‘Man and Environment in respect of Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve’, a workshop will be held at TBGRI. Several prominent researchers and scientists will present papers at the event. The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, established in 2001, covers 3,500sq.km. Almost half of that is located in the Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The famed peak, 1,868-metre-high Agasthyamala is located in this biosphere area. Three wildlife sanctuaries of Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney are part of the biosphere.

In order to enroll for the program, those interested must submit his biodata along with an application to the forest department, stating the details of the tree, its genre, the bird varieties which make a home on the tree, the number of cavities and a recent colour photograph of the tree. You also have to get a recommendation letter from the local self- government representative and an affidavit that you will protect the tree at least for a year. The remuneration to be received has still to be decided.

Conferring the status of the National Heritage Animal for the elephant was one of the important recommendations of the 12-member Elephant Task Force. After their report was received by the Union Ministry for forestry on August 31, the status was conferred on the animal on October 13.

This is a major boost to the welfare of elephants in the state as well as for tourism. A bulk of the tourists visiting Kerala make it a point to trek in the hill stations and nearby sanctuaries, where elephants are a majority.

If you go via Thodupuzha, you can visit Bhoothathankettu Dam and the waterfalls there. Thommankuthu waterfalls, one that cascades over various steps, is a beauty to behold. Besides bathing there, you can go trekking up the hills near the waterfalls.

A little further is Malankara Dam. It’s not a famous one; tucked away in the approaching hills towards Idukki. We go down to take a look at it. There is no thoroughfare allowed – you need prior permission from the hydel project’s authority to walk above the dam or to go for walks in the nearby areas.

Once you hit the road to Mundakayam, it slopes to such an extent your ears start to pop! Then comes Kuttikanam, a town colder than Thekkady and much more foresty, to say. There are a number of colleges and churches here. From then on the road goes down the slope a little as Thekkady is at a lower elevation than Kuttikanam. Enroute are small shacks and restaurants in Vandiperiyar and Pambanar, selling spicy foods and spices, of course.

Kumily and Thekkady are a few kms apart. And the Tamil Nadu border is only 4km from Thekkady. The Periyar Tiger Reserve and the Periyar lake are the main attractions. The forest office near the approach to the reserve gives a detailed list of trekking routes, nature walks, guides, forest guards, jeep safaris and what not. You can also visit Gavi, a forest area known for tree houses and waterfalls, just a 45-minute drive from Thekkady.

“Elephant junctions”, advertised in about 5 or 6 sections of the town are a newer version of an age-old practice, i.e. elephant riding. These ‘junctions’ provide elephant bathing, photo sessions, and many other offers, along with the usual rides. Tourists can also book seats at the Kalaripayattu and Kathakali centres and watch astonishing art performances.

The tribal settlement down the road has a 25-ruppee walk within their living area. You can see how they live, eat and go about their works. There’s also a Tribal Heritage Museum close by.

If you like shopping, look no further. There’s a lot to choose from – Kashmiri and Tibetan handicrafts, jewellery and clothes sold by yesteryear refugee families, eco-shops selling forest produces and clothes, spices, tea, and of course, souvenirs and postcards.

Thekkady is truly a ‘walk in the forest’. There’s silence all over once the clock hits six. But you will still see birds heading home, shopkeepers bargaining with customers, tourists looking for their stay, youngsters out on a walk and many more small-town sights. This touristy town has much to offer the eco-tourist. Check it out. For things to do, visit www.hotelsthekkady.com

It will be Kerala’s second tiger reserve, the other being Periyar Tiger Reserve. Areas within Parambikulam ranges from 300m to 1,438m above mean sea level. Parambikulam has seven major valleys and three major river systems. The sanctuary has three major reservoirs – Parambikulam, Thunakadavu and Peruvarippalam.

The sanctuary has semi-evergreen forests, dry as well as moist deciduous forests, tropical rainforests and Shola forests. Parambikulam is home to more than 1,400 species of flowering plants, many varieites of medicinal plants and 67 species of orchids.

Besides tigers and white gaurs, the sanctuary houses Nilgiri Tahr, elephants, lion-tailed Macaque, panther, wild boar, flying squirrel, sambar, Bonnet Macaque, Nilgiri Langur, sloth bear, Nilgiri marten, king cobra, Travancore tortoise, Indian day gecko, flying lizard, Indian rock python, Malabar pit viper, Travancore tortoise, mountain skink, mugger crocodile, pond terapin, spectacled cobra, krait, green keelback.

