Thrill Run, a three- episode documentary series released on Amazon Prime combines adventure and lessons in history, and cultural practices of indigenous communities of Arunachal Pradesh. Motorsport driver Lhakpa Tsering and a group of travellers driving across the state takes viewers on a journey across the state along the Trans Arunachal Highway, showcasing the life, farming practices, local businesses and cultures of the people, with a focus on indigenous communities such as the Apatani tribe, and their deep connection to the land. The documentary also explores the historic, strategic and geopolitical importance of the higher regions of the border state.
Children across India have an opportunity to swap screen time for birdsong this November as Young Birders’ Month (YBM) returns for its second edition. Led by Early Bird, an initiative of the Nature Conservation Foundation, in partnership with WWF-India, the nationwide programme aims to nurture curiosity about nature through birdwatching.
Birds offer an accessible introduction to biodiversity, helping children understand migration, adaptation and ecological relationships through observation rather than textbooks. This year's programme expands its reach to schools, colleges and underserved regions, while encouraging older students to explore careers in conservation through the Wild Paths webinar series. A Campus Bird Day will also invite college students to document bird diversity on their campuses.
Nature educators, schools and birding clubs can organise events and can submit their events on https://youngbirders.in/host-events/. Children, parents and young people looking to attend can browse the event directory on https://youngbirders.in/events/ and register using the details provided for each event. With multilingual training and resources for educators, YBM offers families and schools a simple way to help young people discover the natural world—and perhaps inspire a lifelong interest in protecting it.
An October report by the UN says that exceeding the 1.5°C global warming limit above preindustrial era is now "inevitable". While eliminating fossil fuel is the most definitive way of staying on track for a more stable climate, it might not be enough, argues The age of microbes. The author, Steven D Allison, professor of ecology at the University of California Irvine, US, makes the case for using microorganisms to remove carbon from the atmosphere, clean up pollution and restore ecosystems. The book weaves together lessons from indigenous cultures, farmers and scientists, presenting a blueprint for preventing the planetary crisis.
Climate realism promises to offer an honest assessment of what is working and what is not in the global climate policies space. As the world faces challenges such as increasing carbon levels in the atmosphere, and an expected rise in global energy demand, the author points out that renewables remain expensive, nuclear power costly and carbon offsets often little more than modern indulgences. Calling people's faith in using technology or offsets as a way to curb the crisis as wishful thinking, the book calls for radical solutions such as making polluters pay for the damage caused.
This article was first published in the November 1-15, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth.