Tiger Reserves of Karnataka

NDTV's Save Our Tiger telethon campaign yesterday was a huge success. NDTV has done a commendable job in bringing awareness among the people and has done its bit of social responsibility. 

The total tiger population is estimated to be around 1706 as per the latest census of 2011. That means there is an increase of 295 tigers from the last numbers of 1411. This is a great news for all Indians, but the job doesn't end here, lot needs to be done still to conserve our National animal and bring up its population. 

As per the reports, Karnataka has overtaken Madhya Pradesh as the state with maximum number of Tigers. Plan to visit these Tiger Reserves of Karnataka in your next vacation. 

1. Bandipur National Park : Located in the southern part of Karnataka, Bandipur is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in India and is an important Project Tiger Reserve. It is a beautiful tourist spot and considered as one of the best wild life sanctuaries in the country. It covers an area of about 874 sq.km. and has been selected in 1974 as Project Tiger area to protect and increase the tiger population. The National park comprises of rich Flora and Fauna. It is a dwelling place for wild animals like elephant, tiger, panther, sambar, wild boar jackal, squirrel, gaur, barking deer, langur etc.

How to reach Bandipur ? Bandipura is in Hangala hobli, 19 km from Gundlupet, 80 km from Mysore and 220 km from Bangalore, on the Mysore-Ooty road.

2. Nagarhole national Park : Nagarhole National Park, also known as "Rajiv Gandhi National Park", is spread between Kodagu and Mysore districts of Karnataka. It covers an area of 643 sq.km. It was considered as Project Tiger tiger Reserve in 1999. The park derives its name from naga, meaning snake and hole, referring to streams. 

How To Reach Nagarhole? Nagarhole National park is well connected to adjoining areas of Karnataka. The nearest towns are Madikere (90 km) and Mysore (96 km) . The nearest well-connected railway junction is Mysore, while the nearest airports are in Mysore and Bangalore (220 km). Best period to visit is October to May

3. Bhadra Tiger Reserve Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is northwest of Chikmagalur town in Karnataka state covering an area of 493 sq.km. It is a well known Project Tiger reserve. The sanctuary is surrounded by hills and has the tributaries of the Bhadra river flowing through it, hence the name. The western border of the sanctuary adjoins the back waters of the Bhadra Reservoir surrounded by scenic hills and steep slope. Nearest town is Chikmagalur and best time to visit is between November to March.

4. Bannerghatta National Park Bannerghatta National Park is situated 22kms  south of Bangalore, Karnataka. It was established in 1974 and spreads over an are of 104 sq km. It is well known for its lion and tiger safari. The other major attractions of Bannerghatta National Park include crocodile and snake farm. It also houses the country's first Butterfly park which was opened in 2006. This hilly place is the home for one of the richest natural zoological reserves. The 25,000 acre zoological park makes this a major tourist attraction of Bangalore. Visiting hours are from 9am to 5pm on all days except Tuesdays. 

5. Dandeli - Anshi National Park The Dandeli Anshi Tiger Reserve sprawls over an area of 875 sq km in the Western Ghats in Uttara Kannada district. It has been designated as Tiger Reserve in 2007.  Kali and its tributaries, Kaneri and Nagajhari, flow through the moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests. The Tiger Reserve comprises of two protected areas viz., Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary(475.018 sq.km) and Anshi National Park(339.866) that are contiguous to each other and form a single tract of protected area. Both Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park support rich and diverse flora and fauna. 

How to Reach Dandeli? Distance from Dandeli to Belgaum(110km), Hubli (75km), Goa(150 km), Bangalore(480km), Dharwad(57 km), Karwar(117km)

Have you visited any of these? Share your experiences.

3Rs-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

More and more people are becoming aware of the threatening issues our earth is facing today. It is the responsibility of each one of us to contribute to this noble cause of safeguarding our mother earth.

I have tried to list a few things following which may help in creating a greener world, thus creating a healthy and happy future

3R's- How to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

1. First and foremost, buy and use less! buy only what you need and use all of what you buy. Think before buying any product.

2. Extend the life of a material. Find alternative use of it. Think twice before discarding it away

3. Producing new items from recycled material takes less energy and resources than making products from brand new materials, thus exploiting less of natural resources of the planet. Buy more of recycled items

4. Say NO to junk mail! Call toll-free numbers in unwanted catalogs and ask to be removed from mailing lists. Whenever possible, use the Internet to obtain (and pay) bills, news, catalogs, stock reports and other information that usually comes to your house in a paper format. Reducing paper reduces waste.

5. Avoid creating trash wherever possible. when ordering food, avoid receiving any unnecessary plastic utensils, straws, etc. (ask in advance), buy products with the least amount of packaging. Every little bit of trash avoided does make a difference!

6. Refuse store bags. Everybody knows this, but very few follow this. When you buy one

or two items at a store, ca

rry them out in your hands; or take a reusable bag with you to carry the items.

7. Share things like books, magazines, movies and games with your friends

8. Take washable cups and plates

instead of disposables. Even if you use disposable plastic cups, plates, utensils, and plastic food storage bags, don't throw them away! Wash and reuse them -- most of them will last for a long time with many us

es. You will not only be helping your environment, but your pockets will thank you too!

9. Stop ripping the paper off gifts! If you remove the wrapping paper carefully, you can use it again, and there's nothing wrong with doing just that!

10. Use Rechargeable batteries whererever pos

sible

11. Use the emptied jars as handy contain

ers, as vases, spoon stand or pen stand

12. Start a garden. Food that you grow yourself does not have to be "processed" or "packaged", and no fossil fuels are needed to get it to the store and then to your house.

