smith)

New growth springs from the trunk of a charred blue gum tree after the bushfires on Kangaroo Island.

(David Maurice Smith)

In addition, tens of thousands of koalas lived in eucalyptus plantations owned by a timber company with plans to harvest and export those trees; those animals would have to be moved eventually. Finally, the Kangaroo Island koalas are so highly inbred that some experts argue they may be of little use in bolstering northern Australia koala populations, which are classified as vulnerable.

Some wildlife advocates believe that preventing species extinction, or saving species that are endemic or unique to the island, should be the priority. They argue that funding would be better channeled toward specialists working to save the few remaining Kangaroo Island dunnarts, or Tammar wallabies (which are almost extinct in mainland South Australia), or pygmy possums, or endangered glossy black-cockatoos, which mainly feed on the seeds of casuarina trees (many of the trees burnt), or Ligurian bees, introduced in 1885 and believed to be the species’ last genetically pure population in the world.

Island farmers, meanwhile, feel that wildlife has unfairly consumed all the attention when so many stock animals burned during the fires. Many local farming families are descended from soldier-settlers who were given parcels of land after each of the world wars, which they worked hard to make productive in difficult circumstances. (The island’s natural soil quality is so poor, and the lack of surface water so severe, that most British colonists backed by the South Australian Company who settled the island in 1836 left after just five months.)

One islander confided to me that, while he felt bad for the farmers, stock animals are “replaceable,” and often covered by insurance, but wildlife is not; and while it may seem from news media coverage that Australia cares about its wildlife, the government in fact has an appalling track record when it comes to protecting wildlife and biodiversity. “Australia is a global deforestation hotspot,” Suzanne Milthorpe, from the Wilderness Society Australia, told me. “We are ranked second in the world for biodiversity loss, and three unique animals have gone extinct in the last decade alone. In comparison, the United States’ Endangered Species Act, which contains real protections against harm and habitat destruction, has been 99 percent successful at preventing extinction.” (Critics of American species conservation efforts point out that less than 3 percent of listed species have recovered sufficiently to be removed from protection.)

The koalas on Kangaroo Island were also fortunate in being able to be rescued at all; many were found sheltering high enough in the treetops to have escaped the flames. Hundreds were saved, treated and survived, and many were set free. Even young, orphaned koalas that must be bottle-fed and tended by hand would survive in captivity. By contrast, kangaroos and wallabies often couldn’t outrun the fires, and most of the rescued animals were badly burned and had little chance of recovery.

All of this helped me understand why legitimate, professional koala rescues on the island really do matter, and why the stakes feel so high for those who are skilled at and committed to this grueling work. For people desperate to help in the aftermath of the fires, rescuing and treating injured koalas and relocating koalas stranded in devastated forest areas has become a kind of humane religion, something to cling to and thus avoid descending into despair. Each and every rescue becomes a small but holy and tangible act to stem the wider suffering.

* * *

As soon as the story began to circulate, during the fires, that the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, outside Parndana, had become the impromptu center for the emergency treatment of burned wildlife, the place was inundated with journalists. The largely open-air park, which was already home to 600 or so animals, including snakes, wombats, cassowaries and an alligator, is owned by Dana and Sam Mitchell, a couple in their late 20s who moved to the island in 2013, after meeting while working at a wildlife park in Victoria. Journalists turned up even as the fires were burning, sleeping uninvited on the floor of the park’s café, barging into the Mitchells’ house at all hours.

This, to be fair, had some positive outcomes. An Australian TV channel, for instance, arranged for a popular home renovation show to build a wildlife hospital in the park, and the Mitchells have raised more than $1.6 million through crowdfunding to pay for professional veterinary costs, new buildings for wildlife care, and an islandwide koala rescue and rehabilitation program.

Yet it was overwhelming, too. Dana had to evacuate twice with their toddler, Connor, during the peak of the fires, while Sam stayed with staff and other family members to defend the property; the park and its animals were spared only after the wind changed direction as the fires were bearing down.

Meanwhile, hundreds of injured wild animals were brought to the park by Army personnel, the State Emergency Service and firefighters. As the roads reopened, many locals also began to arrive with injured wildlife, unsure where else to take them. Since the start of January, more than 600 koalas have been brought to the park, though not all have survived. Kangaroos with melted feet and koalas with melted paws had to be put out of their suffering. Orphaned baby koalas, called joeys, arrived with ears or noses burnt off. There were severely dehydrated older koalas with kidney disorders, and possums and wallabies blinded by the heat. “We were having to make it up on the spot,” Sam told me. “We were just a small wildlife park. These animals weren’t my responsibility, but nobody else was doing anything. The government wasn’t giving any direction.” In the first weeks, they operated a triage center out of a tin shed, with no power.

Sam and Dana soldiered on, and by now they have an impressive setup for koala rescue, treatment, rehabilitation and release. Behind their house is a series of brand-new buildings and dozens of koala enclosures, tended to by vets and veterinary nurses from Australia Zoo, Zoos South Australia, and Savem, a veterinary equivalent of Doctors Without Borders, as well as trusted local volunteers.

Oliver Funnell, a veterinarian at Zoos South Australia, and veterinary nurse Donna Hearn attend to an injured koala at the Wildlife Park.

(David Maurice Smith)

A hospitalized koala has pink spots on its paw that are healed burn areas.

(David Maurice Smith)

Sam has a grim sense of humor to help deal with the trauma of the past months, but he and Dana are physically and emotionally exhausted, as is everybody I met on the island. I felt bad asking them to retell their experiences during the fires, the ins and outs of how they survived, aware of the symbolic violence of being forced to perform your own private trauma for outsiders over and over again. Yet they did so, graciously, describing the unusual warning of white ash hitting the park even before the smoke. Desperate for sleep after staying awake several nights, Sam eventually brought a blanket outside and laid it on the grass, setting his phone alarm to go off every 15 minutes. He was worried that if he slept inside he wouldn’t see the fire coming.

In spite of their fatigue, they welcomed me into the joey clinic one morning. Dana was in the middle of individually bottle-feeding some 15 baby koalas while also caring for Connor. He was toddling around holding a branch of acacia and following the family dog, Rikku, who is remarkably tolerant of human babies and a tiny kangaroo named Kylo that likes to practice its boxing on the dog’s face. Staff and volunteers swirled in and out of the clinic, eating breakfast, getting medical supplies, asking about treatment plans. Dozens of rescued, slightly older joeys under 18 months old live in enclosures outside, since they no longer depend on milk, along with 30 older koalas with names like Ralph, Bonecrusher and Pearl; the number changes constantly as they recover enough to be released. Dana sat on a sofa cradling a baby koala they’d named Maddie, feeding it a morning bottle of Wombaroo, a low-lactose formula. When Maddie was rescued, she weighed just two pounds. “She had no burns when we found her,” Dana said, “but also no mum.”

Dana Mitchell feeds an injured baby koala at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, which Mitchell owns with her husband, Sam. The park has treated more than 600 koalas since January.

(David Maurice Smith)

Nearby sat Kirsten Latham, head keeper of Australia Zoo’s koala program, holding 10-month-old Duke, who was swaddled in a towel. He was rescued in January with second-degree burns and was missing several claws—which are crucial for tree-climbing—and had to be fed with a syringe before he started taking the bottle. “You have to really concentrate when you’re feeding them, as they can aspirate the milk when they’re young,” Kirsten said. “It helps to wrap them in a towel and keep a hand over their eyes, because when they’re drinking from their mums they keep their heads tucked right into the pouch, where it’s dark and quiet.” These feedings are done three times a day, and it can take each person three hours to feed all the baby koalas during a mealtime.

* * *

In the clinic’s kitchen, I found Kailas Wild and Freya Harvey, both fit and sunburned, wearing black T-shirts and cargo pants. They were studying a map of the island’s plantations and natural bushland, planning their next koala rescues. They are old friends and skilled climbers, and have been on the island for weeks, doing the dangerous work of climbing the tall, burnt blue gum trees to reach koalas perched at the very top, sometimes as high as 80 feet.

Kailas is an arborist and volunteer for the State Emergency Service in New South Wales, and Freya is currently based in New Zealand, but they both dropped everything to go to Kangaroo Island as soon as they realized their tree-climbing skills could help save wildlife. Kailas drove the 900-odd miles from Sydney to the ferry terminal in Cape Jervis in his pickup truck, sleeping in the back along the way, and bringing it across to the island on the ferry. It took them a little while to earn Sam’s trust; his classic Australian suspicion of “blow-ins” has been compounded by having been let down by others who turned up offering help but haven’t followed through. But now that they have it, I can see the three of them have formed a close-knit team, daily coordinating koala rescues and treatment.

Kailas Wild, an arborist from Sydney who aided rescue efforts on the island, with a young kangaroo. He saved more than 100 koalas.

(David Maurice Smith)

The ground rescue crew that Kailas and Freya have been working with is a local family of four: Lisa and Jared Karran and their children, Saskia and Utah. They live near Kingscote, where Jared is a police officer. They’ve spent almost every day since the fires out in the bush rescuing animals. At first, the ground was so hot it was smoking, and they had to wear special boots so the soles didn’t melt. Now the risk is falling trees. They work up to 12 hours a day, the kids uncomplaining and involved, outfitted with gloves and hard hats, handling the koalas like pros, and accompanying Jared for long drives at the end of each day to release rehabilitated survivors into a distant unburned plantation. As of last count, they’ve helped rescue 143 koalas.

Outside the clinic, in a nearby field, a Robinson R44 helicopter had just landed after an aerial survey using a thermal-imaging camera to locate koalas by detecting their body heat; this is one of several ways that Sam and the rescue team are now experimenting with technology to find where koalas are clustered and whether those habitats are burned or still viable. Sam was paying a lot to rent the helicopter, and the results have been promising, but Sam is still learning how to operate the infrared camera from the air—it’s no easy feat to adjust the focus and pan-and-tilt speed while fine-tuning koala heat signatures from inside a moving helicopter—and the data is complicated to interpret.

At this phase of the recovery effort, the goal is no longer strictly to rescue injured koalas and get them to the hospital for treatment. The team is also trying to figure out if koalas remaining in the wild have enough food to survive. The fear is there will be a second wave of koala deaths, from starvation. The team is also experimenting with drones, and Thomas Gooch, founder of a Melbourne environmental analytics firm called the Office of Planetary Observations, has donated recent satellite-observation maps that display vegetation cover to identify areas that have burned.

California wildlife rescuer Douglas Thron and environmentalist Freya Harvey launch a drone outfitted with an infrared camera to spot stranded koalas.

(David Maurice Smith)

A newer member of the koala rescue team is Douglas Thron, an aerial cinematographer and wildlife rescuer from Oakland, California, who was brought to the island by Humane Society International. In the 1990s, Thron used to take politicians and celebrities up in a little Cessna to show them the impact of clear-cutting old-growth redwood forests in California. Last year, he spent months after California’s devastating fires, and in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, using a custom-made drone to spot dogs and cats trapped in the debris.

Douglas had been on the island since late February, using his drone—configured to carry an infrared camera and a 180x zoom lens and spotlight—to help the team identify where in the vast acreage of burnt blue gum plantations there were koalas needing rescue or resettlement. So far, he had spotted 110, of which 60 had been rescued.

Douglas, Kailas and Freya had spent most of the previous night in the bush, using the drone to do thermal imaging and closer spotlighting of the treetops in the darkness, when it’s easier to see the koalas’ heat signatures. From the ground, Douglas used a video screen attached to the drone controls to identify ten koalas in one section of a burnt eucalyptus plantation. Today, it would be up to the ground rescue team to head out and see what they could find by daylight.

* * *

“We were calling it Pompeii,” said Lisa Karran as we drove past a tragic tableau of carbonized Tammar wallabies huddled in a clearing beside rows of burnt blue gums. The hardest part, she said, was seeing the incinerated family groups together—baby koalas holding onto branches beside their moms, dead possums and kangaroos with their young beside them.

