GreenLine - Greener People, Greener World

Sunday, 24 th February, was celebrated at National Bee Day, with an interesting programme held at Maharashtra Nature Park, Mumbai. Well, while most people may not be particularly fond by bees and would in fact like to keep a safe distance from them, their importance to us human beings should definitely not be underestimated. An often quoted saying, attributed to Albert Einstein, declares:  "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." Although it is not certain if these are indeed the words of Einstein (he was a physicist not an apiologist), it is a warning we need to heed.    Bees are among the most important pollinators and their absence would cause the productivity of agriculture to fall dramatically. According to a U.N. report published in 2011, of the 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of the world’s food, over 70 a

The Global Bird Watcher's Conference (GBWC) is an initiative by the Gujarat Government to put the state of Gujarat on the the Global map as an important bird area. Bird Watchers, Photographers, Bio logists and nature buffs from all over the world attend the GBWC each year. This year saw people from Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Finland, UK, USA, South America; plus many people form India as well.  Birders and Birds. Gujarat has an excellent bird life. I guess this is the reason why we eagerly look for a  chance to go there.  So when the 3rd Edition of the Global Bird Watchers Conference was announced in the Greater Rann of Kutch, we wasted no time to register.  The Greater Rann of Kutch is a seasonal marshland in the Kutch district of Gujarat, and is the largest salt desert in the world. The word 'Rann' means 'Desert' in the native language.  A Painted Stork stalking the camera! Dhordo is the gateway to the Greater Rann of Kutch whic