Green Goa

Green Goa Tree architecture and ‘instant’ trees, even in pots The advantages and joy of growing fruit trees and flowering plants in pots

MIGUEL BRAGANZA

Almost everyone would have seen huge trees that have emerged from the support poles of the Indian Tulip, Thespesia populnea, used on the beachfront in Goa to stake coconut trees on windy seashores, but they may have not noticed what exactly had happened. As its Konkani name Bhenddi tree suggests, it is related to the Ladyfinger or Bhenddo plant. Both belong to the Hibiscus family, Malvaceae. The Indian Tulip tree produces large yellow flowers that turn pink in a day or two, with both colours adding beauty to its canopy of lustrous green leaves. Its trunk yields good quality timber and is used for making furniture.

Unlike the coconut tree, that can sway like a ballerina and still not miss its footing, or the Rain Tree that closes its leaves during gloomy weather like the prudent shopkeepers who down their shutters in anticipation of riots, most other trees get knocked out by the cyclone. The cyclone Tauktae literally drove home the message of tree architecture. Residents of the coastal belt had precious fruit trees in their compounds uprooted and dropped on the ground like a sack of potatoes. Unbalanced branching and dense canopy of a tree make it an easy target for the cyclonic winds. A large number of mango trees came down in May, not for a vacation but flat out on the ground. I am still guiding people how to balance their precious Malcurada, Manga Hilario or mango trees bearing their family name.

Like a good bonsai artist, one must prune and train a mango tree to let the storm blow through it. With decreasing areas of housing plots, one has to decrease the height of the trees that are otherwise likely to fall on one’s own or neighbour’s house. One has to train the trees like one trains their children: when they are young. When the seedling or graft is about one metre in height one has to begin to train it. There are various systems of training trees and now details are

Pole tree cross section

Pole Tree Indian Tulip

Pole Tree Indian Tulip

Potted Purple Custard Apple available on Google and YouTube. For the mango tree, as for the rose bush, an ‘open center’ or ‘open heart’ system is the best.

Those who have trees that are already big need not lose heart. There are pruning systems that have been developed to rejuvenate old fruit trees and give them a new lease of life. It seems crazy to cut a fifteen metres tall mango tree to four metres (fourteen feet) height, but it works! The tree becomes easy to harvest, gives one good yield and reduces the risk of it falling while increasing its life. There is twenty years research by mango growers in Devgad (Maharashtra) like Dr. Ajit Shirodkar and five years of validation by scientists at the DBSKKV-Dapoli’s regional fruit research station in Vengurla to back this recommendation.

The cyclone Tauktae also knocked down roadside ornamental trees in Panaji and across Goa. Fortunately, some of the trees are amenable to ‘pole planting’ and the entire stumps have been planted by some environmentally conscious citizens in Panaji and this can serve as an example for others to follow. Bonsai specialist and tree-lover Daniel D’Souza has played a leading role in making this possible A ‘pole tree’ is the trunk or branch of a tree, normally between two and five metres long, which roots and sprouts to give an instant tree when planted in the ground.

The planting of a pole instead of a seedling, has the advantage that it is less likely to be damaged by browsing animals. The foliage is well beyond the reach of goats and sheep. The Government of New Zealand has guidelines. [https://www.trc.govt. nz/poleswhyplant.pdf]. All kinds of ‘Strangler Figs’ of the Ficus species, like Banyan tree, Peepul, Roomad, Ficus benjamina, Nunurki, and Indian Rubber Tree, the Peltophorum and the Gulmohur, the Amaddo or Hog Plum, the Glyricida and the Mulberry can be grown into pole trees. Those who live in apartment blocks can also have trees of their own – in their own apartment!

There are quite a few fruit plants that one can grow in pots. Ashok Dande has different limes and lemons in pots at NagaliTaleigao. Caje Almeida from Damon-Raia sells sour sop plants with fruits in a pot. My family and I have grown guavas, chickoo, carambola, custard apple, sour sop, limes, lemons and pineapples in pots. Liria Mendoza has strawberry guavas in pots in Curtorim. Oscar Silveira in Borda and Cesar Cabral in Mapusa have grown mangoes. It is not rocket science. You can see the visuals at collaborativelearningcafe. org. We have discussed the subject recently with participants from all over Goa and beyond, even in foreign lands.

