Rohan Chakravarty's Blog, page 10

State of Indian Birds Report

An Indian Roller reads out the key findings of the recently published 'State of Indian Birds' report. Comic from my column in The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

Marine Biologist Dance Parties

I’ve never really been to a marine biologists’ dance party, but I’m sure this is how those weirdos celebrate!

Listen to some soulful Humpback Whale music here as you read this piece from my column with Roundglass Sustain. 

Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve Illustrated Map

(click on the image for a larger preview)
The distinction of being the most populated tiger reserve, not by tigers but by humans, comes with unique challenges, both for tigers and humans. Add to that the constant flux that tides, floods, cyclones and climate change bring to the delta, and you get a landscape that makes every day a battle for survival. And yet, Sunderban, with all its socio-political challenges and conservation threats, is the only hope for the people as well as the wildlife that inhabit it.
This map of the Indian fraction of the Sunderbans (a majority of the mangrove forest is in Bangladesh) attempts to present the major flora and fauna species that share the delta with humankind, making the mangrove and tidal ecosystems and their people an interdependent component in their own right. The art style in the map pays tribute to rural Bengal's Patachitra art, while the compass is a homage to the legend of Bonobibi and Dokhhin Ray, a thread that binds humans and nature in a tightly knit web. A few snippets from the map are below.
The map has been commissioned by the Wildlife Trust of India, and is on display at the Sunderbans' mangrove interpretation centre at Sajnekhali. By special arrangement, prints of the map are also available via my Happywagon webstore here, shipped both in India and abroad.
A huge thanks to Mr. Samrat Paul of WTI for sharing his time and expertise with me during my field visit to the Sunderbans that made the illustration possible. 

Bats in Monuments

Bats in Indian monuments- a boon or bane? Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Deep Sea Worms

Deep sea worms are among nature's most enigmatic and mysterious creatures, so what if some of them are a bit awkwardly shaped? Comic for DW Environment.
Did you know that many such deep sea creatures could be lost to geothermal mining even before they're described by science?

The Many Faces of Climate Change

The worsening impacts of climate change on the world week after week and month after month, have been exposing the hypocrisy of world leaders with their stance on fossil fuels. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Natural Forests versus Miyawaki Plantations

Miyawaki plantations have been touted as the easy answer to unplanned urban development, with even India's MoEFCC promoting it as a quick fix for urban greening. The science though, is drastically different from the cosy picture Miyawaki paints. Ecologists and critics of the method say that there is no substitute for natural green spaces, that there is no 'quick fix' for deforestation.
Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain, doubling up as a Hayao Miyazaki fan comic!
In their article 'How Mr. Miyawaki Broke my Heart' in The Wire Science, authors Fazal Rashid and Somil Daga aptly refer to the Miyawaki method as 'climax without foreplay'! Read here.

Hawaiian Wildfires

On Indian Independence Day, in solidarity with Hawaii. From my Gocomics page. 

Project Tiger and Project Elephant

Conservation news that doesn't make headlines: Project Tiger and Project Elephant have recently been merged. Cartoon for my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

Elephant Trunk Muscles

150000 muscles in their trunks, and yet one muscle short! Happy World Elephant Day!
Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain.