gINKgo I RARE Newsletter | Vol 34 | International Day for Biological Diversity

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Celebrating Biodiversity

“Forests are a fundamental component of our planet’s recovery. They are the best technology nature has for locking away carbon. And they are centres of biodiversity. The wilder and more diverse the forests are, the more effective they are at drawing carbon from the atmosphere. We must immediately halt deforestation everywhere.”

David Attenborough, A Life on our Planet 2020.

Biodiversity is one of many misunderstood concepts as it is generally equated with only species diversity. Scientists use “species-diversity" or "species-richness" as an aspect to describe and characterize an area, as it is the most visible and easiest to evaluate, but this must be integrated with other metrics to fully capture biodiversity. In layman's terms, biodiversity refers to the natural character of an area. The agricultural landscape has its own characteristic and is different from natural Dry Tropical Forests. Increasing species number, if it alters the characteristic of an area, is as much a loss of biodiversity as is loss of species.

Dr. Raghu Chundawat, Sarai at Toria.

The RARE community is blessed with every element of interest that can lure a traveller. We are particularly proud of our lodges and forest retreats in rich biodiverse regions of the Subcontinent that allow explorations of some of the most pristine primary forests, wildlife and birds. And while we don’t speak about it so much, here is where travellers also go to sketch and paint, heal and meet forest communities. These are personal accounts of owner hosts from different regions of the Subcontinent to highlight their natural heritage and habitats that they work tirelessly to preserve and promote. From the connected forests of Central India, the Terai arc landscape, Himalayas of India and Nepal and the Trans-Himalayan landscapes and the western ghats in the south, The RARE community is spread across several biodiversity zones.

Panna National Park, MP

At Sarai at Toria, Joanna and Raghu try to keep the land as close to its natural habitat as possible and use this as a core principle driving their conservation work. Situated in a highly drought prone area of India but also next to one of its cleanest and most beautiful rivers, the river Ken is the Sarai. This lifeline also enriches the dry deciduous forest of the neighbouring Panna Tiger Reserve through which it flows. The park encompasses three plateaux rising from each other by 80 metre escarpments that provide wonderful nesting habitats for vultures. Its landscape is a striking mosaic of grasslands, scrub forest and dense forest, so a drive through provides new vistas at every turn with their accompanying varied community of avian and animal fauna. This rich natural heritage is recognised as a UNESCO biosphere reserve complementing the adjacent cultural UNESCO site of Khajuraho.

Bandhavgarh National Park, MP

Among one of the early lodges in Bandhavgarh, Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge by Amit Sankhala and his team have introduced this region to many wildlife lovers and photographers from around the globe. Set amongst the Vindhya Hills in Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh consists of 105 sq. kms of Sal and a mixed forest of bamboo, grasslands, and a complex cover of deciduous forests. There are at least 300 species of birds in the park, along with other mammals such as tigers, sloth bears, langur monkeys, wild boar, mongoose, 3 kinds of deer - chital, sambar and barking, to name a few. Bandhavgarh has been the backdrop of numerous wildlife documentaries where legendary tigresses have raised over 20 cubs to adulthood. Sita, was one of these star tigresses. Bandhavgarh boasts one of the highest density of tigers anywhere in the world, in a beautiful setting which are set amongst Vindhya Hills.

Kanha National Park, MP

Cradled in the Maikal Hills, Kanha’s mosaic of meadows, sal and bamboo forests and perennial streams, is the epitome of a high biodiversity ecosystem. Kanha is home to about 650 species of plants, nearly 300 species of birds and over 40 species of mammals. The most celebrated species of Kanha is the 'hard ground barasingha' which has been brought back from extinction. A brilliant example of Biological Diversity, the park provides food and water security and sustainable livelihoods. Kanha is a vital nature-based warrior against climate change and one of India’s most unique natural treasures. Kipling Camp situated in the buffer zone of the reserve is a little Paradise. The seamless integration of the Kipling Camp allows a viewing of the wildlife from the Camp itself.

Satpura National Park, MP

Reni Pani Jungle Lodge in a unique location close to the Satpura National Park, was one of the early settlers who introduced forests to travellers without spotlighting the tiger. Satpura is an amalgamation of rugged mountains, dry forests, evergreen patches, river ecosystems, grasslands and open woodlands. This diversity of landscape within a tiger reserve is unmatched in Central India, contributing to a diversity of flora and fauna. Apart from large predators like tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dogs frequently seen here, the unique Satpura mountains are believed to have been a land bridge between Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas and home to species like the Malabar giant squirrel and Malabar whistling thrush. The river ecosystems are home to the endangered Indian Skimmers and harbour the first known population of Eurasian Otters found here. Saptura is home to over 270 bird species making it an attractive destination for birders. Wildlife tourism in Saptura is refreshingly different with walks, canoeing, night drives and camping permitted in designated areas besides regular game drives.