Lake Update

It's been a while since we posted an update on the lake. So here goes. As you are aware, BWSSB arrested the inflow of sewage into the lake from 29th July. Since then BBMP has been attempting to strengthen the bund and clear the lake bed of the weeds. However, they are thwarted by the incessant rain. They, and we, are waiting for sunny days. At the same time, there's no denying that the plants are soaking in the rain and growing so lush! 

The lake is open to visitors between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on all days except Sundays. Here are a few photographs taken by Ms. Raji Hari this morning. 

Birders like her update their list on the ebird site which shows 111 species. Most of them have been sighted after the lake was rejuvenated in 2010. We hope that with the BBMP giving a second lease of life to the lake, we will see even more species and numbers of birds in our lake. 

 

Exploring our Connection to plants with the Mini-citizens at Puttenahalli

The Nature Connection event for children at Puttenahalli Lake on 16th November 2014 went off very well (see article below). The adults' event was postponed.
This article was posted on the ArtyPlantz website and has been reproduced with the permission of the writer Janani Eswar. To know more about ArtyPlantz, visit the website here. 

Happy with her little treasure.

Have you ever walked through a park or past a tree or through a forest on a trek maybe, and not taken the time to really look at it?

Last Sunday, the team and I spent the evening doing our first Junior Green Connect Program at the Puttenahalli lake in collaboration with PNLIT who do a wonderful job in, as they put it, breathing life into the lake. The children were so curious, playful, energetic, and yet alert enough to absorb some of what we were trying to show them. Where, I wonder, do we lose that childlike playfulness?

Introductions circle.

After some icebreakers, we started out on a Scavenger Hunt. Finding interesting things that we hadn’t found, paying attention to things we had seen but never really appreciated. Some decided to run through it, excited to find the next thing on the list and others wanted to take their time exploring each one slowly. The adults must have really wondered what was going on 

I remember watching as we took off our footwear to walk through the grass something that a couple of us were nervous to do. These team mates quickly stepped in and out, always watching carefully to make sure there wasn’t anything else in the grass. That’s ok. It is the first step to a beautiful journey.

Sticky things, muddy things, smooth things, rough things, pretty things and, some not-so-pretty things all got some attention.

A Sharing circle brought us together again.

We discussed how to pay attention to a plant to see if it likes us taking things from it. We all put our minds together and formed a list of signs for us to use. The aim of the exercise was to see if more attention can be paid to the plants as living beings and see if we can start appreciating what they do for us and, boy did that happen! Each plant was asked before we harvested from it and, each plant was thanked afterwards. Some times we assumed that the plant wanted to give because we wanted to take so badly  But, the process is set now though. Some wild edibles were gathered and tasted.  Some fun things gathered to take home.

So many precious moments happened on this trail. Wide eyes, indignation at another person when they didn’t wait for the plant to give permission and curious questions of if this is edible or not. I wish I could share them all with you, reader. But, mostly, I wish I could share with you all that happened in the next activity.

We asked the little ones to see if they could find themselves a friend in the park. A tree that they would name, find the characteristics of and make friends with.

Here is one new friend we made.

He had a very long name which I am not going to try to tell you for fear I will get it wrong. He was also a feisty, but happy tree. Well worth making friends with. There are I am afraid no more pictures of what happened here. We were all just too busy making new acquaintances and introducing each other around.

One last game.

By this time, we started getting hungry and thirsty. A quick game was played to show the kids how if you listen to someone else describing what they saw in nature you might get it wrong. But, if you see it yourself, you can know so much more.

In the scamper to get to nourishment afterward, the team and I missed out on saying how grateful we are to have had that shared experience with the kids. Can’t wait to make some more memories and learn together.

Grin!

Janani

The problem with plants

In 2010 when we wanted to reinforce the chain link fencing around the lake, the choice of the plant was unanimous. The Bougainvillea. It is thorny, hardy with attractive paper thin flowers and, best of all, low maintenance. 

Along the fence we planted cuttings sourced from pruned waste from Brigade Millennium. Some of them grew, many did not. The next year we planted some more with the same result. Those that did survive began to grow lush and enlivened the lake with their vibrant colours. We took great delight in the grand spectacle. Recently, however, we noticed that the flowering was even more riotous OUTSIDE the fence! Huh? We do all the work and it flowers outside? Well, it is too late to train the bougainvillea which is merrily covering large sections of the fence and providing a gorgeous sight to passers-by. 

A few months ago we bought two saplings of Petrea Volubilis from Lal Bagh also called Queen's Wreath or Blue Bird Vine. What prompted us to buy was its profusion of flowers - delicate purple blue flowers in clusters covering the entire vine like a cloak. We planted the two saplings behind the security cabin and waited for it to flower, training the lengthening tendrils carefully on the chain link fence. 

It is a quick growing plant so the wait was not very long and recently we saw that one of the two vines had begun to flower but where? Outside the fence! Not again! Why do these plants nurtured so carefully flower on the other side of the fence? No wonder they say that the grass is greener on the other side!

We can't fight the ways of nature but that didn't stop us from bringing the flowers to the lake side. Let us at least get to see the exquisite bloom till such time the vine grows profusely and presents its flowers not to the lake visitors but to passers-by!

For info on Petrea Volubilis, read here.

Usha

Children visit the lake, The Brigade School Carnival

6th August 2013

More than 100 children of Standard 3, from The Brigade School, JP Nagar, along with their teachers, excitedly made their way across the road to spend some time at the neighbouring Puttenahalli Lake.

PNLIT Trustees, Prasanna, Nupur and OPR were there to guide the children telling them all about the birds, plants and how lakes are important for all of us.     

More pictures of the visit can be seen here.

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8th August 2013

For those who are connected to The Brigade School, do check out the PNLIT Stall at the school carnival, 11 a.m. onwards. We will have, on sale, PNLIT T-shirts, cloth bags, Birds and Butterflies Coasters and CapsToKeep CapMagnets. Also, gain some tips on lakes and spread awareness on their importance!