Standing amid rows of charred trunks, Utah, who is 13, was readying the koala pole—an extendable metal pole with a shredded feed bag attached to the end, which the climbers shake above the koala’s head to scare it down the tree. Saskia, who is 15, held the crate at the base of the tree. Jared had spotted this particular koala—“because I’m koalified!” he joked—curled right at the top of a black trunk with no leaves.

Upper left, a climber wielding a “koala pole” persuades an animal to leave its towering hideout and descend to the ground, where rescuers could examine it and crate it for later treatment. Upper right, Rescuers placed vegetables in devastated areas to feed animals. Some 13,000 people applied for 120 openings for volunteers to distribute food and water. Below, Utah Karran, 13, releases a recovered koala into an intact blue gum plantation. Karran and his sister and parents spent two months rescuing animals at risk.

(David Maurice Smith)

The luminous epicormic growth was sprouting from many of the trunks around us. The rescue team had begun to wonder if this growth, which is known to be more toxic than mature leaves, as the tree’s natural defense against insects and animal browsing while the tree itself struggles to survive, might be making the koalas sick. Some of the koalas they’d seen eating it, and had subsequently brought in for treatment, had diarrhea or gut bloat. They’d also observed koalas eating dead leaves rather than epicormic growth, suggesting the animals may not find it an ideal food source. Koalas are naturally adapted to the toxins in eucalyptus leaves, with gut flora that help digest the leaves and flush out the toxins. But the higher toxicity levels of the new growth may be beyond their tolerance. Ben Moore, a koala ecologist at Western Sydney University, said that there are no detailed studies that directly compare the chemical makeup of epicormic growth with adult leaves, but he hypothesized that any dramatic change in a koala’s diet would change that individual’s microbiome, and in turn affect its gut function.

In recent weeks, the group has rented a mechanized crane, which makes it easier to get to the tops of the trees, but there are still many rescues where the koala is so high up that Freya or Kailas need to clip in and use the arborist’s technique of throwing a weight and line to climb the burnt and brittle trees, and then shake the koala pole above the animal’s head. Typically, a koala grunts or squeals and climbs down a trunk amazingly fast. After Lisa or Utah plucks it off the trunk at the bottom and places it in a crate, it becomes surprisingly docile, gazing up at its human saviors.

The first koala rescued that day was underweight, and others had pink patches on their feet signaling healing burns, but some were healthy enough, the group decided, to be released elsewhere without needing to be checked by vets at the Wildlife Park.

Out of the hundreds of koalas that volunteers and staff have rescued, many are being raised in captivity. Older koalas are released into intact eucalyptus plantations.

(David Maurice Smith)

Hours and hours passed like this in the hot plantations. It was gripping to watch. Each rescue had a unique emotional texture—a dramatic arc of growing tension as those on the ground waited for the climbers to encourage the koalas down, the adrenaline spike of grabbing the animals behind their strong necks and getting them into the crate, and the communal relief if they were found to be healthy. Each of the ten koalas rescued that day was found almost exactly where Douglas’s drone had spotted them the night before.

During one rescue, a koala kept up a plaintive high-pitched wail but would not budge from its perch. Freya and Kailas both had to clip in and climb up in order to coax it down. Once on the ground the team knew this koala was seriously unwell: its paws were covered in fresh blood, from the loss of several claws—a sign of previous burns or infections. Kailas, in particular, was devastated, and sobbed openly. They knew from experience what fate awaited this koala. Later that night, after its condition was checked at the Wildlife Park, it was euthanized.

The next day, Kailas made his 100th rescue. It also happened to be Jared’s last day doing rescues with his family. The next Monday, he’d be back at work as a police officer. “There’ll be criminals robbing the bank, and I’ll be gazing up into the trees, looking for koalas,” he said wistfully. He’d been scrolling back through his photos, and had been struck by a picture of Saskia and Utah swimming in the sea the day before the fires started, two months before. “Every day since, it’s just been so different,” he said. “I was thinking this morning that I want to get back to that.”

At dusk, the Karrans drove out to one of the only plantations that didn’t burn, called Kellendale. They had six healthy koalas in the back seat and the trunk of their SUV, rescued from plantations with no leaf cover for food. After the eerie silence of another long day spent in burnt plantations—not a single insect hum or bird song—it was a joy to see a flash of pink from the belly of a rose-breasted cockatoo, and to hear the soft, wavelike rustling of living eucalyptus leaves in the breeze. It felt like paradise.

Utah and Saskia released the koalas from their crates one by one, and the family laughed together as one of their feistiest rescues, a female koala with lovely fluffy ears, sprinted for a tree, climbed about 15 feet up, then stopped and stared back down at the humans for a good long while. Then she climbed higher, cozily wedged herself in the fork of a branch, and held on tight as the narrow trunk rocked in the wind.

#Nature

#05-2020 Science News #2020 Science News #Earth Environment #earth science #Environment and Nature #Nature Science #News Science Spies #Our Nature #outrageous acts of science #planetary science #Science #Science Channel #science documentary #Science News #Science Spies #Science Spies News #Space Physics & Nature #Space Science #Nature

2 notes · View notes

bouchtayahyaoui · 4 years ago

Text

6 Greatest April Fools’ Day Pranks In History

What makes an excellent April Fools’ Day joke? It helps if it’s silly or funny, doesn’t hurt people except for perhaps a small bruise to one’s ego for believing the story, and are some things people can tease themselves for being fooled over.

While the typical prankster might put a whoopee cushion on your chair or tape a paper fish to your back, these pranksters truly went above and beyond to fool

hundreds or maybe thousands of individuals.

Here are the seven greatest April Fools’ Day pranks in history.

1)The Spaghetti-Tree Hoax:

When the BBC aired a fake news segment on April 1, 1957, for the investigative documentary show Panorama, they earned an endless spot within the April Fools’ Day Hall of Fame.

The two-and-a-half-minute news segment (which you'll watch on YouTube) showed Swiss “spaghetti farmers” harvesting the annual “spaghetti crop” by plucking spaghetti from trees, and claimed that “vast spaghetti plantations” existed.

“After picking, the spaghetti is laid bent dry within the warm sun,” the printed told viewers.

Perhaps because respected news anchor Richard Dimbleby narrated the segment and spaghetti wasn't widely eaten within the UK at the time, the BBC received many phone calls from people asking how they might grow their spaghetti.

The BBC’s response to callers best defines British humor sort of “taking the mickey”: “Place a sprig of spaghetti during a tin of spaghetti sauce and hope for the simplest .”

2)The Taco Liberty Bell:

Taco Bell learned a lesson in 1996 once they took out a full-page ad in six major newspapers. Readers of The NY Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, The Dallas Morning News and USA Today learned that Taco Bell, in an attempt to assist reduce the country’s debt, had purchased the freedom Bell and altered its name to the “Taco Liberty Bell .”

The prank was taken so seriously that aides from the staff of Senator Bill Bradley and Senator J. James Exon called Taco Bell headquarters. In Philadelphia, the Park Service held a mid-morning press conference to assure the general public that the freedom Bell had not been sold.

By noon, Taco Bell confessed to the hoax and hoped people had liked its joke. Taco Bell also donated $50,000 to the Park Service to assist maintain the freedom Bell. There was still quite a lot of upset by those who’d been fooled and couldn’t tease themselves for being taken in.

3)Instant color television:

On April 1, 1962, eight years before regular color broadcasts aired on Swedish television, the Swedish national network presented an expert who explained to its viewers that their old black-and-white TVs didn’t get to be upgraded.

A so-called expert gave a presentation revealing that light might be bent by a fine mesh screen to form black-and-white images appear in color.

The kicker? Nylon stockings might be wont to make such a screen. Reportedly, thousands of individuals fell for the joke and tried putting nylons over their TV screens.

4)Digital Big Ben:

The BBC didn’t learn their lesson after the Spaghetti-Tree Hoax, because in 1980 it's overseas service reported that Big Ben was getting to be updated as a digital clock.

They not only fooled many of us who called into precise their anger, but they also fooled one man who called in hoping to win during an ll|one amongst|one in every of one among Big Ben’s clock hands in a fake giveaway.

5)Redefining Pi:

In 1998, a joke news story circulated online reporting that the Alabama state legislature narrowly passed a law redefining pi as “3,” saving people all the difficulty of getting to affect a seemingly never-ending number.

The whole thing clothed to be a parody, and maybe nobody would have fallen for it had its original author attribution – “April Holiday” of the “Associated Press” – not been deleted from the article because it was passed around online.

6)Have It Your Way:

Many kids growing up have fallen victim to funny fathers who asked them to travel get them their left-handed hammer. This April Fools’ Day classic has been updated by several well-known companies, but perhaps none went so big as Burger King in 1998 when it took out a full-page ad in USA Today to introduce its new “left-handed Whooper.”

The ad claimed that the left-handed Whoppers were “rotated a full 180 degrees to make sure better grip on the bun” for left-handed customers.

Burger King joined the jokesters once more in 2017 with its new Whopper Toothpaste and therefore the slogan, “It smells sort of a Whopper in here, did you sweep your teeth?”

So, once more you would like to get on guard against things that sound too silly to be true on April 1. Silly or absurd stories that crop up on the web are the order of the day most days, but on April 1 you got to concentrate and not get trapped within the farce. Good luck and don’t forget to possess amusing at yourself if you get trapped during a good joke.

0 notes

guidetourme · 5 years ago

Text

10 Free Activities you'll Enjoy in Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo, Japan could also be an upscale city to visit and this bustling city have always made it to the list of World’s expensive city to measure in, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to bring in your yen money-making machine and spend a lot to enjoy Tokyo and what it has to offer. There are a lot of free activities that you can do in Tokyo whilst you enjoy its food, sights, high neon signs and embrace its culture.

People watching at Shibuya Crossing

Nearest station: Shibuya Sta. and take the exit to Hachiko Gate That famous street pedestrian crossing that you often see on Japan made commercials or ads on the TV is located at the Shibuya Station in Tokyo, Japan. The amazing thing here is that the street crossing originates from 5 starting points and when the green light is on, the pedestrians starts crossing to the other side of the street. During rush hour period, which is around when the Japanese heads to work in the morning and in the evening when they are all rushing to head home, this pedestrian crossing is literally like a sea of humanity. There is no shoving, no shouting, no mad dash, no angry mob. Just people trying to head home safely. And that’s just how the Japanese are polite and courteous.

Visit Meiji Jingu Shrine

Nearest Station: Meiji-Jingumae Sta. and take exit C This shrine is a shinto shrine where the souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken are enshrined. Built in 1920, the solemn forest was created by the plantation of hundred thousand trees donated from all over Japan at that time. Meiji Jingu has museums and gardens around the expansive area. Wear your comfy shoes when planning to visit, it is a long walk and rough road!

Tour Tokyo Imperial Palace

Nearest Station: Nijubashimai Subway Sta or Hibiya Subway Sta. Foreigners can enjoy a tour of the Tokyo Imperial Palace for free when they book a schedule online. The schedule booking must be done in advance, best is prior your travel to Japan. The palace is open all year round. Only the Imperial Palace East Park is open for tours and the Nijubashi Bridge in front of the main entrance is famous. Here is the website to book the free tour: https://www.kunaicho.go.jp/eindex.html

Visit Sensoji Shrine

Nearest Station: Tobu Line, Asakusa Sta and head for the North Exit The Sensoji Shrine is the oldest shrine and most significant one in Tokyo, said to have been built in the year 628. It is famous for that giant red lantern hanging in the main gate, the Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate).

Visit Yoyogi Park

Nearest Station: Meiji-Jingumae Sta. and take exit C After you have walked around the Meiji Jingu Shrine, you can head to the nearby Yoyogi Park for a much-needed rest. You can take of your shoes and socks and walk barefoot on the grass. If you visit during the cherry blossoms season then Yoyogi park is one of the more picturesque parks to catch the blossoms and take awesome photos.

Experience the anime fever in Akihabara district

Nearest Station: Akihabara Sta and head for the Electric Town Exit Akihabara district is the go to place for all your camera and gadget needs. They have all kinds of camera and the accessories that you will need. Believe me when I say, it will be difficult to go home without any shopping bag from Akihabara. The main road is lined with shopping buildings that sell all kinds of camera and electronic gadgets, anime apparels and souvenir items, second-hand old school nintendo games and anything battery operated toys.

