How eco-tourism can promote ecological security, livelihood opportunities in Tamil Nadu

Forest dependents and other tribes who live inside the forest face adverse livelihood issues

How to stabilise sand dunes in Thoothukudi’s theri land

A wind break or shelter belt is a carefully raised tree and shrub structure that can  prevent the wind from beating on the land surface and …

There is a desert in Tamil Nadu and the dunes are red

There are a couple of theories regarding the formation of these dunes, the most plausible being the role of south west monsoonal winds

A biodiversity park to highlight importance of Tamil Nadu’s Sirumalai Hills

The Tamil Nadu government is developing a unique biodiversity park in Dindigul district to inculcate cultural, educational and …

Primate under threat: Why the slender loris needs a protected area in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul

The insectivorous animal is a great help in eradicating harmful insects; but it is gravely threatened due to a number of factors

Why India should enact a special law for conserving its sacred groves

India’s sacred groves are being gradually altered due to ever-expanding human populations, pollution and removal of biomass; effective …

How Auroville can teach us all a thing or two about offsetting carbon

The Government of India can enact a legilslation emulating Auroville, which plants trees to offset carbon emissions from transport

The Porunai in Sangam Literature: A river of wealth, power and antiquity

The latest discoveries about human settlements along the Porunai or Thamirabarani river in Tamil Nadu are exciting; the river and its valley have …

Why everyone should develop a home garden

The joy of seeing plants flowering for the first time or birds building their nests in plants cannot be described in mere words

In Karur, a conservation dilemma regarding the slender loris

Should the Tamil Nadu government declare the Kadavur Reserve Forest a sanctuary for the slender loris or should it implement a proposed species …

Gudalur’s Gene Pool Garden is an example of participatory forest management

An enthusiastic conservation effort that was thwarted for want of funds, was finally converted into an eco-tourism centre through people’s …

Guindy National Park: From colonial game reserve to the green lungs of Chennai

With its origins in the colonial Madras Presidency, the Guindy National Park today provides a number of ecosystem services to the people of one …

A tiger reserve declared this year can rejuvenate Vaigai, India’s heritage river

The Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve will provide protection to Megamalai, the Vaigai’s primary catchment, in turn helping water …

A wonder bamboo from Tamil Nadu to mitigate climate change

The Beema Bamboo developed by a bio-tech company can grow fast and does not die for many years, according to its developers

Marine pollution, coastal development: Coral reefs need to be saved

Coral reefs face mounting threats: 10% of them have degraded across the globe, another 30% may disappear within next 20 years 

Why seaweeds need to be conserved urgently

Indiscriminate collection severely damages the algae which is critical for balancing marine ecosystems and plays a role in thwarting climate …

Humanity must prevent the insect apocalypse

Most insects are not harmful but beneficial to humans; without them, nature will lose its balance

Why we must conserve the world’s seagrasses

Protection and restoration of seagrasses can play a significant role in mitigating climate change

Why India must conserve its palm trees

The country has a variety of palm trees. But they are diminishing fast

A unique rejuvenation camp in Tamil Nadu for captive elephants

Nutritious food and restorative care help relieve the stress that such elephants develop during captivity

India must conserve its orchid wealth

Earnest measures are needed, involving awareness efforts among all stakeholders

Trichy’s elephant rescue centre is a haven for abused pachyderms

Since its commencement last year, the centre has cared for those elephants who have been ill-treated by private owners

India must protect its rare, unique and endangered plants and trees

A systematic species recovery programme is the need of the hour

Tamil Nadu must sustainably manage its rattans

The plants have seen huge commercial exploitation in the state and need restoration to safeguard their survival

Keeping the ‘Green Hills’ truly green

An eco-toursim model allows tourists to explore the wilderness of Tamil Nadu's Pachaimalai hills and locals to have a stake in protecting them