Sahyadrica

Every day is Earth Day for me, and I’m sure it is for you too. But there are some who do not recognize the significance of merely being on this planet. And it is for that reason 22nd of every April is celebrated as Earth Day. I hope we remember this day to-morrow and forever after, for today many of us will rough it out in the field, plant trees, teach kids, and learn from others. Many of us will also wonder what impact one day can make. They will want numbers – statistics and facts; in the end they ask if it is worth it. But sometimes, things get measured, as it did on Earth Hour, as these statistics show. On Earth Day, things are not difficult to measure, but they’re hardly ever measured on a global level. Public awareness – how many citizens participated, and how many were inspired; tree plantation – how many trees were planted, and how many survived; clean-up drives – how much area was covered, and how much more is remaining; and so forth, all can be measured in some...

Their feathers ruffle in the still air, creating ripples invisible but perceptible, for it shuffles the wings of the others, and the stale, damp air that had settled by the seafront slowly stirs to life, dancing merrily over the weightless feathers streaked in crimson, becoming visible only because it intermingles with them. Like flames in the pale morning light they slowly flicker, with one stretching and flapping its wings and the other shaking its little tail feathers; one by one each they stir. The land they stand upon is flooded by water. Their tall, slender legs, half submerged, helps them stand still on the soft bed, and they raise their heads on a gracefully curved neck, greeting one another with affection. They are the purple-winged-phoenix-of-the-waters, with, not to mention – flaming eyes – the (Lesser) Flamingos. Not for nothing were they were named Phoenicopterus (now Phoeniconaias ). And not for nothing were they called minor , for they are the smallest of ...