The Hindu : Kerala News : Seven fruitful years of conservation activities

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Monday, Apr 07, 2008
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Kerala

Seven fruitful years of conservation activities

Malabar Natural History Society’s programmes such as frog watch, nature walk, rain camp, etc., have been getting good public response.

The Kozhikode-based Malabar Natural History Society, which completed seven years, has been in the forefront of environment education, research and conservation in north Kerala. The organisation has launched several innovative programmes such as a frog watch at Muthanga and a Kerala bird race in Kozhikode apart from nature walks, butterfly migration study and rain camp.

Society secretary Muhamed Jafer Palot said that nature camps had been conducted for students at the Kalpally wetland, Mavoor and at the Kadalundi bird sanctuary in April and May. Students and the public hugely responded to the nature walks at the Kottuli wetlands.

For the past two years the society has been organising a novel education programme, “breakfast with butterflies,” to acquaint students with the winged insects of the order of Lepidoptera. The Science Centre here cooperated with the programme in which 52 students took part, he said.

The second annual heronry census was carried out in July. Fifty-eight heronries were identified in Wayanad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. The society also organised a people’s convention on conservation of the Kottuli wetlands.

Dr. Palot said a rain camp held at Madayipara and a butterfly migration study camp at Aralam were successful. It was found that the influx of migration was maximum in the Chavachi area of the Aralam sanctuary and it was mainly the common albatross butterflies. A total of 92 butterfly species, including the rare Malabar Flash and Autumn Leaf, were also observed during the survey.

An exhibition of paintings, ‘Gajamoksha,’ by Surendran Kookkanam was held in Kozhikode. Over 50 nature enthusiasts took part in a plant identification workshop at Madayipara during Onam. The participants visited the Madayikavu sacred grove, Judha pond, Vadukunda Lake and the Thuvarathadam area.

The frog watch at Muthanga wildlife sanctuary was jointly organised with the Department of Forest and Wildlife. Six photo exhibitions on wildlife and Neelakurunji were held at various locations. A workshop on naming of frogs was organised in November 2007.

He said that a waterfowl census was conducted at 67 sites in north Kerala in January. The Kerala Bird Race was conducted simultaneously in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

The programme coincided with the birth anniversary of ornithologist Salim Ali. More than 60 birdwatchers participated in the Aralam bird survey jointly organised with Thanal and the Department of Wildlife, Dr. Palot said.

Biju Govind

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