You can find birds such as lesser adjutant stork, grey-headed fish-eagle, Peninsular bay owl, broad-billed roller, black-capped kingfisher, great pied hornbill, little cormorant, black eagle, great Indian hornbill, and black woodpecker.

The sanctuary, located over 285sq.km, in Chittur taluk in Palakkad, will be extended to the forest divisions in Nenmara, Chalakudy and Vazhachal (about 358sq.km of area) in order to comprise a total area of 643 sq km. Parambikulam is approachable by road from Pollachi in Tamil Nadu, 90km away. The nearest airport and railhead is at Coimbatore.

The golden flowers bloom in April-May and have a lot of importance during the Vishu festival in April. The flower bunches, with the leaves barely seen, can be found all over Kerala during this festival.

An interesting fact is that Kerala shares its ‘state flower’ with Thailand, too. The flower symbolises Thai royalty, and is called Dok Khuen.

Surrounded by the Shendurny Wildlife Sanctuary, Thenmala has been declared an eco-tourism spot by the government. Standing over the Kallada River, the dam is more than 80m tall. There are facilities for boating and trekking here.

Besides the dam, Thenmala has an eco-tourism project that has the highest walkway in the state, facilities inside the project for trekking, biking and river crossing. Thenmala is only about an hour’s ride from Kollam and about an hour and a half from Kerala’s capital, Trivandrum. There are buses from both the cities. The nearest railhead is in Kollam.

This river has strong undercurrents; nevertheless, it is visited by families, school groups and nature lovers. It is only 10km from the town of Malayatoor and about 60km from Cochin.

The government is planning to start boating facilities here. Trekking, too, will be arranged. The Iringol forests, about three km away is a nice getaway for a trek and nature walks in the evenings. There is an ancient temple within the forest.

Kodanad, which has a prominent elephant training camp is close by. There are buses from Cochin and Angamaly to Illithode. Angamaly has the nearest railway station.

It is located about 20km from Pathanamthitta city. The forests surrounding the artificial lake has elephants and deer. You can go on boating and animal-spotting trips here. There are also many varieties of birds found here.

Besides the reservoir and the lake, Pathanamthitta has three main rivers, waterfalls, hilly resorts and beautiful nature reserves  to visit. the nearest railway station is at Kottayam. Kochi, Trivandrum, Thiruvalla and other major cities are reachable by road from here.

There’s lot to see and experience in Ponmudi. The tea and spices plantations welcome you as you ride up the mountains. The Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is close by; it has elephants and leopards. You can go for elephant rides at Ponmudi. Around Ponmudi you can go trekking. There’s also a deer park and a view point there.The beaches of Varkala and Kovalam are within a few miles distance.

Do not worry about accommodation as there’s a quaint government guesthouse in Ponmudi. It has rooms and cottages and a restaurant. There are hotels and resorts near Kovalam. Ponmudi is great for a weekend get-away.

There are frequent buses from Trivandrum and the nearest airport, too, is in Trivandrum.

It is a great way to beat stress. Just head to the hills, as they say. Wayanad has a lot of summer retreats located off Sultan Bathery, Mananthavady, Vythiri and Kuruva Dweep. One such summer haven is the Pepper Green Resorts. It is situated close to the forest reserve and the Kuruva Dweep.

You can relax and have a refreshed weekend at the resort. For those adventure-seekers, check out the trekking trails around Kartikulam and the Tholpetti Wildlife Sanctuary. There is lots to see and experience. Elephant rides, bullock cart rides, animal-spotting safaris, and much more await you. You can also cross the streams of Kabini on a bamboo raft and stay in a tree house.

If you come to Wayanad once, you’ll keep coming. That’s how attractive and naturally blessed it is.

Link : www.peppergreenresorts.com

Snake parks allow the government as well as ecological and wildlife societies to protect a large number of snake species. One of India’s foremost snake parks is the Parassinikadavu Snake Park near Kannur. It is about 18km from Kannur town, on the way to Taliparamba.