Shopping at Takeshita Dori

Nearest Station: JR Harajuku Sta. If you are fond of those cute Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters, as I was in my high school days, and love everything pink and fluffy, then you need to visit this bustling street. When coming to Takeshita Dori (or street) look up and see yourself from the billboard hanging over the entrance to the street. Cool eh? There are also some Japanese who dress up as their favorite animes and willingly have their photo taken. Visit this long street of small shop houses during the cooler late afternoon to catch the cosplays walking around.

Visit Ueno park

Nearest Station: JR line, Ueno Sta and head for the Central Exit During the sakura or cherry blossom season, Ueno park is a must visit. This park is just packed with tourist and locals wanting to take a selfie with the cherry blossom in the background. Ueno Park (Ueno Koen) is the first public park in Tokyo and during spring time, it’s simply Tokyo’s most famous park. Be ready to spend some time, or maybe even a full day, here in Ueno because located inside this expansive park is a zoo, art galleries, museums, a cafe, and in the late afternoon, there’s a lot of street musicians and street entertainers around. Inside the Ueno Park is Tokyo’s first zoo, the Tokyo Zoo. There is an admission fee for entrance to the zoo, 600 yen (adults 15-64 years old), 300 yen (senior citizens), 200 yen (children 12-14 years old). Free entry on March 20 (Ueno Zoo Anniversary), May 4 (Midori no Hi) and October 1 (Tomin no Hi).

Tokyo Government Office

image source: Yoshiaki Seki Nearest Station: Tochomae Subway Sta. One of Tokyo’s landmark buildings, there is an observatory on the 45th floor where you can get an amazing 360 degree view of Tokyo. There are 2 observatories, the North and the South, with the North observatory open up to 11PM and the South observatory closing at 5.30PM. Look for the special observatory lift on the ground floor of the Main building. For more information on the days that observatory decks are closed, visit their website, http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/OFFICES/observat.htm

Visit Sumo museum at Ryogoku Kokugikan

Nearest Station: JR line, Ryogoku Sta. If you are a big sumo fan, then this museum is a must visit for you. Ryogoku Kokugikan is where grand tournaments of Sumo wrestling, an ancient Japanese form of martial arts, are held. When there are no main tournaments, visitors can still enjoy concession stands inside. The Sumo Museum, which houses documents related sumo, is also popular place to visit. Admission is free to visitors as long as there is no grand sumo tournament happening. Read the full article

0 notes

thechasefiles · 5 years ago

Text

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 5/1/2020

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your daily news cap for Sunday January 5th, 2020. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Sunday Sun Newspaper (SS).

FIREFIGHTERS FUMING OVER RELOCATION PLANS – Firefighters in Barbados are a bit hot under the collar. The officers say they are far from happy with the decision to base them in outfitted containers after the demolition of their headquarters on Probyn Street in The City in the coming months. Sources, who requested anonymity, said it was not good enough, but Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson said it was way too early to be upset. “They’re not moving tomorrow and when they do move, I’m sure everything will be in place in relation to health and safety and the laws of Barbados. I don’t see how anyone can make an assessment on what they see today [when they do not know what is going to happen]. . .” (SS)

INNOTECH PLEASED WITH SETTLEMENT REACHED WITH BWA –Innotech Services Limited says it is pleased with the settlement reached with the Barbados Water Authority (BWA). Weeks after Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams announced that BWA had reached an agreement with Innotech, which covered a wide range of areas, Innotech’s Chairman Anthony DaSilva said the deal is one both parties could live with. “The Government and Innotech Group, as would be normal in these instances, have agreed that these matters are confidential. But safe to say that the Government feels that they have probably not gotten exactly what they wanted, but Innotech has simply not got also what it wanted, but we both got a deal that we could live with,” DaSilva said. “I think that’s a fair result given both parties looking after their own interest,” He made the comments while delivering remarks at Hope Plantation, St Lucy today where Government commenced its National Tree Planting project to which Innotech donated BDS$25 000. “Barbados is our home base and we have been particularly affected with what’s happening in the economy. We have invested a lot in the Government of Barbados, not in a particular administration, but the Government. And that meant obviously that we had to sit with the Government and negotiate a solution to some of these issues. “I am pleased to say that it has been done. I am not sure that the government or Innotech feels individually that one has taken advantage of the other. And I don’t think that there are any particular hard feelings, it’s just something that had to be done. It’s been done professionally and we have not commented on it up until now,” he added. While the Chairman did not give details on the deal, at the Ministry’s Christmas luncheon at Halton Plantation, St Philip, on December 13, Abrahams revealed that the deal covered the rental and maintenance of the building that houses BWA at Pine, St Michael, the water tanker trucks, the personal tanks programme and portable desal (desalination) units. The Minister said that meetings, negotiations and behind the scenes work by staff within the Ministry, BWA, and Government’s external debt negotiator White Oaks, led to the deal being finalised. DaSilva said Innotech was now at the best place to move forward with Government as a good partner to see economic activity return to Barbados. The Chairman also indicated that while the public arrive at the conclusion that corporate Barbados appear to be insensitive at times, it must be noted that at the end of the day, businesses have employees and commitments to safeguard. “So, I am happy with where we are today. It’s a new year. I think we have cleared last year and I am positive that we are now heading in the right direction,” DaSilva said. (BT)

PRESCOD WANTS TWO MILLION TREES BY YEAREND –Minister of Environment and National Beautification Trevor Prescod has set a new “ambitious” target for the number of trees he wants Barbadians to plant by year-end. Last November, Prime Minister Mia Mottley launched the Million Trees for 2020 Project. However at Hope Plantation, St Lucy during a tree planting ceremony yesterday, Prescod stressed that a higher number was attainable. “I want to make the announcement now that we are not going to plant one million trees. We are going to overshoot that target based on the collective presence of all the entities here today [because] I am sure there is a great underestimation of the public’s response to this national project. “I am going to shoot for two million by the end of 2020. . . this is an ambitious project and the only thing that can be an encumbrance in this effort is if the national spirit of the people is not moving in harmony with the government,” Prescod said. (SS)

COMPOSER WINS TAX FIGHT OVER FOUR SEASONS – At least one of the 14 villa owners who invested millions of dollars in the failed Four Seasons Barbados project will be able to claim capital gains tax losses in England on their investment. Judge John Brooks recently told the tax tribunal in London that Baron Andrew Lloyd-Webber, 71, and his wife Madeline, 57, should be credited for the “real loss” they suffered when they forked out as much as 20 million pounds for two villas. Lord Webber, a famous composer and impresario had paid a deposit of eight million pounds upfront for the properties, one of which was being sold for nearly £10 (£1 = BDS$2.61) million and the other for more than £7 million. When they first made claims for capital gains tax losses, the HM Revenue and Customs disallowed the claims and the couple filed an appeal. (SS)

FIRST MURDER FOR 2020 – Barbados has recorded the first murder for 2020, four days into the new year. Nation News understands the man who was shot in an alley last night near Block #1 Nursery Close, Eden Lodge, St Michael, passed away. The shooting occurred around 8:20 p.m. and the victim was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by private vehicle. (SS)

COACH LIKES NEW ATTITUDE - West Indies head coach Phil Simmons is expecting his players to have a never-say-die attitude in the multi-format series against Ireland which begins on Tuesday. Speaking on the sidelines of the team’s second training session yesterday at the Desmond Haynes Oval, Simmons said he was impressed with the level of cricket the team played in India and was looking forward to them building on it in the upcoming series. “I am expecting a little more of what I saw in India. The way we played the cricket, the attitude we had on the field and the never-say-die attitude even when India were going well are all things we need to continue doing well. “I think every series we need to be looking to get that one per cent better in everything we do, so that is what I expect to see from them in this Ireland series,” Simmons told Sunsport. (SS)

ZANE MALONEY IS NSC SPORTS PERSONALITY – Zane Maloney is the 2019 National Sports Council's (NSC) Sports Personality of the Year. The announcement was made on Saturday might by NSC chairman Mac Fingall on Saturday night during the awards ceremony and dinner at the Willdey Gymnasium. Fingall said it was the first time the winner was chosen via an online poll on social media. The 16-year-old Maloney, who created history by becoming the first person from the Caribbean to win the British Formula 4 title, narrowly edged West Windies Test captain Jason Holder, who was ranked No.1 in the ICC Test allrounder rankings for most of 2019. Maloney received 423 votes and Holder 420. Another cricketer, Deandra Dottin, was third with 333 votes. At the Barbados Olympic Association’s Awards last month, Maloney won the President’s Award amd was named Junior Male Athlete of the Year. (SS)

$5,000 PRIZE FOR BSS LOGO COMPETITION –Members of the public are invited to enter the Barbados Statistical Service’s (BSS) logo competition. The design will be used to represent the upcoming Population and Housing Census. Interested persons are invited to submit a design which is creative and legible at the minimum size of three-quarter of an inch and at a maximum size of five inches wide. The logo must include the slogan Our Nation, Our Future, Be Counted. Designs should be submitted to the BSS in sealed envelopes, or by email to [email protected] or [email protected] by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 10. The designs will be reviewed by the Census Publicity Committee and its decision will be final. The winner of the logo competition will be awarded $5,000. For more information, persons should call the BSS PBX 535-2600, Kimberley Agard at 535-2621, or Lisa Smith at 535-2657. (BT)

There are 362 days left in the year Shalom! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps #bajannewscaps #newsinanutshell

0 notes

benpluck · 5 years ago

Text

Fashion's Environmental Impact (Contextual research)

(Morris, L, 2018)

The fashion industry has a disastrous impact on the environment. In fact, it is the second largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry. And the environmental damage is increasing as the industry grows.

However, there are solutions and alternatives to mitigate these problems. The first step lies in building awareness and willingness to change.

FASHION & WATER POLLUTION

In most of the countries in which garments are produced, untreated toxic wastewaters from textiles factories are dumped directly into the rivers.

Wastewater contains toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, among others. These are extremely harmful for the aquatic life and the health of the millions people living by those rivers banks. The contamination also reaches the sea and eventually spreads around the globe.

Another major source of water contamination is the use of fertilizers for cotton production, which heavily pollutes runoff waters and evaporation waters.

FASHION & WATER CONSUMPTION

The fashion industry is a major water consumer. Huge quantity of fresh water are used for the dyeing and finishing process for all of our clothes. As reference, it can take up to 200 tons of fresh water per ton of dyed fabric.

Also, cotton needs A LOT of water to grow (and heat), but is usually cultivated in warm and dry areas. Up to 20,000 liters of water are needed to produce just 1kg of cotton. This generates tremendous pressure on this precious resource, already scarce, and has dramatic ecological consequences such as the desertification of the Aral Sea, where cotton production has entirely drained the water (see pictures above).

FASHION & MICROFIBERS IN OUR OCEANS

Every time we wash a synthetic garment(polyester,nylon, etc), about 1,900 individual microfibers are released into the water, making their way into our oceans. Scientists have discovered that small aquatic organisms ingest those microfibers. These are then eaten by small fish which are later eaten by bigger fish, introducing plastic in our food chain.

ASHION & WASTE ACCUMULATION

Clothing has clearly become disposable. As a result, we generate more and more textile waste. A family in the western world throws away an average of 30 kg of clothing each year. Only 15% is recycled or donated, and the rest goes directly to the landfill or is incinerated.

Synthetic fibers, such as polyester, are plastic fibers, therefore non-biodegradable and can take up to 200 years to decompose. Synthetic fibers are used in 72% of our clothing.

FASHION & CHEMICALS

Chemicals are one of the main components in our clothes.

They are used during fiber production, dyeing, bleaching, and wet processing of each of our garments.

The heavy use of chemicals in cotton farming is causing diseases and premature death among cotton farmers, along with massive freshwater and ocean water pollution and soil degradation.

Some of these substances are also harmful to the consumer.

FASHION & GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

The apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions.

The global fashion industry is generating a lot of greenhouse gases due to the energy used during its production, manufacturing, and transportation of the millions garments purchased each year.

Synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc.), used in the majority of our clothes, are made from fossil fuel, making production much more energy-intensive than with natural fibers.

Most of our clothes are produced in China, Bangladesh, or India, countries essentially powered by coal. This is the dirtiest type of energy in terms of carbon emissions.

FASHION & SOIL DEGRADATION

The soil is a fundamental element of our ecosystem. We need healthy soil for food production but also to absorb CO2. The massive, global degradation of soil is one of the main environmental issues our planet is currently facing. It presents a major threat to global food security and also contributes to global warming.

The fashion industry plays a major part in degrading soil in different ways: overgrazing of pastures through cashmere goats and sheep raised for their wool; degradation of the soil due to massive use of chemicals to grow cotton; deforestation caused by wood-based fibers like rayon.

FASHION & RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION

Every year, thousands of hectares of endangered and ancient forests are cut down and replaced by plantations of trees used to make wood-based fabrics such as rayon, viscose, and modal.

This loss of forests is threatening the ecosystem and indigenous communities, as in Indonesia where large-scale deforestation of the rainforests has taken place over the past decade.

(Sustain Your Style, n.d.)

Bibliography

Morris, L. (2018). Fashion Is Rubbish: How An NGO Is Tackling Fashion’s Waste Problem And Succeeding. [online] Grazia. Available at: https://graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/news/redress-fashion-ngo-sustainability/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2019].

Sustain Your Style (n.d.). Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry — SustainYourStyle. [online] SustainYourStyle. Available at: https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/old-environmental-impacts#anchor-link-wastes [Accessed 18 Oct. 2019].

0 notes

sevagroup · 1 year ago

Text

Women Empowerment in Noida: Seva Group Foundation's Endeavors

Women empowerment is a critical aspect of societal progress, and Noida, a thriving city in India, has seen remarkable efforts by the Seva Group Foundation to uplift women and promote their empowerment. Through various initiatives and programs, the Women Empowerment in Noida foundation has been instrumental in transforming the lives of countless women, enabling them to become independent, confident, and self-reliant.Education is a vital tool for empowering women and breaking the cycle of poverty. The Seva Group Foundation recognizes this and has implemented numerous programs in Noida to support and promote girls' education. They provide scholarships, organize vocational training workshops, and establish educational institutions that focus on enhancing girls' access to quality education.

#Women Empowerment in Noida #NGO For Girl Child Education #Donate Online For Tree Plantation

0 notes

rahisha-universe-blog · 6 years ago

Text

One tree my duty

ONE TREE MY DUTY is the first technology-enabled Start-up for tree plantation. Here we “plant trees by the people, for the people" globally. We don't just plant but also support elderly livelihood.

Global warming was widely recognized as the alarming issue of our era, One tree my duty.com came into as the world’s first start-up to tree plantation, to protect our planet. One tree my duty.com has evolved into an organization of strength that nurtures the environment and brings greenery to the areas. Our projects directly support elderly people to work by providing them with sustainable income opportunities. We don’t assist Corporate in their Green CSR Programs but help to enable social responsibility into their employees and executing plantation on the ground by our unique methods. While we work in various sites across India, our online portal is to help professionals to not only are humane about giving back life to Nature, but also aims to form a strong bond through our tracking tools, and tree profiles with the help of our technology.

It is an initiative to link people, trees and the environment and make them more sensible about elderly people.

TRACEABILITY

· Latitude & Longitude of a tree.

· Real date & time of plantation

· Every tree has a unique id written on tree guard.

SUSTAINABILITY

· Monthly growth update with the same angle photo.

· Every tree will be monitored for 2 years as after 2-year sustainability is 90%.

TRANSPARENCY

· Donation is tracked by mobile APP.

· Every downer has details of contact & address of the beneficiary. All statistics will be published on Website.

Why we need to plant and care for trees

TREES COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

Excess carbon dioxide (CO2) is building up in our atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Trees absorb CO2, removing and storing the carbon while releasing oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 produced when you drive your car 26,000 miles.

TREES CLEAN THE AIR

Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.

TREES PROVIDE FOOD

An apple tree can yield up to 15-20 bushels of fruit per year and can be planted on the tiniest urban lot. Aside from fruit for humans, trees provide food for birds and wildlife.

TREES PROVIDE OXYGEN

In one year an acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people.

TREES COOL THE STREETS AND THE CITY

Average temperatures in Los Angeles have risen 6°F in the last 50 years as tree coverage has declined and the number of heat-absorbing roads and buildings have increased. Trees cool the city by up to 10°F, by shading our homes and streets, breaking up urban “heat islands” and releasing water

TREES CONSERVE ENERGY

Three trees placed strategically around a single-family home can cut summer air conditioning needs by up to 50 percent. By reducing the energy demand for cooling our houses, we reduce carbon dioxide and other pollution emissions from power plants.

TREES SAVE WATER

Shade from trees slows water evaporation from thirsty lawns. Most newly planted trees need only fifteen gallons of water a week. As trees transpire, they increase atmospheric moisture.

TREES HELP PREVENT WATER POLLUTION

Trees reduce runoff by breaking rainfall thus allowing the water to flow down the trunk and into the earth below the tree. This prevents stormwater from carrying pollutants to the ocean. When mulched, trees act like a sponge that filters this water naturally and uses it to recharge groundwater supplies.

TREES HELP PREVENT SOIL EROSION

On hillsides or stream slopes, trees slow runoff and hold soil in place.

TREES SHIELD CHILDREN FROM ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Trees reduce UV-B exposure by about 50 percent, thus providing protection to children on school campuses and playgrounds - where children spend hours outdoors.

TREES HEAL

Studies have shown that patients with views of trees out their windows heal faster and with fewer complications. Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature. Exposure to trees and nature aids concentration by reducing mental fatigue.

TREES REDUCE VIOLENCE

Neighborhoods and homes that are barren have shown to have a greater incidence of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts. Trees and landscaping help to reduce the level of fear.

TREES CREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Fruit harvested from community orchards can be sold, thus providing income. Small business opportunities in green waste management and landscaping arise when cities value mulching and water-saving qualities. Vocational training for youth interested in green jobs is also a great way to develop economically.

TREES MARK THE SEASONS

Is it winter, spring, summer or fall? Look at the trees.

TREES ARE TEACHERS AND PLAYMATES

Whether as houses for children or creative and spiritual inspiration for adults, trees have provided the space for human retreat throughout the ages.

TREES BRING DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE TOGETHER

Tree plantings provide an opportunity for community involvement and empowerment that improves the quality of life in our neighborhoods. All cultures, ages, and genders have an important role to play at a tree planting or tree care event.

TREES ADD UNITY

Trees as landmarks can give a neighborhood a new identity and encourage civic pride.

TREES PROVIDE A CANOPY AND HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE

Sycamore and oak are among the many urban species that provide excellent urban homes for birds, bees, possums, and squirrels.

TREES BLOCK THINGS

Trees can mask concrete walls or parking lots, and unsightly views. They muffle sound from nearby streets and freeways and create an eye-soothing canopy of green. Trees absorb dust and wind and reduce glare

TREES PROVIDE WOOD

In suburban and rural areas, trees can be selectively harvested for fuel and craft wood.

TREES INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES

The beauty of a well-planted property and its surrounding street and neighborhood can raise property values by as much as 15 percent.

TREES INCREASE BUSINESS TRAFFIC

Studies show that the more trees and landscaping a business the district has, the more business will flow in. A tree-lined street will also slow traffic – enough to allow the drivers to look at the storefronts instead of whizzing by.

#treeplantation

0 notes

arnavsingh-posts · 4 years ago

Text

NGO for Free Tree Plantation-a Greener Tomorrow

In Noida, tree planting off late has become very popular and people donate in good volumes to NGO in planting more trees. If you wish to plant a tree and search no time to do so, donate online for tree plantation NGO in Noida.

#Tree plantation NGO #Online Tree Plantation

0 notes

vacationsoup · 6 years ago

Photo

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/mark-your-calendar-fabulous-february-events-in-around-anna-maria-island-anna-maria-island-condo-rentals/

Mark your Calendar — FABULOUS FEBRUARY Events In & Around ANNA MARIA ISLAND-Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals

Anna Maria Island (AMI) is known for its palm trees, incredible white sand beaches and beautiful turquoise water. Add to that, the quaint feel of this beautiful destination and you have one of the best places in the world to visit.

Thousands of tourists flock to our Gulf coast area each year to soak up the sun, catch some waves and feel the sand between their toes, but there are more things to do in Anna Maria Island than spending time at the beach. I would be lying if I didn’t say heading to the beach to relax isn’t one of my favourite things to do, but I also enjoy the many inviting activities the Island has to offer.

Check out this list of things to do while you’re visiting Anna Maria Island.

Healthy Walking Tours - Select one or more of these happy, healthy walking tours. Lace up your sneakers and dress for the weather to discover some of the best nature spots Anna Maria Island and the surrounding area has to offer.

Leffis Key: Early Restoration Efforts February 1

Robinson Preserve: Mangrove Migration February 8

Grassy Point & Neal Preserve: Intracoastal February 15

Felts Preserve: Bird Migration Changes February 22

Cost: $25/person 4-pack $80 Series $150 Attend all 7 tours - get one FREE!

To Register or for additional information contact:

Around the Bend Nature Tours — aroundbend.com — 941-794-8773

On these weekly morning tours you will have lots of time to interpret nature and cultural history. All tours are guided by Professional Master Naturalists and/or NAI Certified Interpretive Guides. All walks are Friday's 9:30-Noon/1:00 pm

February 2 - 3, 2019: The Holmes Beach Arts and Crafts Festival benefits the North American Butterfly Association. Come check out the handmade jewelry, ceramics, fiber art, paintings, stained glass, photography, live music and food plus plants, orchids, handmade soaps, gourmet spices, a green market and more. Free admission. Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sunday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Holmes Beach City Hall, Event Field, 5801 Marina Drive, Anna Maria Island, FL.

February 2 - 3, 2019: 19th Annual Plantation Festival at Gamble Mansion and Plantation. 3708 Patten Avenue, Ellenton, FL. Look for the Landmark white picket fence and turn right into the main park entrance.

Enjoy an arts and crafts show, a student art competition, free tours of the Gamble Mansion, food and beverage vendors and more. 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Free admission and $1 donation for parking.

While you are in the area, you might consider going to the Ellenton Premium Outlet Mall. It is only about 5 minutes East of the Gamble Mansion and offers some nice outdoor walking as well as some great buys!

February 3, 2019: Enjoy Sarasota's own Ski-A-Rees Water Ski Team and their 1st Sunday afternoon show of the new season at 2 p.m. at Ski-A-Ree Stadium. This free show takes place at 1602 Ken Thompson Parkway (near/behind Mote Marine Aquarium on the water.)

The Ski-A-Rees put on a wonderful show with great music and entertaining announcers. They are a very professional group and their show is non stop, exciting and a great family activity. The skiers display their talent performing tricks and their skill while making a twelve person skiing pyramid. When you go be sure to get there at least an hour early as it usually draws a big crowd. There are bleacher seats, some of which are covered, but most of the seats are in the sun so dress accordingly. Sunscreen and hats for everyone! Bring a cushion if you don’t want to sit on the metal seats. We were in the open area which provides a behind the scenes view of the team. Talking to people seated in the covered stands, they were partially blocked from some stunts, but said it wasn't often. You can also bring your own lawn chair. There is a shaded area under the trees where you still have a good view of the show.

Free parking and snacks and drinks are available for purchase.

Although the shows and parking are free, donations are appreciated as the Ski-A-Rees are a non-profit organization.

If you miss their first show on February 2, you’re in luck, the Ski-A-Reese Ski Team will also be performing February 10, 2019, February 17, 2019 and February 24, 2019. All shows take place at 2:00 pm at 1602 Ken Thompson Parkway-look for the Ski-A-Reese signs

Visit the spectacular Ringling in Sarasota —

February 4, 2019: Come out for Ringling by the Bay on the Bolger Campiello at The Ringling Museum, featuring live music and dancing 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Admission: $5 - $15. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets may be purchased in the Visitors Pavilion on the day of the event, purchased online at ringling.org or by calling 941-358-3180.

