Exploring flora and fauna of a city lake

A nature hike for Bengalureans at Doddakallasandra Lake

Y Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: The bronze-winged jacana, little grebe, red-wattled lapwing, rose-winged parakeet, purple swamphen, the cormorant and pond heron are not uncommon sights at Doddakallasandra Lake. The water body is home to 98 species of birds, 37 butterfly species, 42 varieties of trees and 43 plant species, according to the ActionAid Biodiversity report 2019. On Sunday, a group of around 30 people, half of whom were children, took a walk around the lake, led by Ulhas Anand, co-founder, EcoEdu, to learn about the flora and fauna that thrive around it.

The walk was organized to create awareness among the public about the diverse natural beauty that surrounds Doddakallasandra Lake. They learned about the birds, trees and plants and even the sluice gates. These sluice gates, or Neerghantis, he told his audience, were used to ration water for farmers growing crops.

He spoke extensively about the termite infestations, and the litmus patches on trees and discussed the difference between swift and swallow birds, how the bamboo is the tallest plant in existence and the absence of oil glands in the cormorants, which allows them to sink beneath the surface of the water to chase and catch fish.

The attendees offered feedback on the lake walk after the session. Many children commented on how interesting the session was. The children also expressed their delight at the opportunity to learn about subjects other than their textbooks and schools.

The walk took well over two hours to complete but Ulhas managed to hold his audience’s attention all through. The attendees were given a copy of the Biodiversity Report to take home and study for themselves.

At least 30 new species of birds have been spotted flocking to Doddakallasandra Lake after the monsoon began a few months ago. “I learned so many new things, saw so many birds. It was a wonderful experience,” said eight-year-old Anish. Another eight-year-old, Dhruva, says he now understands how raptors soar through the sky. Fourteen-year-old Arya appreciated the fact that the lake looks cleaner now and that he could see a variety of birds.

Raghavendra B Pachhapur, Programme Manager of ActionAid Association, Bengaluru said, “It is an effort by the ActionAid Association to bring the local community closer to nature and encourage them to participate in lake protection and conservation.”