‘The Goan Jungle Book’- a collection of articles by Nirmal Kulkarni.

About the book

The Goan Jungle Book is Nirmal Kulkarni’s attempt to bring together a collection of some articles and notes he has written for local newspapers and publications, which detail his several sojourns through the forests in and around Goa, and reflect his concerns as an ecologist and activist. The essays offer just a tiny glimpse of the teeming jungles of Goa - where creatures big and small thrive in habitats that are unexplored and seldom appreciated - through the eyes of a passionate ecologist and wildlife photographer. If you want to discover and appreciate the rarely explored wild side of Goa, this book is right up your alley.

About the Author

Nirmal Kulkarni is a Goa based herpetologist, wildlife photographer and Director (Ecology) of Wildernest Nature Resort, an eco-tel in the Chorla Ghats, and co-founder of Goa-based eco-store Earthworm.

Though he largely trawls the surviving wild outback of the Western Ghats in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra in search of his subjects of study, research and photography, Nirmal has also worked on research projects that looked into the contentious human-nature relationship and the increasing conflict between human, nature and the wild world in Gujarat, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. He was part of a team that discovered two new species of legless amphibians, the caecilians - Goan caecilian (Gegeneophis goaensis) and Mhadei caecilian (Gegeneophis mhadeiensis). As a trainer, he has helped shape young nature enthusiasts into foot soldiers for India’s wildlife research and conservation movement - particularly reptile conservation.

Nirmal trained as an Applied Artist with photography as specialisation, before opting to do a Masters degree in Environment and Ecology. He has spent years documenting and photographing natural heritage, folk culture and wildlife, particularly the lesser-known species in his home state, Goa, and in the other forests and urban areas where he works as an ecologist and researcher.

‘The Goan Jungle Book’ is aimed at creating awareness amongst the Goan public at large about the lesser known biodiversity of Goa and its forests and is available at all major book stores across the state.

Nirmal Kulkarni

For details contact- ophidian_nirmal@yahoo.co.in

The Goan Jungle Book- my first book.

Distribution of compost created from Nirmalya of Ganesh chaturthi.

It will be recalled that the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Vasco City took on a very interesting direction this year wherein the whole city participated in an eco-friendly initiative. The Citizens of Vasco City gave their nirmalya (offerings of garlands and Prasad) at 4 visarjan sites to willing volunteers who graciously collected it at Baina Beach, Kharviwado, Vaddem lake and Chicalim. Nirmalya was taken from the devotees and segregated in paper, plastic and flowers at site in an effort to create less pollution at rivers, nullahs and beaches.

This could be made possible with the collaboration of MMC with Chairperson, Shekhar Khadapkar, the enthused volunteers were a mix of concerned citizens and organizations such as Bharat Swabhiman, Vinayak Kala Sangh, Rotary Club of Dabolim and MES College with Daji Salkar, Mrs. Lalita Joshi, Namdeo Chopdekar, Mr. Kevin Dsilva, Pallavi Shirodkar, Jayant Jadhav , Alka Damle, Neelima Parulekar, Renu Rao, Dinesh Heda, Amit Tapadia, Amit Bandekar and Charuta Mehta, Roshan Gunjal, Shami Salkar and Roopa Bandekar of Earthworm Ecostore.

MES college had taken the responsibility of composting 2,500 kilos of nirmalya collected over 3 days of four sites. And after over 2 months of of making 200 kilos of vermicompost and 100 kilos of EM (effective microorganisms) making a total of 350 kilos of compost.

A first lot of 100 plus kilos is now ready and the volunteers have decided that it should be distributed free to the citizens who made this green venture possible.

The 19^th of December is Goa Liberation Day. The compost will be distributed at three sites in Vasco, At the Goa River Marathon organized by Vasco Sports Club at Baina Beach at 11 a.m., The Mini Marathon, “Run for Unity” near MMC Garden Baina by Vinayak Kala Sangh at 9.30 a.m and at the Flag Hoisting Ceremony at MMC Office Building. For more information please contact 9766358343 or 9822980599.

Indian saw scaled viper (Echis carinatus) at plateau.