13. Start a compost or v

ermiculture to transform your

household garbage (food wastes, vegetable left outs etc), into a rich fertilizer to plants.

14. Reuse envelops, wrapping paper, one sided blank papers wherever possible. Avoid fresh paper to take the printout of not so important documents. Printer misprints can become great to-do-list scratch papers

15. Gift a sapling instead of buying some expensive useless gifts

16. If you have indoor plants, water them with leftover or unused drinking water and water from cooking

17. Shoe boxes can be turned into herb planters o

r file storage

18. Start carpool in your community if possible

19. Educate your children about the importance of being economical and the importance of 3Rs

20. Cell phones can be

recycled, parts can be re-used or the whole phone refurbished.

There are close to 5000 Nokia recycling points globally, each taking back mobile devices and accessories. In India, Nokia has laid out a robust recycling infrastructure across the country with over 1300 recycling bins installed at Nokia Care Centers, Nokia Priority Dealers and Nokia Concept Stores.

Find your nearest recycling point at Nokia Care Center, Nokia Priority Dealers, Nokia Concept Stores.

21. Used televisions can be donated to various charitable organizations, hospitals, homeless shelters, orphanages. Many places delivering new televisions will take away the old to donate or use for parts

22. Try to buy products/containers made from recycled material as often as possible to support the recycled product market. When purchasing paper products (toilet paper, etc,), look for paper that has been recycled using a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste.

23. Make extensive use of your local library,

24. Install a drip irrigation system to water your plants more effectively

25. Whenever possible, keep lights off during the day. Encourage family members to get in the habit of turning off lights when they leave a room (taping small reminder notes to light switches can help).

26. Commit to planting and maintaining a plant/tree. Plant a sapling on every occasion at home, bdays, anniversaries...etc

27.Use the stairs instead of the elevator when you have to climb couple of floors

28. If a recycling program has not already been started at your company, start one yourself (or improve the program already in place)

29. Soap water used for washing clothes can be used to wash the veranda or corridors.

30. Commonly recycled business items:

• Office paper
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspaper
• Cardboard
• Aluminum cans
• Plastic bottles
• Toner and ink jet cartridges and other stationary

31. Rotate or post memos rather than making multiple copies of them (if available, use voice mail or e-mail

32. Encourage your employees and colleagues about the energy consumption (switching off computers, light, fans when not in use)

33. Complete simple tasks by hand, rather than using electrical appliances

34. It is wise to switch to Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs as they use only a third as much electricity as a standard incandescent bulb.

As i always say, Spread the word, Save earth!

Earth Hour 2010

Get ready for the The biggest climate awareness campaign.-Earth Hour 2010. A campaign where you do not have to run for kilometers, do not have to hold placards standing in the sun shouting slogans, do not have to form human chains, collect signatures.......

Just switch off the lights for one hour from 8.30pm to 9.30 pm local time on March 27th 2010.

This global campaign is held on the last Saturday of March every year. The action and the contribution of each individual helps in bringing a large difference. So spread the word, contribute in saving nature

Save Tiger!

At the start of 20th century India's wild lands were home to 40,000 and today the estimate is close to 1400. The major reason being poaching.

Many of the tigers have been lost due to Asia's demand for tiger bones, claws and skin The animal parts are used in traditional medicine.

Tigers have also died due to electric fencing, illegal logging and fighting among the few remaining males.

Three subspecies Bali, Javan, Caspian were extinct by 1980's.

It is time that we all stand together to protect our national animal because the day is not far when we would have to leave only posters and photographs as memories to our future generations.

Join NDTV's signature campaign here and support the battle against the decline of this endangered species.

What else can YOU do?

• The more aware YOU are of the status of the tiger, more effectively you can help save it
• Create awareness in your community by organizing an event to educate the public about the diminishing plight of tigers
• join a signature campaign. The more people sign, the more impact a petition has
• Organize events at your workplace, a poster or a slogan competition will be very effective
• Educate your children
• Collect or send donations to the tiger conservation Foundations and Organizations

THE TIGER NEEDS YOU!

Every Drop Counts!

World Water Day was on March 22nd. Water crisis is one of the major issues the world is facing today. Let us contribute our bit towards conservation of this natural resource.

Some Do's and Don't's :

• Monitor your water bill and water meter to track water usage.
• Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are c00ler to minimize evaporation.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
• Collect the water used for washing fruits and vegetables, or rice, dals and other organic food items and reuse to water houseplants.
• Spreading a layer of organic mulch around plants retains moisture an saves water,time and money.
• Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you will save up to 150 gallons per month!
• When you clean the fish tank use the drained water for plants. The water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous acting as a free and effective fertilizer
  
• Turn off the water while shaving and save up to 300 gallons a month!
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• Water the plants deeply but less frequently to encourage deep root growth and drought tolerance.
• Turning off the water while brushing your teeth can save 25 gallons a month!
• Do not ignore a leaking tap or shower head, get it repaired at the earliest.
• Do not throw away left over drinking water in bottles, water some plants with it.
• Encourage your children, friends and neighbors to be part of a water-conscious community. Encourage your employer to promote water conservation in the workplace.

Lets try to do one thing each day that will result in saving water. Don't worry if the savings are minimal, every drop counts, YOU can make the difference.

If we save water today, it will save us tomorrow.

Earth Hour 2009

On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., hundreds of millions of people in more than 750 cities and 80 countries around the world will come together once again to make a bold statement of concern about climate change by turning off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. An event that symbolizes by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in the fight against climate change and global warming.

Earth Hour, an international event held on the last Saturday of March, began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the Earth Hour went global. More than 400 cities, thousands of businesses and over 50 million people switching off their lights.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you are from, but what planet you are from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 80 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm local time.