Limited seating is available. Ringling Museum grounds, Bayshore Gardens. 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota.

February 7, 2019: Ringling Underground - enjoy live music and art in the Museum of Art Courtyard 8:00 pm -11:00 pm. This event features an eclectic mix of local and regional live music. While you’re there be sure to check out the display of work by up-and-coming artists in the Museum of Art Courtyard. Select galleries will be open until 11:00pm. Admission: $15. Free for Members and College Students w/ ID and free with "Art After Five" admission. Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL. 941-358-3180 or online ringling.org

February 7 - 18, 2019: The Florida State Fair is held annually at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa 4800 N U.S. Highway 301, TAMPA, FLORIDA

Phone: 813-621-7821

The 2019 Florida State Fair brings 12 Days of Fun, featuring rides, amazing agricultural exhibits featuring over 5,000 animals, excellent craft show and a great variety of fantastic food. Parking is Free at the fair.

You can buy tickets online, at any of our local Publix stores or at the Fair Box Office located on the Fairgrounds open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Fair Box Office - 813-740-4640.

There are some on-line price discounts. Go to - tickets.floridastatefair.net

February 9, 2019: There's a street party for you: "Main Street Live!" on Historic Old Main Street in downtown Bradenton. There will be live music starting at 5:00 pm. This popular party closes the street to vehicular traffic and the streets will be lined with arts and crafts vendors and food trucks. Music ends at 10 p.m. but Old Main Street will remain closed until midnight.

February 9, 2019: Anna Maria Island Privateers Thieves Market on beautiful Coquina Beach, Gulf Drive South, Anna Maria Island. From 8:00 am - 3:00 pm, it’s a treasure hunt at “The Thieves” Flea Market. With 100’s of Vendors you can search for treasures and say hello to the Pirates on their 60 foot pirate ship. Choose from custom made jewellery, t-shirts, golf paraphernalia, fresh produce and more.

Free admission.

February 9, 2019: Family fun at the 5th annual Bradenton Area River Regatta on the Manatee River. This year the Free event features, boat races, food fest to satisfy any appetite, kids zone on both shores of the river, fireworks and more!

Watch the boat races from either the Bradenton or Palmetto river fronts or on the bridge itself. Featuring, Powerboat Superleague Formula-2—splitting the surf at speeds over 120/mph and added this year Formula-3 racing with speeds hitting 100/mph.

Enjoy live music on two main stage venues…In Bradenton—national recording artists and Bradenton natives: We the Kings...and on Palmetto’s main stage, country music group: the Andy Pursell Band from Arcadia, FL.

An after dark fireworks display over the river provided by Zambelli Internationale, will light up the sky with pyrotechnic brilliance to end the day with an exhilarating blast of multi-coloured beauty.

Mark your calendar — the all FREE, fifth annual Bradenton Area River Regatta

8:00 am - 10:00 pm Downtown Bradenton's Riverwalk and in Palmetto.

Sunday, February 10, 2019 - New Orleans Nighthawks Jazz Band

Concert Series, Roser Church, 512 Pine Avenue, Anna Maria, FL

The New Orleans Nighthawks are a seven-piece jazz band and have been playing together for about 8 years. Most of the band members are snow-birds coming to Florida between October and April. They play Dixieland and swing tunes in a New Orleans traditional jazz style. With a solid rhythm section from the band’s leader on clarinet, two trombones enhanced by banjo, bass, drums and vocalist, they provide a unique and mellow, yet driving and exciting sound. This concert will be held in the Roser Community Church Sanctuary at 4:00 PM. Doors open at 3:00. A free-will offering is appreciated and will help to make these dynamic events possible.

February 12, 2019: It's the 16th Annual Anna Maria Jazz Fest. Featured will be jazz standards of the past 70 years! Proceeds benefit the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra. $10 advance, $15 at the door. 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm at the Sandbar Restaurant Pavilion, 100 Spring Ave, Anna Maria Island.Tickets: 410-812-2468 or at the AMI Chamber, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island, FL.

February 16, 2019: It's the Pittsburgh Pirates Annual Pep Rally 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Manatee Avenue West & Old Main Street in downtown Bradenton, FL

The Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training Headquarters in Bradenton, Florida is known as "Pirate City." This years pep rally will feature a photo booth, player appearances and free autographs, games, live music, face painting, various vendors, family fun and more. The Pirates are celebrating their 51st year in Bradenton this year. Show your spirit and wear your best Pirates colors or costume.

February 16 - 17, 2019: Enjoy the 8th Annual J.D. Hamel Park Arts & Crafts Show in the open air. Featuring the creations of talented artists and crafts people from all over. 10:00 am - 4:30 pm both days. Free admission and free parking in the Palm Avenue garage. Main Street and US 41 in Sarasota, across from Marina Jack's.

February 16 - 17, 2019: Enjoy the 3rd Annual Lido Beach Winter Fine Art Festival in an outdoor gallery of original fine art and crafts. Meet with the talented artisans as you view their sculpture, painting, ceramics, woodworking, fiber art, photography, jewellery, metal work and more. Find the piece of art for your home or office that you have been looking for, or commission a piece made specifically for you. Admission is free. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Lido Key, 400 Benjamin Franklin Drive, Sarasota, FL.

February 16 - 17, 2019: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm both days. Don’t miss the 37th Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, being held in historic Cortez, Florida.

Cortez established itself as a fishing village in the 1800’s and is one of the last remaining fishing villages on Florida’s southwest Gulf Coast. This annual event has grown from 500 attendees when it debuted in 1981 to 25,000 in recent years.

This fishing festival celebrates the area’s commercial fishing industry and features continuous live music, arts and crafts, kid’s activities, lots of food, including locally caught seafood.

Admission to the festival is $4; children under 12 are free. Festival proceeds are used by the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) to expand and restore the 95-acre FISH Preserve east of the village on Sarasota Bay.

Parking is limited. There will be off-site parking with shuttle service available.

While you’re here in Cortez, experience “Old Florida” with a walk through the village, past the small charming cottages. Visit the old fish houses, seafood restaurants and the Florida Maritime Museum, which documents a unique culture and traditional life on Sarasota Bay.

February 23 - 24, 2019: It's the 19th annual Fine Arts Festival of Manatee County a juried event that takes place at the beautiful Riverwalk Park in Downtown Bradenton. Open to the public, admission and parking is free in the Bradenton Financial Center, 1402 Manatee Avenue West.

The festival is being held Saturday from 9 am - 5 pm and Sunday from 9 am - 4 pm and features local, regional and national award-winning artists. There will be artist demos, shopping, music vendors as artists display their work in this juried show with cash prizes. Featuring fine craft, painting, jewelry, clay, stained glass, leather and more hosted by the ArtCenter Manatee. Proceeds of this festival benefit ArtCenter Manatee’s Education and Outreach programs. Please visit www.artcentermanatee.org for more information.

February 24, 2019: Baseball fans...The Pittsburgh Pirates will celebrate their 51st Spring Training season in Bradenton as the home schedule begins with the game vs the Miami Marlins at 1:05 pm at LECOM Field, 1611 9th St W, Bradenton, FL

February, 25 the Pirates take on the Boston Red Sox in Bradenton. Game time 1:05

February, 27 the Toronto Blue Jays are in Bradenton to play the Pirates at 1:05 pm. Tickets: mlb.com

Now Through - March 10, 2019: Circus Sarasota celebrating 22 years of Big Top Performances! Previous headliners have included comic daredevil, Sarasota's own international star, Bello Nock and Sarasota's high wire artist, Nik Wallenda.

International circus artists will leave audiences awestruck. Every year features a new cast in an intimate one-ring European style Big Top. This year’s show features incredible artistry on the Cyr Wheel, a modern blend of aerial dance and majestic horses, hand-to-hand acrobatics, high wire, teeterboard, juggling and much more.

The all new winter production features performances at various times and dates. Ticket prices range from $15 - $55. Performances take place Under the air-conditioned Ulla Searing Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park behind the Mall at UTC. The Big Top opens 1 hour before show time. Big Top Parking: $5 for local charities. 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota, FL.

Contact a ticketing representative at (941) 355-9805 for more information, or purchase tickets online at any time - circusarts.org

I believe that covers the majority of our February events. Please let us know It there is something that you are interested in that is not on our list. Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals will help you find whatever it is that will make your perfect vacation, fabulously perfect!

And, if you haven’t booked your winter escape yet, contact Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals today!

For the latest up to date news, things to do, special offers, travel tips and more continue to follow our blog @ Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals/Blog

Note: Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals offers the above company names and affiliated links as suggestions only. We are not receiving commissions from any of the above and are listing them only to assist our guests. We recommend services that we or close friends and family have experienced.

The content of this blog is not to be copied, adapted or shared without the written consent of Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals.

youtube

#AnnaMariaIsland #BradentonBeach #Florida #HolidayOnAnnaMariaIsland #VacationOnAnnaMariaIsland #VacationSoup

0 notes

achrafchachi · 5 years ago

Text

7 Greatest April Fools’ Day Pranks In History

While the typical prankster might put a whoopee cushion on your chair or tape a

paper fish to your back, these pranksters truly went above and beyond to fool hundreds or maybe thousands of individuals.

Here are the seven greatest April Fools’ Day pranks in history. The Spaghetti-Tree Hoax When the BBC aired a fake news segment on April 1, 1957 for the investigative documentary show Panorama, they earned endless spot within the April Fools’ Day Hall of Fame. The two-and-a-half-minute news segment (which you'll watch on YouTube) showed Swiss “spaghetti farmers” harvesting the annual “spaghetti crop” by plucking spaghetti from trees, and claimed that “vast spaghetti plantations” existed. “After picking, the spaghetti is laid bent dry within the warm sun,” the printed told viewers. Perhaps because respected news anchor Richard Dimbleby narrated the segment and spaghetti wasn't widely eaten within the UK at the time, the BBC received many phone calls from people asking how they might grow their spaghetti. The BBC’s response to callers best defines British humor sort of “taking the mickey”: “Place a sprig of spaghetti during a tin of spaghetti sauce and hope for the simplest .” The Taco Liberty Bell Taco Bell learned a lesson in 1996 once they took out a full-page ad in six major newspapers. Readers of The NY Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, The Dallas Morning News and USA Today learned that Taco Bell, in an attempt to assist reduce the country’s debt, had purchased the freedom Bell and altered its name to the “Taco Liberty Bell .” The prank was taken so seriously that aides from the staff of Senator Bill Bradley and Senator J. James Exon called Taco Bell headquarters. In Philadelphia, the Park Service held a mid-morning press conference to assure the general public that the freedom Bell had not been sold. By noon, Taco Bell confessed to the hoax and hoped people had liked its joke. Taco Bell also donated $50,000 to the Park Service to assist maintain the freedom Bell. There was still quite a lot of upset by those who’d been fooled and couldn’t tease themselves for being taken in. Instant color television On April 1, 1962, eight years before regular color broadcasts aired on Swedish television, the Swedish national network presented an expert who explained to its viewers that their old black-and-white TVs didn’t got to be upgraded. A so-called expert gave a presentation revealing that light might be bent by a fine mesh screen to form black-and-white images appear in color. The kicker? Nylon stockings might be wont to make such a screen. Reportedly, thousands of individuals fell for the joke and tried putting nylons over their TV screens. Digital Big Ben The BBC didn’t learn their lesson after the Spaghetti-Tree Hoax, because in 1980 it's overseas service reported that Big Ben was getting to be updated as a digital clock. They not only fooled many of us who called into precise their anger, but they also fooled one man who called in hoping to win during an ll|one amongst|one in every of"> one among Big Ben’s clock hands in a fake giveaway. In 1998, a joke news story circulated online reporting that the Alabama state legislature narrowly passed a law redefining pi as “3,” saving people all the difficulty of getting to affect a seemingly never-ending number. The whole thing clothed to be a parody, and maybe nobody would have fallen for it had its original author attribution – “April Holiday” of the “Associated Press” – not been deleted from the article because it was passed around online. Have It Your Way Many kids growing up have fallen victim to funny fathers who asked them to travel get them their left-handed hammer. This April Fools’ Day classic has been updated by several well-known companies, but perhaps none went so big as Burger King in 1998 when it took out a full-page ad in USA Today to introduce its new “left-handed Whooper.” The ad claimed that the left-handed Whoppers were “rotated a full 180 degrees to make sure better grip on the bun” for left-handed customers. Burger King joined the jokesters once more in 2017 with its new Whopper Toothpaste and therefore the slogan, “It smells sort of a Whopper in here, did you sweep your teeth?” So, once more you would like to get on guard against things that sound too silly to be true on April 1. Silly or absurd stories that crop up on the web are the order of the day most days, but on April 1 you got to concentrate and not get trapped within the farce. Good luck and don’t forget to possess amusing at yourself if you get trapped during a good joke.

