Tuesday 19 January 2021

Naturopathy for Nature

'The earth is healing'. We heard this sentence repeatedly in the first few months of the pandemic in 2020. How did the earth heal itself? Did we hurt the earth? Yes, we humans did for decades by deforestation, by polluting our rivers and lakes, by using plastics and disposing it irresponsibly. But during the pandemic, same humans started behaving more responsibly. No travel, no flights, no cars, no buses for months together. As a result, less noise, less pollution, clean air. Plants, trees, animals, birds, insects- everybody felt healthier. The Earth did heal.

Similarly, Ghumakkad has coined a phrase 'Naturopathy for Nature'. What does it mean? Cure the Nature using Nature's resources. It is like a recursive function definition. Factorial (N) equals NxFactorial(N-1). How can we cure Nature by Nature?

Simple. No rocket science or resources needed. Am sharing few examples of Nature preservation undertaken by me during last 50 years or so. I must admit that I am neither a botanist nor an agriculture scientist. Just a Nature admirer who is concerned about environment degradation caused by human greed.

  • Recharge the soil by inter cropping. You may browse the example of Mexican Lilac in our earlier story. 
  • Keep the house cool by spreading a layer of coconut leaves on the roof. Use of air conditioners causes global warming.
  • Using the bark of a tree as rat poison. Browse the details of the tree here.
  • Termite prevention by planting a specific bush along the periphery of your home garden. Pencil Cactus is a common plant. See the picture below.
  • Fencing of a farm using dried thorny branches of locally available trees like Babul. Those of us who have travelled across Rajasthan and Haryana would have observed bare Babul trees in winter. The farmers prune the thorny branches and use it for fencing their farm land. The leaves are used as fodder for the sheep and goats. Perfect example of Nature preservation. No metal fencing or cement walls!
  • Using fallen leaves to make natural compost and use it to recharge the soil and act as manure instead of chemical fertilisers which are harmful. All natural forests thrive on fallen leaves as manure.
  • Rodent prevention by placing thorny branches instead of using chemical pesticides. KBG-50 quizzed you with a picture of a Gazania flower surrounded with thorns.

KBG-50 saw enthusiastic response with several readers giving the correct answer. We use dry thorny branches to protect flower beds or plants from rodents or squirrels as was shown in the quiz picture. In agricultural fields, dried up branches are used for fencing. 

We congratulate the winners. Once again, all women! It shows that women are more concerned about Nature and the Environment. Come on men folk, prove this hypothesis wrong in coming KBG quizzes!

Thanks for your continued support to Kaun Banega Ghumakkad. Special thanks to Dr Chitra Shanker for her research guidance and support.

Unless we all come together to preserve Nature, we may lose its glory. See the questions being raised in pictures below:







If we continue our irresponsible actions towards environment, there is little hope. See the picture blow.

We end with a PQ- picturesque quote about trees.

Hope 2021 will not be as stressful! Stay connected, stay safe.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 20th Jan 2021.

#nature #naturepreservation #homegardening #virtualgarden #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #lockdownfunathome #beatthecorona #lockdown #stayhomestaysafe  #funwithflowers #learningfromgardening #naturelovers #gazania #curingthenature

12 comments:

  1. Fantastic natural remedies indeed. However I am not sure if the pandemic made human beings more responsible who curtailed travel - both by air and by road etc. Fear seldom brings long-term responsibility. I am afraid that once the fear abates, human beings will resort back to their very selfish activities and adventures. During the pandemic, only those activities were curtailed which posed immediate and direct risk to humans. I may agree that there was some temporary realization and conversation however, I am afraid, it will remain misplaced. The many-fold increase in consumption of packaging materials for home delivery of goods (including a lot of plastic used in ready-to-eat food deliveries) completely negates the gains made elsewhere. Human beings do not see the death that is creeping silently and slowly; they have been inviting it for years by polluting the environment. They need catastrophes to comprehend the might of mother nature to inflict catastrophic consequences even to the ultimate annihilation of the human race.

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    1. Thanks for your feedback. Indeed, we have to work for sustained efforts. I personally feel every drop counts in this effort.

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  2. Nature hàs enough for everyone's NEED but not for our GREED.

    The Pandemic did put a forced pause to our over-exploitation and gave Nature a chance to re-assert itself.

    I would like to believe that we are, as a race getting more and more responsible.

    - The push for clean energy is getting stronger by the day and technology is being leveraged towards the same.

    - There are recyclable materials being evolved and plastics and other non-biidegradables are being slowly but surely eschewed.

    -Re-greening projects are being constantly promoted.

    I like to think that we would s(rather than later) be a technologically advanced and yet sustainably co-existing race.

    The next push that is needed is for us to give up farming animals and poultry for meat and chicken (asalso over-exploitation of the oceans and seas for fish and other marine life.

    Besides the ethical question of taking the life and causing pain to sentient creatures, rearing of poultry, gears, sheep and beef is a major source of pollution as well as deprives us of huge swathes of forest cover that is being used to grow food for these animals.

    Vegetarianism/veganism is the need of the day. Possibly technology is coming to the rescue here too with artificial meat.

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    1. Thanks for highlighting various other measures to preserve the environment Jai.

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  3. Naturopathy for Nature is akin to Naturopathy for humans. Truly states nature is closely linked to humans. The humans forgot Nature and inflicted torture on it by not caring for it. When the torture aggravated the Nature had viruses of green house effect, global warming and rains in Leh.
    The Nature can't speak but can take care of itself if helped by humans. Using Neem Daarun will result is more sprouting of leaves and branches. Beauty trimming of trees and planting of detached stem will result in more plants. Hybridisation will make nature more variated. The Himalayas has the black gel Shilajit for providing potency to humans as well as the Nature. The Nature is a combination of allo + homoeo + ayur and therefore Nature is a doctor for itself. Let us assist the Nature in Nurturing US as well as the Nature.
    Also let us learn to enjoy the Nature just as we admire beauty in humans. The beauty of Nature is more intoxicating then Human beauty. It lends Aroma to the environ. Unlike humans Nature's beauty is not for itself but for us to give us Moksha.

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  4. Brilliant and very comprehensive write up on preserving Nature by Nature. Your insights gained through personal experiences are commendable. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. STRONGLY SUPPORT YOU. YAPRAL LAKE MUST BE KEPT CLEAN AND POLLUTION FREE.

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  6. दुख में सिमरन सब करे सुख में करे न कोई। यह कहावत हम मानव जाती पर बहुत सटीक है क्यों कि हमारी याददाश्त सीमित समय तक रहती हे हम जल्द ही भूलना जानते हैं। ओर फिर वह काम करने लगते है जिसमें प्राकृतिक हानि होने लगती है

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