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| Wolfgang Theuerkauf |
He was very dear to me.Wolfgang, a young man from Germany, had come to India 40 years ago in search of souls roots. But after he settled down in Wayanad district, he devoted a major portion of his time and effort to keep the natural forest land at his disposal rooted to the soil.A small patch of land in Periya, on the Kannur -Wayanad route is now the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary and Garden, all made by this great personality.
Wolfgang Theuerkauf fell in love with the place, stayed on and bought 55 acres. Of this, 10 acres is a garden and nursery today, while the rest has been restored into forest land, fields and grazing areas with evergreen forests around.
Colourful butterflies, winged parakeets and mountain imperial pigeons, Niligiri langurs, sambhar deer, necked mangoose, et al keep flying and running around.
It is home to nearly 2,000 species of plants from the Western Ghats and is rich in fauna and flora. But there is a whiff of danger too.
There are more than 20 varieties of snakes, of which seven are very poisonous. In the Gurkula, there is organic farming, animal husbandry, and alternative energy mechanisms.
“On my travels to different parts of the world, I came to India and ended up in the Western Ghats,” says Theuerkauf.
He bought a patch of land and started the Gurukula in 1981. “As this area was encircled by forests, no one was willing to look after it,” he says. “I decided to do so.”
Initially, he had problems communicating with the locals, but he managed through sign language. “As for funds, my family in Germany also helped me,” says Theuerkauf.
In 1981 Theuerkauf received Indian nationality and married a Malayali, Leelama, who is from Periya. They have a son, Santheeya and a daughter, Anna. Suprabha Seshan, a Tamilian, has been assisting Theuerkauf for the past 18 years.
“A few years ago, there were no discussions about conserving nature or preserving biodiversity. “But now for our very survival it is necessary, as you can understand from the changing climate of Kerala,” he says. Theuerkauf says nature is under tremendous pressure.
His work has received international recognition. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has labelled Gurukulam as one of the 25 centres of biodiversity in the world.
In 2006 he won the ‘Whitley’award, the biggest environment award in Britain, for the most effective conservation efforts around the world.
Plant Trees Save Life: Inspiration For the Day !
Published July 7, 2012 courtesy to MultiwoodWP
Leh Ladakh Biking Tour
ReplyDeleteLadakh provides a thrilling experience for those who wish or dream of riding through the highest mountain range in the world. The Road to heaven on the earth, Ladakh, offers superb biking conditions, tough climbs, endless descents, and maximum of-road potential for the die-hard adventure lovers. At an incredible height of 18,370ft., this is a ride to some of the highest mountain passes in India, and amongst the most exhilarating. Ride through the highest motorable road (Khardungla La Pass) in the world and visit some of the finest monasteries and experience the immense beauty of the Trans Himalayan regions of Ladakh. Solid riding skills, a sense of adventure and flexibility is must when taking part in these Himalayan expeditions. Unlike other regions in the Himalaya mountains, Ladakh has 9 months of winter and 3 months of summer, so best time to visit Leh Ladakh is in the summer and that is from June to September.
One more reason for visiting Leh Ladakh in the summer month is that, this is the right time when some Ladakh's important Buddhist monasteries or Gompas host their annual festivals which are spectacular.
There are two different routes to visit Leh Ladakh. One is through Manali - Rohtang - Changla - Upshi and Leh and the other is through Srinagar - Kargil - Leh. Both these routes have their own advantages and both the routes will not disappoint you.
Every year bikers from across the globe plan to ride on what is termed as one of the best routes to ride in the world, the 475 kms long Manali-Leh Highway. There can never be a perfect plan to ride on this highway, simply because the road conditions are different every year owing to landslides, amount of snowfall, glacial melts and the progress of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), an Army support organization whose job is to build and maintain all roads leading to the Indian Borders. Each individual or group of bikers have their own plan for the Manali-Leh highway; some want to do it in one day, some in two days and others have no specific plan.The journey encompasses Rothang pass, Jispa, the exquisitely natural green pastures of Patseo, and the banks of the Tsarap Chu. In short, the entire trip has spectacular view of nature, flora, and fauna on one hand, and undulating terrain of the passes and valleys on the other.
Jeevan