March and April are scorching months but that's also when we get our lake ready for the monsoon. VMware volunteers came over on 31st March to help us.
In the past when the lake was largely dry with only little pools of water that shrank by the day, volunteers had to pick up plastic bags, stray slippers, bottles and the like from a much larger area. This year with most of the 10 acre lake bed under water, only the highest point was dry and piled with the alligator weed removed from the water. If left there, they would sprout with the first shower. Some of the quickly multiplying salvinia molesta were trapped in the trash boom waiting to be lifted out. We may hate the plant but the fresh Salvinia makes a good manure. It had to be mixed with the dry leaves heaped in rows. Further, we wanted some big boulders brought to the wetland.
In the past when the lake was largely dry with only little pools of water that shrank by the day, volunteers had to pick up plastic bags, stray slippers, bottles and the like from a much larger area. This year with most of the 10 acre lake bed under water, only the highest point was dry and piled with the alligator weed removed from the water. If left there, they would sprout with the first shower. Some of the quickly multiplying salvinia molesta were trapped in the trash boom waiting to be lifted out. We may hate the plant but the fresh Salvinia makes a good manure. It had to be mixed with the dry leaves heaped in rows. Further, we wanted some big boulders brought to the wetland.
Volunteers at work
Many tasks and many hands. From 9 a.m. to noon, the volunteers from VMware led by Guruprasad Cashikar slaved under the hot sun doing each one of these with great cheer even though sweat dripped from their faces. They finished all the chores assigned to them but there's still more to do.
More volunteers are welcome!