0 notes

charllieeldridge · 5 years ago

Text

61 Fun Things To Do in Grenada (2020 Edition)

The island of Grenada in the Caribbean is a true jewel. There are numerous things to do in Grenada, but there isn’t a lot of information online about this tiny island nation. We’ve lived here for over 4 years, so we know lots of unique things to do in Grenada and this blog has more information than any other online today.

The Isle of Spice is located just far enough south in the Caribbean to avoid the tourism masses that the northern islands see, yet it’s still easy enough to travel to Grenada on a cruise ship or a direct flight from North America. There are so many things to do in Grenada, you could spend a year and never be bored!

If you’re wondering what to do in Grenada during your trip, I’ve got you covered. Here is my list of 61 awesome things to do in Grenada:

*This post has been updated 2020. These items are in no particular order and the Parishes are listed in brackets.

1. Try “Doubles” (St. George) – one of the best things to do in Grenada for foodies

Doubles are a delicious breakfast found in the southern Caribbean and while they’re originally from Trinidad, they’re so delicious that they make our list of things to do in Grenada.

Sweet and spicy chickpea curry is wrapped inside of a soft bara bread. Latta makes the best ones on the island, and you can find her serving doubles out of the back of her orange van on Wall Street in Grand Anse. Update: Latta and Frank now have an orange and dark coloured van! Look for either one of them.

youtube

2. Grand Etang National Park (St. Andrews)

This beautiful, lush park is set high in the mountains of Grenada. At 1,900ft, this is the perfect spot to escape the heat and enjoy nature. With waterfalls, a lake, and endless walking trails, Grand Etang is a place you could return to again and again. Visiting this National Park is one of the top things to do in Grenada for sure.

*Note* These days there’s a new highwire canopy obstacle course that has been built in the rainforest at Grand Etang falls. Many people enjoy this activity and it’s something fun to do in Grenada with kids.

3. La Sagesse Beach (St. David)

A stunning cove with soft sand, clear waters and lined with palm trees. This is one of the best beaches in Grenada. You can walk the length of the beach and hardly see another person. There’s only one hotel on this beach, which has a restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

*Note: as La Sagesse is often quite quiet, be mindful of your belongings and your safety when on this beach.

Do you have a day to spare and want to take a tour around the island? Many people aren’t comfortable driving abroad (and, the driving in Grenada can be a bit crazy!), but a great option is to take a half-day tour, or a full-day tour while ticking off some of the main activities in Grenada along the way.

This highly-rated half-day tour takes in St. George’s town, Annadale Falls, Grand Etang Lake, a rum distillery, and the stunning Morne Rouge Beach. Learn more and read traveller reviews here.

This highly-rated full-day tour is a bit longer and offers many of the things to do in Grenada that I list in this article. You’ll visit St. George’s town, Grand Etang rainforest, Concord waterfalls, Douglas Spice Plantation, and River Antoine rum distillery. Learn more and read traveller reviews here.

4. Sunsets at La Luna (St. George)

There are many places to enjoy the golden sunset with a glass of wine in hand, but the best spot has to be at the gorgeous La Luna Hotel. Going for a swim, lounging on beach chairs and enjoying the sunset with a drink is one of the best things to do in Grenada. You can come here for a drink at the beautiful open-air bar even if you’re not a hotel guest.

Sunset at Laluna is a real secret on the island! Even the locals don’t know about the half-price drinks, so you won’t likely find this on any other list of things to do in Grenada.

☞ Click here to see the latest price of Laluna on Booking.com.

youtube

5. Sailing (St. George)

Getting out on the water is a must when visiting an island! Sailing up the and down the Caribbean coastline aboard a catamaran is a magical experience. Check out Footloose Tours for a great day (or multiple days) of sailing. (Update: our favourite company to sail with is Savvy, more on them below).

youtube

6. BBQ’s in Grenada (Island Wide)

Every weekend, local vendors set up their BBQs on the street and serve up some delicious pork and chicken. Check out the BBQ at D’Cliff, St. Paul’s, Jerk chicken in Grand Anse Valley, and Rosanne’s BBQ near Red Gate (St. David) it’s the best BBQ on the island!

youtube

7. Dodgy Dock (True Blue, St. George)

This awesome marina-side restaurant and bar is a nice place to meet up with friends for an afternoon beer or dinner. The views of the water and sailboats are lovely. Plus, you can also stay here at the True Blue Bay Resort. Click here to see the latest prices, and photos, on Booking.com.

8. Hashing: One of The Most Unique Things To Do in Grenada (Island Wide)

The Hash House Harriers are a social running/walking group that meets every Saturday. Someone sets up a trail around the island (usually about 2 hours long) and the runners/walkers follow piles of shredded paper until they reach the finish line. The starting and finishing point is typically at a rum shack! It’s a lot of fun and a very unique thing to do in Grenada.

Check out our article: On! On! The Art of Hashing in Grenada

Fun Note: Hashing is one of the best things to do on Grenada because you can become a part of a pretty cool community with loads of locals, expats, students and tourists on the island.

9. Scuba Diving

The diving around Grenada is stunning. This island isn’t really known for being a diving destination, but with the first Underwater Sculpture Park in the world, shipwrecks, and coral that has been virtually untouched, it really should be more popular. Check out Dive Grenada, the best dive shop on the island with excellent divemasters, and equipment.

Don’t miss this article and video: Under The Caribbean Sea With Dive Grenada

10. Friday Bonfire & BBQ (St. George)

This is one of the best things to do in Grenada on a Friday night. If you like bonfires, s’mores, steel pan music and BBQs (and who doesn’t?!) head to the Savvy Beach Cabana, which is one of the best restaurants in Grenada.

Dine under the stars with your feet submerged in the soft sand, while the local steel pan band serenades you with their tunes. For dinner, take your pick between chicken, steak, fish, lobster and more, which are all served with a side of rice and peas, mashed pumpkin, roast potatoes and house salad.

For dessert, relive your childhood by toasting a marshmallow on the beach bonfire to create your own s’more, complete with graham crackers and a square of Grenadian chocolate.

Savvy Beach Cabana during the day. A gorgeous location – don’t miss Friday nights here and lunches any day of the week

Insider Tip: Many guests assume that the side dishes are served in hollowed-out coconut shells, but they’re actually made from calabash – impress your server with your island knowledge!

Outside of Friday nights, the Savvy Beach Cabana is open for lunch and drinks from 10:00am to sundown. This is a great lunchtime spot with a diverse, tasty and affordable menu. Don’t miss the catch of the day, the chuck burger and (when in season) the lobster linguine.

The lobster linguine with parmesan at Savvy Beach Cabana is a must try

Savvy Beach Cabana is a part of Mount Cinnamon Grenada, one of the top-rated accommodation options here on the island. If you’re looking for a great place to have dinner outside of Friday nights, then check out their second restaurant, Savvy’s.

11. Whisper Cove Marina (St. David)

If you’re looking for something to do in Grenada on Saturday afternoons, look no further! For only $10 USD you can enjoy a steak lunch with french fries, salad, and a cold beer! (Update 2020: This restaurant is now under new management. On Saturdays, they now offer Spicy wings, Fish cakes, Fish tacos or Battered fish, with fries for $11 USD).

12. Hog Island (St. David)

This gorgeous island is just a 10-minute boat ride from Whisper Cove Marina, or you can drive the bumpy road from Mt. Hartman Dove Sanctuary, and then walk across the bridge. Hog Island has a great trail for hiking, a nice (shallow beach), and wonderful views. This is one of the more offtrack places to visit in Grenada.

13. Roger’s Bar (Hog Island)

There’s a little ramshackle bar located on Hog Island and every Sunday, Roger puts on a lunch BBQ consisting of chicken or fish, green salad, macaroni salad and potato salad. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a beer while swimming in the stunning water.

14. St. George’s Carenage (St. George)

St. George’s (what the locals call “town”) is a very colourful capital city! Walking along the carenage while enjoying the views of the water, the buildings and the boats coming and going makes for a great afternoon.

15. Fort George (St. George)

This fort was built in 1705 by the French and is located to the west of the harbour. The views from atop the fort looking down on St. George’s are fabulous. An entrance fee of $5EC is payable when you enter the fort.

16. Volunteer at the GSPCA (St. George)

Do some good during your holiday and spend a couple of hours helping the sweet dogs and cats at the GSPCA. You can stop by for a visit to give the animals some love, spend an hour or so taking a dog for a walk, or, if you don’t have the time, you could always donate some cash to this non-profit company. Be warned, the fur babies are so cute you’ll want to take one home with you!

youtube

While looking for things to do in Grenada, consider activities that give back to the local communities. The GSPCA helps provide affordable animal care to locals through donations and volunteer work.

17. Belmont Estate (St. Patrick)

This gorgeous 17th-century plantation is a great place to go to learn about cocoa processing. You can also visit gardens, the goat dairy farm and enjoy a delicious Grenadian lunch. To go on a tour of the plantation and learn about cocoa, the cost is only 13EC ($4.80) /person, which includes tasting some delicious chocolate at the end!

youtube

18. See The Leatherback Turtles (St. Patrick)

Leatherback turtles start their nesting season on Levera Beach in March, and the hatchlings head out to the water by July. Seeing these massive turtles haul themselves up on shore, dig a canal in the sand to drop their eggs, cover them up and head back out to sea is an unforgettable experience. You need to come here in the evening with a guide in order to see the turtles. Learn more about volunteering with the conservation of leatherback turtles here.

19. River Antoine Rum Distillery (St. Patrick)

It’s a known fact that rum is the drink of choice throughout the Caribbean. The River Antoine Rum Distillery’s processes have changed very little since the 1800’s. This is the oldest functioning water-propelled distillery not only in Grenada, but in the whole Caribbean.

The best Grenada rum depends on who you ask, but if you’re looking for an interesting tour, check out this place. Tours here are $5EC ($1.85) and you get a tasting at the end. Bottom’s up!

20. Prickly Bay Marina (Lance Aux Epines, St. George)

This is where lots of sailors and yachties hangout. The vibe here is good, the pizzas are delicious (1/2 price on Monday and 2-for-1 on Saturday) and happy hour runs from 5:00 – 6:00pm. The sunsets over the marina here are nice as well.

21. Try Oil Down – Grenada’s National Dish (Islandwide)

This one-pot dish is actually very complex and time-consuming to make. The ingredients are coconut, saffron, callaloo, chicken, crab, dumplings, breadfruit (and more). We’ve only seen it made at friend’s houses, or at get-togethers, so if you want to sample a taste of Grenada, ask at your hotel where you can try it!

While we’ve listed oil down as one of the things to do in Grenada, it’s actually quite hard to find because it’s so difficult to prepare that most restaurants won’t feature it on their menu. To maximize your chance of trying this delicious dish, come around Carnival time when there’s an oil down on many street corners.

youtube

22. Sunset Sailing (St. George)

For an amazing afternoon of sailing (or multi-day trips), check out Savvy. They sail on a traditional sloop boat and offer fun times on the sea. You’ll sail up the west coast, do some swimming, some drinking and of course, enjoy the company of Danny and his crew. Click here to read about our experience aboard the Savvy, it is definitely one of our favourite things to do in Grenada.

