The Grasshopper

Brown Grasshopper | August 2011

“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew.

- The Grasshopper and the Ant | Aesop's Fables

No defeat is final until you stop trying!

Ricefield crab | Chitwan, September 2012

..to give a hoot

A boy from Barpak | Barpak village, Gorkha, January 2015

On January we went to Barpak village of Gorkha district to discuss the possibility of organising an owl festival. We had a public meeting with the village representatives to present our proposal. They loved the idea! After forming a local festival organising committee we discussed festival activities and selected a venue. We had opted out of staying in hotels in favour of homestay and spent our free time sightseeing, enjoying the fascinating Ghale and Gurung culture and the picturesque landscape of this hilly village backdropped by the Boudha himal and Lakpa Dorje mountain range. Three days later we went back to Kathmandu.

We returned on March. The Nepal Owl Festival 2015 was a huge success.

Nepal Owl Festival is organised every year during the first week of March to promote owl awareness and conservation by Friends of Nature (FON Nepal), a non-governmental organisation working for wildlife conservation in Nepal with support from external agencies.

...woof!??

...woof!?? | Sikles, Annanpurna Conservation Area, February 2012

Homecoming

Homecoming | Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, October 2009

I was skimming through some old photographs in my laptop when I came across this and got a bit nostalgic. This one was taken while I was conducting a study on the domestic cattle encroachment in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR) for my undergrad thesis work in 2009. The photograph shows a cattle herd returning to the village after grazing in the reserve area.

The 175 sq.km. area of the reserve constitutes the floodplains of the Sapta Koshi River (one of the three main tributaries of the Ganges) in the south eastern Terai. The reserve is a Ramsar site - a wetland of international significance and is rich in flora and fauna diversity. With 486 species of resident and migratory birds, Koshi Tappu is a birder's paradise.

KTWR is inhabited by Nepal's last remaining population of wild water buffalo Bubalus arnee (locally known as Arna). They have to compete with the domestic cattle for food and habitat and face the risk of diseases, and genetic pollution as a result of interbreeding. 

Reflection

I've always been fascinated by the great outdoors. When I was a young boy we lived on the outskirts of the city and often-times went on hikes with my family and school-friends on holidays and weekends. Sometimes we went for stargazing, and it always made me feel I was a part of something big, a part of a big harmony.

I used to tell everyone I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. Over the years I understood that fascination, I wanted to show people the world that I see. I had once told my elder brother, “you know someday I'm going to study everything and excel in all fields”, which he promptly noted down in his diary with the date and time and said with a smile, “let’s see”. Everything fascinated me....still does. During secondary school we had to study environmental science. I loved the ecological concept. The living planet! ....everything in it, living or non-living, have their own vital roles to play and coexist in a perfect harmonious dynamic system. And among all living species on earth, we are the only ones who can begin to comprehend the complexity of the colossal scale of the earth systems...

Random Nature Photography - "Will you walk into my parlour?"

Aug 26, 2011; Location: Some random rice field in Trishuli; Camera: Canon SX200 IS

"Sweet creature!" said the Spider, "you're witty and you're wise,

How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!

I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,

If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."

- from "The Spider and the Fly" poem by Mary Howitt

Helllllloo blogging :|

...so it started with a Facebook link from a friend redirecting me to a blog which i enjoyed a lot...n i wanted to follow it >>created my account and then there was a 'start ur own blog' button *-*

so after trying a lot of cool blog names (all already taken) ...finally settled with this 8) ..well i couldn't have a plain ol' page for me blog arrrg!...so customize..a bit here n there...posting a pic!!!!!!cant leave my awesome new blog blank....and well err...
. so yea im finally blogging :p
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n bookmarked so i wont forget all about this tomorrow :]

Random Nature Photography - "World in a dewdrop"

Aug 26, 2011; Camera: Canon SX200 IS

“Be the green grass above me, with showers and dewdrops wet; and if thou wilt, remember, and if thou wilt, forget.” - Christina G. Rossetti