As the monsoon season started last week the sea is very rough now, causing sea turtles that are foraging too close to the shore to strand. In the last week fishermen reported five stranded sea turtles, most of them Olive Ridleys. The sea turtle team went to the beaches several time to assess the condition of the animals and luckily none of them appeared to be hurt. So we could release them immediately back to the ocean.
Apart from the environment volunteers summer camps in some school, there was a special summer camp organized by FSL-India’s social project volunteers at Seon Ashram. It was held between 12th April to 26th May. Here are some pictures and report…
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 7th 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.
FSL India volunteers kept awareness stall in local car festival on 21st March 2010. The stall was kept on the busy street in front of the temple in Kundpar. Volunteers presented photos and banners about Eco Tourism and Eco club programmes and environment project volunteers distributed flyers to the people. The program was made with an objective to give awareness about global warming, bad consequences of plastic, promoting Eco tourism in Kundapur and many things related to environment conservation.
Participants are Tim, Helene, Constantin, Rahul and Arun.
The last nest of this year’s sea turtle successfully hatched at Bijadi Hatchery.
This morning(30th March) the last nest relocated in this nesting season hatched and we could see lot of baby turtles tracks heading towards the sea. Beginning of the season was challenging for the sea turtle project because some nests failed completely/partially because of early nesting and heavy rainfall between end of September and mid October. 
This year our dedicated team of 6 long term volunteers (Marie, Katherina, Stephanie, Tobias, Yasmine and Naho) along with 21 work campers and 12 local contact persons worked very hard to make every fishermen families aware of the sea turtle conservation and importance of Sea turtles for the Eco system.
Thanks to all the active participants….
“
Where can I buy postcards of Kundapur?”. This is a question we’re often asked. The sad answer is: There are none. The goods news: The “Eco tourism” project is going to change the situation and will create them!
Please sent us your 5 most beautiful pictures from Kundapur and sourrounding (as normal: as fast as possible). If we choose your picture, you get one of the first ever printed postcard from Kundapur!
Sent the pictures to: ecotourism@fsl-india.org
FSL India has built 15 Toilets under “Sanitation project” between October 2009 to Feb 2010, with the help of South Korean volunteers. It was inaugurated by Mr.Ln. Basavaraj, Governor of Lions Club, on 13th March in Trasi village. President of local Panchayat, President of sanitation committee Mr Abraham Chako, members of Lions club, Staffs of FSL India, members of Sanitation committee, beneficiaries of the program and local people were present.
On the 20th February 2010 FSL and the Eco-Clubs project organized an Eco-Clubs Get Together at Lions Hall at Chaitanya Special School, Kundapura. The 8 schools which are part of the FSL Eco-Clubs project were invited. The children had to prepare a speech competition on the topic “What would the world without plastic?” and they also had to set-up a environmental project that they will realize in their school.
The children as well as the teachers were very well prepared and showed a great interest in the three presentations from resource persons involved in nature around Kundapur as for example a presentation of all the birds you can find in the region.
The Vakwady school was the winner of the environmental project and Siddapura school of the speech competition.
Moreover we could share nice and funny moments with the children that will stay in our memories.
Its always nice to work together in group!!!
The objective of FSL India, to work together, to share together, to create together could be seen when we all got involved in building the Tent School. Just before the celebration of Christmas, volunteers from Work camp, sea turtle, environment education project and tent school project put hands in building tent school at Mullikatte.
On the 23rd of December we opened our sixth nest with 145 eggs inside after it hatched successfully. It was quite a good nest as around half of the eggs hatched. What was surprising to all of us, was to find a living hatchling inside. And this hatchling was special as the back flippers were still folded together at the rear end of the hatchling so it could not use them. Still it was very active so we decided to help it to reach the sea safely and saw how it swam away. However, we do not have a lot of hope that it will survive for long, as it is an easy catch for fish or other predators.