*Note: Savvy is locally owned and operated. Danny runs private tours on his boat, so you’ll never be stuck with a group of people who you don’t know. Click here to contact Savvy and arrange your day at sea.

23. Levera Beach (St. Patrick)

Located at the very northern tip of the island, the beach here is lovely and is a great spot for a picnic. The beach is usually quite empty, so be mindful of your belongings. Also, this is not a good beach for swimming as currents are very strong.

24. Carib’s Leap (St. Patrick)

Located in the town of Sauteurs, this is a very historical spot in Grenada. In 1651, rather than face domination by the French invasion, the native Carib people leaped to their death off of this cliff.

25. Royal Mt. Carmel Waterfalls (St. Andrew)

Located just 3 km south of Grenville, these are the tallest waterfalls in Grenada. After an easy 20 – 30 minute walk you’ll arrive at the falls. A great place for a picnic and a swim.

youtube

26. Grand Anse Beach: One Of The Best Things To Do in Grenada! (St. George)

This is the largest beach in Grenada, and arguably the most beautiful. The sand is soft and white and the waters are clear and calm. This is the most popular beach in Grenada, yet it’s practically empty.

You can go diving, swimming, kayaking, snorkelling, or just chill out on the sand with a book in hand. It’s also a good spot to watch the sun set. This beach is one of the top tourist attractions in Grenada, and for good reason.

youtube

27. Umbrella’s Beach Bar (Grand Anse Beach, St. George)

Located on Grand Anse Beach, this is a popular spot for locals, students, tourists and expats. The food is good and it’s a casual place to head in for a drink. Try the Umbrella Burger! Fridays and Saturdays they have live music from 7:00 – 9:00 and on Sundays from 5:30 – 7:30pm.

28. Morne Rouge Beach (St. George)

Located one bay over from Grand Anse Beach on the south end, this is a gorgeous cove. The waters here are very calm and perfectly clear. This beach is much quieter than Grand Anse, and is one of the best beaches in Grenada.

youtube

29. Fort Frederick (St. George)

Built by the French, this fort is a great place to come for views of St. George’s and the Caribbean Sea. It’s right next to Fort Mathew (below) and they both make our list of things to do in Grenada because they both have great views over the nation’s capital, St.George.

30. Fort Mathew Bar (St. George)

Just adjacent to Fort Frederick, this was once an insane asylum! Interested in drinking cold beer inside tunnels with rum barrels used as tables? Check out this unique bar.

☞ SEE ALSO: Travel to Grenada: The Ultimate Budget Guide

31. Practice Yoga (St. George)

Practicing yoga is one of the best things to do in Grenada after a long flight… or if you’ve been sitting on the beach for too long! There are a few great yoga spots around Grenada. Check out Spice Harmony Yoga in St. George, MitSukha at Coyaba Beach Resort (St. George) and Sankalpa at True Blue Resort (St. George).

32. Annandale Falls (St. George)

Located just 15 minutes from St. George’s, these are the easiest falls to visit on the island. The 15 meter high waterfall is beautiful and a great spot for a swim.

This is one of the most popular things to do in Grenada, so you’ll likely see lots of people (locals and tourists) at this refreshing hot spot.

33. Laura’s Spice Garden (St. David)

Grenada is known as the Island of Spice and a trip here wouldn’t be complete without learning about the nutmeg and other spices this island is famous for. The tour here is about 20 minutes and the guide will explain every use for each herb and plant on the property (if you’re lucky, she’ll smile). There’s a $5EC ($1.85) entrance fee.

34. Ronda’s Ice Cream (St. David)

This small, side of the road ice cream shop has local ice cream on offer. Make sure to try the cookies n’ cream! Located on your right-hand side when driving to La Sagesse Beach, if you’re coming from the south.

35. Levera National Park & Bathway Beach (St. Patrick)

A lovely area at the very northern reaches of the island. Walk around the lagoon, or enjoy the bird-watching. Bathway Beach is a great place to enjoy the afternoon as well, just be aware of strong surf here. A trip “up island” may seem like a long way to go, but it’s worth the drive and is one of the best things to do in Grenada.

36. Dragon Bay (St. George)

This local beach is a nice spot to enjoy a picnic and do some snorkelling. Here you’ll rarely see another tourist, it’s a great spot to get to know the locals.

37. Fish Friday in Gouyave (St. John)

An open-air event held each Friday. All sorts of fresh, local seafood is available and sold at little vendors. This is a very local event filled with good food, music and dancing in the street. It starts around 6:00pm and ends around 1:00am. This is one of the most popular things to do in Grenada.

38. Go For a Craft Beer (St. George)

Located near the Calabash Hotel in Lance Aux Epines is the West Indies Beer Company. The beers are brewed in-house and are very tasty. Try the IPA! Food here is also very affordable, and they often have live music. Click here to learn more.

39. Cycle Tour (St. George)

Mocha Spoke is a cool company here on the island offering cycle trips around Grenada. The guides are professional and the bikes are top-notch. Mocha Spoke is also an open air cafe, serving up waffles, paninis, and of course, coffee!

40. Carnival (St. George)

Carnival in Grenada is held every year, with the main music competitions and parades in July / early August. Music, costume and dance competitions happen all over the island. It’s a bright, colourful, crazy festival! Don’t miss J’ouvert, Monday Night Mas and Pretty Mas. If you’re looking for things to do in Grenada, this celebration is our top choice.

In our opinion, this is one of the absolute best things to do in Grenada.

youtube

41. Kayak Tour (St. David)

Conservation Kayak is the company to go with if you want to do a kayak tour. They leave from Le Phare Bleu after a good 30 minute or so briefing. Tours vary, but most paddle out near Hog Island.

42. Deep-Sea Fishing (Leave From St. George)

Grenada has some excellent fishing opportunities. Sailfish, marlin, tuna, mahi-mahi and barracuda are just some of the many fish you could hook into! If you’re an avid fisherman or woman, you’ll want to check out the Billfish Tournament which takes place each year in January.

But either way, if you’re interested in a fun day at sea with a professional, safety-oriented, fun crew, contact Frank, the owner of the Oceanus. We went on a 6 hour trip with this Grenadian owned and operated company, and highly recommend it.

Click here to learn more about the Oceanus and book your deep-sea fishing excursion.

43. Concord Falls (St. John)

There are actually three waterfalls here. The first is easily reached, while the other two require a bit of a hike through gorgeous scenery. It’s about 45 minutes to the second fall. This is a great place to spend the day, pack a picnic.

44. Mt. Moritz Breakfast (St. George)

This breakfast is held on the last Sunday of each month. Many local foods are on offer and there’s music as well. It’s a well-attended event and there’s lots of seating and parking.

45. Saturday Morning Grenada Market (St. George)

If you’re looking for some fresh fruits and veggies, this is the place to come on Saturdays! Located right in the center of St. George’s, just one street back from the Grenada fish market.

46. Mount. St. Catherine (St. Mark)

At 840m (2,760ft), this is the highest point on the island. Mt. St. Catherine is actually a stratovolcano and the youngest of the 5 volcanoes that Grenada is comprised of. You can hike up to the top, but you’ll need to take a guide. Tours are available out of Victoria, or you could arrange it in St. George’s.

47. Magazine Beach (St. George)

This is one of the best beaches in Grenada. You’ll be sharing the beach with the guests of the Rex Grenadian hotel and Maca Bana Villas, but it’s still pretty quiet. At the southern end of the beach is the Aquarium Restaurant which has an awesome Sunday BBQ, or bring your own food and drinks to the beach. You can snorkel here as well if you have your own gear.

48. Lake Antoine (St. Patrick)

This shallow crater lake is a great place for bird watching. There’s a trail that circles it as well. Bring some food and spend a couple of hours chilling out.

49. Grenada Fish Market (St. George)

A great place to find fresh fish! Snapper, barracuda, mahi-mahi and more are on offer. Shore fishing in Grenada is quite popular, but to haul in these big fish, these fishermen will be out on their boats. Prices are about $8EC ($3) / pound. Even if you’re not interested in purchasing anything, it’s an interesting and bustling place to visit.

50. Black Bay Beach with Amerindian markings (St. John)

About a 20-minute hike from Concord off the main road is this secluded beach. There’s also a cave here with Amerindian markings inside.

51. Dougaldston Spice Estate (St. John)

Learn about various spices while on tour at this 600-acre nutmeg plantation. This is a non-working spice factory now, but you can still visit to see the old buildings and machinery and get a glimpse of what a working plantation might have been like in its hey-day.

52. St. George’s Anglican Church (St. George)

This church was built in 1825, but suffered during Hurricane Ivan. This church has no roof, but a bell, clock tower, some stained glass, and tiled flooring remains.

53. National Museum (St. George)

This building has been a lot of things in the past – French Barracks, a prison, two different hotels and a warehouse. In 1976 the museum was established. The sections here are: Slavery, First Inhabitants, Plantation Economy, Whaling & Fishing Archaeology, and Early Transport & Technology. You’ll also find Carib and Arawak artifacts here. For history buffs, this is one of the things to do in Grenada that you won’t want to miss.

54. Drive Around the Island

This is a must-do when in Grenada. You’ll probably get lost a couple of times as there aren’t many road signs, but just pull over and ask someone where you’d like to go! Get a good map, bring some food and enjoy the day. We recommend having a picnic up near Bathway Beach. Car rentals cost around $50 / day, but once you have a car it’s easy to tick many items off your list of things to do in Grenada.

55. Creole Shack Restaurant (St. George)

Just down the street from the Fish Market, this restaurant serves up local, buffet-style food. The cost of the meal is based on weight. There’s a bar here, lots of seating, both inside and out. The food is really good and the cost is not too bad either. (Update 2020: This restaurant is now permanently closed.)

56. Go Bowling (St. George)

This is one of the newer things to do in Grenada. Lavo Lanes are on the road to the airport, and they have about 8 lanes for bowling. Upstairs and the rooftop terrace are more of the party areas, complete with a bar and oftentimes, live music. If you’re wondering what to do in Grenada when it’s raining, this is a good idea. Click here to learn more.

57. Le Phare Bleu (St. David)

The actual Le Phare Bleu is a marina, restaurant and boutique hotel. The surrounding area is residential and is a great place for walking. Try to find your way down to one of the little beaches!

58. Golfing at Grenada Golf & Country Club (Grand Anse/St. George)

You can play 9 holes ($20USD) or 18 holes ($30USD) here. The cost of a caddy and club rental is on top of the initial cost. The views of the Caribbean Sea from the greens are stunning.

59. Visit Carriacou & Petit Martinique

The island country of Grenada actually consists of 6 smaller islands, as well as the largest island, Grenada. The sister isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique are really the only other two islands you’ll hear about. You can take the Osprey Ferry to visit these islands (about a 2-hour journey from Grenada to Carriacou), fly with SVG Air, or you can take a sailboat for a journey up the Grenadine chain with Savvy.

60. Listen to Steel Pan Music in Grenada

Listening to steel pan bands while in Grenada is a must. The sound is incredible, the vibe is great and the music will make you want to dance. You can find the music at Prickly Bay on certain nights, Friday nights at Savvy Beach Cabana, during Carnival season and at the Spice Basket as well.

61. Pure Grenada Music Festival (St. George)

April 2016 was the debut of this music festival and it’s been going on every year since! In fact, it was listed by Billboard Magazine as a top 7 must-see festival in the Caribbean. The venue is the grassy area at Port Louis Marina, and the entire production is top-notch. The stage, sound, vendors, and performers all come together to create this incredible event.

2018 had three different music nights: Soul, Reggae & Caribbean, with top international artists such as Daley from the UK, Chrisette Michele, and Morgan Heritage from the USA, Jah9 and Protoje from Jamaica, Alison Hinds from the UK/Barbados and numerous Grenadian performers as well!

The local talent on this island is phenomenal. Click here to learn more about the festival, and check out our live Facebook video from the event:

2019 Grenada Music Fest was held at Quarantine Point, with some top performers, such as Ky-Mani Marley, Maxi Priest, Busy Signal, Patrice Roberts, and the Grenadian artists Lavaman, Luni Spark & Electrify, Wuss Wayz and more. To learn more about the 2020 event, click here.

