FSL India Blog

Environment degradation is one of the most development challenges today globally. Coastal area is one such vulnerable zone which gets environmentally degraded. In this backdrop, 19^th September is set aside for beach clean-up day.

As environment promotion is one of the important development programs, FSL India took a part in “International beach clean-up day” at Marvante, Kundapur on 17th November 2011. FSL volunteers, staff and local people participated in this event. International beach clean-up was organised in collaboration with Trasi Nirmala Grama Samithi (Sanitation Committee. The local sanitation clubs formed by FSL India also participated and took the major role for beach clean-up. All FSL India volunteers under Home Based Project and staff and about 50 community people participated. The participants collected the garbage around the beach and safely disposed.

It was bit hard but commendable work undertaken by FSL India volunteers and the staff. The volunteers participated very enthusiastically and set a good example of global concern for environment promotion. All the participants contributed their effort for environment conservation. Local people also appreciated the works of the volunteers and SFL India team.

17th November 2010

Since last year FSL India and the Sanitation Project in Trasi are presenting the International Beach Cleaning Day with local people and volunteers. The Nirmala Grama Samithi (Sanitation Commitee) welcomed the numerous participants to keep the beach and the park clean. At first they meet for a strengthening snack and after welcome speeches of the committee and the lions club, around 60 people started with bags and gloves to do real nature conservation. It was a really exhausting work with the heat and the big area of pollution, but also it were a good diversion for the volunteers from their daily routine and a good impression for the locals to maybe get inspired.

- Karin Schneider

Because of the great interest in our first postcard we fulfilled the often voiced wish of printing another postcard. Now you can see Kundapura’s beautiful beaches, the backwaters and cultural events on one postcard. Is there a better way of sending personal greetings to your loved-ones? Visit the FSL Eco-office and get exclusive Kundapura postcards. All the money goes to the Eco-Tourism fund which is used to finance our projects and build a farmer’s committee on Kannada Kudru.

Kannadakudru ,one of the Island in the backwater near Kundapur.  FSL India Eco tourism project is focusing on this island to develop Eco tourism .

The most part of the area become a baren land because of non cultivation,the main reasons is lack of labour to cultivate the land (Last year some people ploughed the land manually and also no road connections to promote agriculture.  There are lots of scope for agricultural development.

Eco tourism team contacted Regional Agricultural Research Centre Brahamvara to find out solution for  agricultural development in this Island. Dr.Hanumanthappa,  Regional Agricultural Research institute  with his 4 scientist visited to place.

The quality of water and Soil samples collected from various parts of this island,  Mr.Jayprakash, a scientist of institution tested quality.  He explained test report about the mineral content in the soil and water. He suggested to improve the fertility of the land.  The research centre will organize training to the farmers in to cope with this soil situation.

On 7^th of May agricultural institution’s 5 scientists including Director of the institution visited the KannadaKudru. The suggestions given to farmers in improving the land and offered to give training also to the interested farmers.

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As part of our sea turtle project a huge green turtle weighing nearly 100 kilograms was spotted near Uppunda, 25 kilometers north of Kundapur. This turtle was accidentally caught in the fishing net of a fisherman here and he informed our new contact person Mr Kamalaksha who called the project immeadiatly. FSL sea turtle team rushed to the spot immediately and released this turtle to the sea. It is  very good motivation to the sea turtle volunteers who worked very hard in this area just before one day.

Turtle bay beach resort and FSL India jointly organised World Beach Cleaning day at Maravanthe beach on 19th September. The program was partially sponsored by the Bangalore organisation called Scuba Dive. The event was planned to clean 1 kilometer area with FSL volunteers and local people. It was very sucessful with more number of participants than the expected. School children joined hands with foreign volunteers in picking the trash over the beach. At the end of the event Mr Chako (President of Turtle bay beach resort) honoured children by giving certificates. Even two participants got a beautiful T-shirt as special recognition for active participation.

Every year millions of olive ridleys are coming to the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is known as the second biggest mass nesting area for turtles in the world. Nowadays the sea turtles are an endangered species. Commercial fish trawling is the main threat, because the turtles get trapped in the nets and drowning to death. Especially in Orissa one can see the result of this intensive industrial fishing. Thousands of dead sea turtles are washed to the sandy beaches every day. Many NGO’s along the coasts of India try to protect the turtles from this danger. So does the Green Life Rural Association (GLRA) with whom FSL India is going to start a project. FSL India will send volunteers to Orissa for “The Turtle Friends Project” of GLRA to change the situation for the turtles for the better.

Thank you Juliane for the article…….

Since the beginning of June to till now FSL saved 5 injured sea turtles under the project area. Out of 5 protected turtles 3 are Olive Ridleys and 2 Green Turtles. On 27th of June our sea turtle co-ordinators Dinesh and Austin rescued a wounded green turtle and taken it to Dasi Kharvy for neccessary treatments, which increased the number up by 5 in six weeks. Becuase of the roughness of sea water all the turtles are now in Dasi Karvy’s observation and soon it will be realesed to the sea.

Apsara konda (Apsarakonda) is a small village near Honnavar, town in North Kanara district. Six km from Honnavar, is situated the Apsara Konda Falls. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honavar

You can see a picture of the falls : http://gallery.holidaymakers.in/v/album02/Waterscapes-Karnataka/apsara-konda-honnavara.JPG.html

I had been there last week and felt a urge to just jump in and take a dip. It is situated in a serene environment of green tropical forest. Just above is the is the Narasimha temple, if you follow the steam after the falls you will end up in a lush green paddy fields just before the white sandy beaches of Honnavar. There  is a small trail behind the temple that takes you above the hillock, where the forest department has build a small pagoda. Here, you can see very unique view of green paddy fields, long stretch of sandy beach, the ocean and the rock face of a mine. It is really worth it.

Beautiful place