The park, set up by the Visha Chikitsa Kendra, has over a hundred varieties of snakes, the most famous ones being the King Cobra, Russel’s viper, Krait, Python, and many others. The centre has a venom-extracting laboratory and treats snake bite victims round the year. There are demonstrations at the centre to educate the public and tourists about snakes and to take away popular superstitions about them.

Parassinikadavu is also famous for the Sri Muthappan Temple which is close by. Buses connect Parassinikadavu to Kannur, and the nearest airport is at Karipur, Calicut.

These have now become a tourist phenomena. Using eco-friendly raw materials like coir, bamboo poles, hay straws, live tree trunks as pillar, and more. In such a tree house, you’ll find all the necessary facilities. They come with one or two main rooms and a bathroom. They might also have a balcony or a sit-out with arm chairs.

Most of them are built as eco-lodges, that have forest trekking routes and
walking trails nearby. Activities like trekking, boating, jungle safaris and mountain climbing are common, and you might find good offer packages for the same.

It’s a great option for a relaxing holiday. All over Kerala, hotels, resorts and
forest houses have put up these amazing tree houses. You can find them in plenty in Thekkady, Vythiri, Manathavady, Kumily, Munnar and many other tourist spots.

Whether it is near a forest reserve, a wildlife sanctuary or within a cardamom or tea plantation, you can relax and catch up with yourself.

The Sanctuary is the home to four indigenous tribal communities—the Kadar, Malasar, Muduvar and Malamalasar. These tribes’ people live in thatched huts and tents which you can visit on your way. The sanctuary is full of tropical evergreen, semi evergreen, Shola forests, deciduous and bamboo forests. Animals and plants are plenty here. A variety of medicinal plants and orchids are found in the forests. The forests are home to some of Kerala’s best preserved wildlife—elephants, bison, leopards, panthers, tigers, gibbons and much more.

The Veettikunnu Island inn is within the sanctuary, offers row boats to cruise along the island stretches. You can go for a bird watching-nature trail early in the morning while on the island. About six tourists can travel on the raft-houseboat along with an armed staff, two naturalists and four experienced EDC rowers. There is a Thellikkal IB deep inside the forest and you can reach it after a eight-km trek. There’s a lake nearby, where you can go on a country row boat.Go on a Parambi Cruise through the unpolluted Parambikulam Reservoir and look out for a variety of wildlife on the way. U can go on a short trek on one of the islands there. The offer package starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.

The Kariyan shola trail winds through enchanting and beautiful evergreen forests and endangered medicinal plants and orchids. Here, too, you will be accompanied by two trained tribal naturalists.The sanctuary is approachable only by road, and is 95km from Palakkad and 100km away from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The nearest town is Pollachi in Tamil Nadu, 39km away. There are transport bus services run by the Government of Tamil Nadu, from Pollachi.

River crossing and adventure cycling is there for adventure enthusiasts. The Thenmala dam closeby is a must-visit. The Thenmala dam had Kerala’s largest reservoir and the second largest irrigation project, too. The Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary surrounds the reservoir. You can go boating and treeking from here. There are interesting trekking and wildlife-spotting routes.

Make sure you visit the Deer Rehabilitaion Centre at Thenmala. Also, check out the Palaruvi Waterfalls and Kulathupuzha, a town 10km away.

There are motels and homestays where you can stay while visiting Thenmala.

Ganesh, the elephant-headed God (son of Lord Siva), has millions of worshippers in India. These gentle animals carry the idols of Gods during temple festivals and processions. For example, in Punnathur Kotta, an elephant sanctuary in Guruvayur, around 40 domesticated elephants are prepared by the temple management, for the service of Lord Krishna.

Elephant camps are where wild elephants and captured ones are trained. There are seven such elephant camps in Kerala run by the Forest Department at:

1. Konni – Pathanamthitta

2. Kodanad – Ernakulam

3. Muthanga – Wayanad

4. Nilambur – Malappuram

5. Tholpetti – Wayanad

6. Arynkavu – Pathanamthitta

7. Thekkady -Idukki

These camps are safe havens for the elephants. While they are taken care of by doctors and mahouts, orphan and old elephants are also sheltered in the camps. The Elephant is an icon of Kerala  let us enjoy their rides and treks, but let us also remember to protect the gentle giants.