Now You Know What To Do in Grenada!

Grenada is one of the most jam-packed islands (or countries) that we’ve ever come across. For such a small nation, it really does pack a punch. There are many more things to do in Grenada that I could add to this list, but I don’t want to give away all of our secrets…

Your Turn! Have you ever been to Grenada? Do you know more things to do in Grenada? Anything you don’t think belongs here? Share below!

For more articles and videos about living and travelling in Grenada, click here.

Like This Article? Pin it!

The post 61 Fun Things To Do in Grenada (2020 Edition) appeared first on Goats On The Road.

61 Fun Things To Do in Grenada (2020 Edition) published first on https://travelaspire.weebly.com/

0 notes

justsarahsvlogs · 6 years ago

Text

A few weeks ago, when my family were here, I took them to Maerim Elephant Sanctuary. Skye and I had been there before a few months ago and we really enjoyed it so I wanted them to have the same experience!

We literally booked our tickets the night before online which is great because a lot of places want you to book 24 hours in advance. We booked to do the full day because for the price it’s worth it to do the full instead of half day. We also had to let them know that we weren’t going to get a lift with them because we live about half an hour from Chiang Mai so we drove ourselves. A little note though, I would suggest getting a lift with the sanctuary because the roads leading up to it are extremely bumpy and was hard in a normal car. They will pick you up and bring you in a big tuk tuk!

We set off from ours to arrive for about 9am which was great because no-one else had got there yet so we got to chill and play with the elephants.

We then got changed into our mahout outfits which are great. We wear the blue because elephants can see blue the most! We then watched a welcome video and had our names written on us in Thai so the group leader and photographer knows our name. I love this idea as you can also see what your name in Thai is!

Then we filled all our pockets and bags up with bananas and took them in to see the elephants. They were great, swarming around us trying to get the bananas. You can even put the bananas straight into their mouths. The mahouts were so funny too, getting us involved with the elephants and even playing pranks on us and each other. One reason why I love this camp so much is because they don’t use bull hooks on their elephants. If they want their elephants to do something in particular they just shout louder and sometimes pat them on the bum to get them moving. These elephants also have collars but this is only because the camp is surrounded by banana plantations and the mahouts need a way to pull the elephants away if necessary.

When we were there they had 5 adult female elephants and one baby boy. They had all been rescued from either logging camps or the circus and one girl was new and still had some wounds healing on her foot from a logging camp. It’s so sad to see the torment these elephants go through and I still couldn’t believe that someone would want to do something like that to these beautiful creatures! They were currently raising some money to rescue a new elephant but they needed 3 million baht which is about £70,000! That’s where the money from donations and groups goes to!

After we fed them bananas they took us to a banana plantation of their own so that we could cut down the banana trees because elephants like the inside of banana trees. So we all took it in turns to cut off a bit of the tree to take back with us.

When we got back it was time for lunch! They teach you how to make your own noodles too. You put some noodles, cooked chicken and cabbage into a basket and dunk that into some broth for about 20 seconds. The food was actually so good and you could go back and eat as much as you wanted.

After dinner we trekked with the elephants to a little area and gave them our banana trees. Watching the elephants crunch the solid trees with their mouths was crazy! We then walked them all the way back to the camp and got straight into the mud bath! It’s so gross between your toes and to think that it’s pretty much mud and elephant poo and wee is so grim but putting it on the elephants is so fun! They love it! We went to war with each other though, throwing it and rubbing it on each others backs because it’s good for your skin. After that we had to take a group photo and throw it up in the air. After that it was a full on war and everyone was throwing it at each other. I just grabbed my mum’s hands and ran out of there but we still got covered!

Then we went into the water to wash it off the elephants. They love this part and just lie in the water as we wash the mud off them. And it was nice to finally get all the mud washed off ourselves.

After we were all clean we said goodbye to the elephants and thank you to the mahouts and then had a quick shower and went into the ‘human pool.’ We just chilled in there for a bit, chatting and playing with a ball. When we were out we got changed and had the chance to look at all the photos the photographer had taken. They were so great and definitely worth it if you go because he takes loooads of photos.

We chilled and chatted for a little bit after that and then we headed back home!

We had such an amazing day and I was so happy that I could take my family to experience the fun! Maerim Elephant Sanctuary is one of the best out there in my opinion. It’s kind to the elephants and I think it’s a really great price for what you get. We paid 2000 baht each for our tickets which comes to about £50 each and we were there from about 9ish-5ish which is a full day!

I cannot recommend this sanctuary enough and it definitely won’t be the last time I go!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Thanks for reading!

Stay Happy!

Sarah

Check out my new blog post! All about our day at Maerim Elephant Sanctuary! A few weeks ago, when my family were here, I took them to Maerim Elephant Sanctuary. Skye and I had been there before a few months ago and we really enjoyed it so I wanted them to have the same experience!

#chiang mai #elephant bath #elephant rescue #elephant sanctuary #elephants #exploring thailand #living in thailand #mae rim #Maerim #Maerim Elephant Sanctuary #mud bath #rescue elephants #thailand #thailand tips #thailand trip #travelling thailand

0 notes

anahatahealing-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Anahata Healing is a donation-based yoga and meditation retreat in southern Indian that heals all wounds.

“We meet the people we meet for a reason,” welcomed Kiran, founder of Anahata Healing Arts Centre. “There are no accidents.”

The ashram in his home village of Ravandur is located about 70 kilometres outside of Mysore, the local hustle ‘n’ bustle city in the southern Indian state of Karnateka.

I too believe that the people you interact with are the people that you’re supposed to interact with – for better or for worse. Either they’ll open their hearts to you, or not. Anahata means the heart chakra in Sanskrit, one of the seven chakras that are believed to have a psychic-energy centre that align’s our body from our crown to our root – groin.

“I believe that everybody, all humans, have a right to heal,” Kiran continued as we were offered chai or herbal tea. “That is why Anahata is a donation-based retreat, which makes it the most affordable one in India. That way, you don’t have to be stressed about the cost. Pay what you feel you can.”

I arrived at Anahata for two reasons: the first, to volunteer in helping continuing the building and development of the community that Kiran envisions. The second was something that had detonated in my personal life – let’s leave it at heart-break. I needed a sanctuary to deal with it while wrestling Ego which wanted revenge.

We met the rest of the volunteers out in the backyard. On the website, there are photos of the farm, situated by a lake. The location on the online map also placed it on the shores of a lake. But before me lay a standard backyard, fenced in by the primary school next door and the neighbours on the other side.

Is he planning the farm here? I was confused. Are we in the right place? Is the farm somewhere else?

“Do you want to see the farm?” Kiran read my mind.

“Is it far?” I asked.

“Just through this gate,” he grinned, opening the wooden door and, “Watch your head,” ducking through the doorway.

I had to stop and not because I bumped my head. Before me lay toiled fields lining the sprawling grassy area that led right up to the shores of Ravandur Lake. Cattle fed off the grassy sprawl. Egrets fed off the cattle. There was a mud pit, from which the mud, mixed with cow-dung, was used to build an eco-dwelling with eco-friendly rooms based on the five elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Ether. It was as surprising as opening a small box and discovering the Universe inside it.

“We are planning an art therapy space for special needs children,” he explained pointing at a large area overrun with weeds. “And over here,” he pointed nearby the coconut plantation where Brahmini and Brown Kites circled the sky, “we are starting to build the senior community centre. Come, I’ll show you the yoga shala,” he led the way. “It’s just here, in the banana grove.”

I stood in the sacred space overlooking Ravandur Lake as butterflies fluttered about.

I began with helping to set up roof tiles on the roof of the eco-dwellings along with the other volunteers, chain-passing the tiles to the labourers. Lunch was at around 13:30 and it was different each day. Dinner was pongal, the same every sunset: beaten rice with lentils in a stew. All the meals are vegetarian and organic from seasonally grown vegetables on the farm.

At 05:30, or thereabouts, the village alarm plays from the temple down the road, awakening every one to catch the sunrise. I did so every day for the two weeks I was there. Either guided by the stars or my flashlight, I’d make my way to the east-facing yoga shala and meditate until I could feel the warmth of the sun.

The sun rose up like an orange ball, waking all cattle egrets, herons, cormorants, red-naped ibis, cranes, kites and storks. Dogs and chickens began their morning chatter. Macaque monkeys raided the outdoor common area along with a couple of fearless crows. Butterflies took to the air while caterpillars munched on leaves. Fruit bats returned from their nightly hunt. The mist lifted as the sun grew higher.

Once meditation was completed, I moved over to yoga. Hatha is practiced and lead by Kiran, but I was used to Ashtanga, a form of yoga I had recently learned. I then finished up with another half-hour of meditation before returning to the common area for breakfast and herbal tea.

On my second day I was contemplating joining the detox program when Kiran asked me suddenly, “I feel like you might benefit from the detox program. Would you like to join?”

Anahata also offers therapy like the Ayurveda-based detox programs, Ayurveda massage therapy, meditation and yoga.

“I just need to ask you that you don’t question our methods,” he furthered the deal. “Simply accept what is coming. Don’t ask when or how long is left. Acceptance is key.”

I accepted the terms and made no enquiries except for the names of the food and juices served. The first day was eating resinga, a sweet concoction of banana, coconut and honey. Lunch was a beetroot-carrot salad with shredded coconut and various spices and herbs. Dinner closed out with pongal. Between the meals, I was served with moringa juice and other juiced herbal plants, beetroot and carrot juices, coconut water and on the last day, a litre of warm salt water.

“This detox method is based on ancient Ayurveda medicine from centuries past,” explained Kiran.

“All the food and juices we provide are seasonal, and, of course, organic.”

And what a difference in the flavours! I took a bite out of a tomato and thought my mouth was going to melt. I was pulling up my own carrot and beetroots from the fields to be used in the juices.

I planted a tree after taking two days to dig through the quartz rock-based soil.

In the early mornings, after yoga, I’d walk through the village, Namastaying the friendly locals, hand to my heart as was the custom. I’d then walk down the bank of the tributary that fed into Ravandur Lake, getting buzzed by small birds, surprising cranes and egrets to take to flight. And a clichéd row of ducks.

I turned around and noticed Bettadapura Hill, a mini-mountain peak rising up behind the village just 15 kilometres away.

“It’s the Sidlu Mallikarjuna Temple,” explained one of the volunteers. “You’ll have to climb 3,600 steps to the Shiva temple at the top.”

So along with another volunteer, I did just that. Having been rising early for meditation and yoga on a daily basis for these two weeks, I could really feel the physical and mental change in me. I had slowed down. I was appreciating the moment and being present. I was reconnecting with myself.

I usually race up mountains and speed walk through treks. This time I was going to practice walking meditation, focusing on my breath and each individual step.

I’ve always noticed the small things in nature but this time, it was as though everything was standing out. The colours, the sounds, the smells. I could feel a sudden reconnection happening with myself.

Within myself.

Sometimes we don’t realise that we’ve disconnected from ourselves. Especially, in this machine-driven era of humanity. People are always looking for a place to recharge their phones, tablets, laptops, power banks. It’s one of the first questions asked in a public space, right after, ‘Do you have wifi?’ But we forget to recharge ourselves.

A lot of our health issues are caused by the anxiety and stress we allow our environment and surroundings to put ourselves through: work, the future, money, dwelling on past hurt and pain.

Relationships.

We forget to live today – and each day – for ourselves. We spend way too much time worrying about the one day that never comes – tomorrow.

Anahata doesn’t just mean the heart chakra, it is the heart chakra as mine opened up and received love from nature, her abundant food and light from the Universe, under whose canopy we’d all chill under in the evenings, star-meditating, watching Orion’s Belt drift across the sky as we caught shooting stars.

It’s hard to leave such a place, but it was time to test what I had learned and apply it to the hustle ‘n’ bustle of what we call, ‘The Real World’.

‘We meet the people we meet for a reason,’ Kiran’s voice echoed in my head. ‘There are no accidents.’

#Yoga Retreat India #Ayurvedic Treatment in India #Wellness Retreats #Natural Body Detoxification #Affordable Yoga Retreats

0 notes