The easiest to grow fruit plant after mulberry

Pole tree guy rope and band

is strawberry. Sergio Carvalho grew papaya on his terrace in Mapusa, while others have grown banana plants in barrels. A Jabuticaba or tree grape is an exotic fruit plant can also be grown in a pot. Rahul Samant is a web designer who is growing the grape vine in a pot on the terrace of the Sanvordem-Curchorem post office and eating home-grown grapes for the last two years! We had also grown grafted cashew in half of a 200 litre barrel at the Government Farm, Duler-Mapusa, and it bore fruit for many years in the 1980s.

The fizalis or cape gooseberry is easy to grow and the star gooseberry or raj anvadde is not difficult at all. The amla or common gooseberry can be grown in pots and so can hog plum or Amaddo if you want to make sasav with balcony-grown fruits. Grafted tamarind can also bear in pots. West Indian cherry, Indian cherry or karvanda and even bhirand or kokum can be grown in pots. Pruning and training is important in growing fruit plants in pots, but that is not rocket science. Now YouTube and Google open up opportunities to learn from home

Nature Flights of Fancy

Bird watching is a hobby that delights many, and with Goa’s natural beauty, a rewarding pastime

Whiterumped Shama Yellowbrowed Bulbul

Flamethroated Bulbul

By Sybil Rodrigues

Bird-watching, the observation of live birds in their natural habitat, a popular pastime and scientific sport, developed almost entirely in the 20th century. Modern bird-watching was made possible largely by the development of optical aids, particularly binoculars, which enabled people to see and study wild birds. The Indian subcontinent harbours close to 1300 species with over 60 species found nowhere else, on our planet. It is therefore a true treasure trove for any enthusiast bitten by the ‘bird watching bug’.

Goa is home to an abundance of lush vegetation, rich flora and fauna, makes it an excellent bird watching destination. Around 450 species of birds are noted in Goa which includes common hawk cuckoos, grey bellied cuckoos, Indian swiftlet etc. Birding season in Goa starts from October and goes up to February during which many birding trails are organised in the State.

The Sahyadris is considered as the best birding region in Goa. It houses stunning species of rare and endangered birds. Goa offers a great number of wildlife sanctuaries which are home to many species of different types of birds. Goa’s recorded bird species roughly constitutes 5% of the total 10,000-odd bird species listed globally. Parag Rangnekar, Partner Mrugaya Xpeditions, who is an ecologist, entomologist and birder, says that he was always interested in the natural world, which wasn’t restricted to birds. “The genesis of this fondness is my childhood days spent in the wilds in my native place. Birds, obviously due their colours, songs and presence in all habitats, attract you and make for interesting subjects. The interest now has grown beyond just birdwatching but looking at behaviour, ecology and conservation issues as well.”

Meanwhile Rajiv D’Silva, architect and an avid bird watcher got interested in bird watching when he visited a wildlife sanctuary 20 years ago. “I saw a bird which I had never seen before. I wanted to find out what kind of bird it was. I went to a bookstore and bought a basic book on birds. That got me interested in birds and identifying the different kinds of birds.”

Sheena Roy, nutrition and lifestyle coach and an amateur bird watcher, moved to Goa after spending most of her life in cities where it was difficult to build an interest in bird watching; considering the lack of diversity. “Moving to Goa just at the start of 2020, right near wetlands and forests, meant I had a lot of time to spend outdoors, wander about and get curious,” she says.

One of the great appeals of birdwatching is that it is a relatively inexpensive activity. Basic equipment includes binoculars, a field book to aid identification, and a notebook for recording time and place of sightings.

“The genesis of this fondness for birding is my childhood days spent in the wilds in my native place”

PARAG RANGNEKAR

Pics: Parag Rangnekar

Rajiv D’Silva (extreme right) with fellow birding enthusiasts Bird photography on the other hand requires a camera and different kind of lenses.

Parag, who is also into bird photography, has been a Nikon user from day one. “Though I have changed equipment in between, presently I use a Nikon Z6 and a 200-500mm lens for photography,” he adds.

Rajiv states that the only equipment one needs for bird-watching is a pair of binoculars. “You get simple binoculars for around `3000; and of course, the better ones can cost you around `15000. Plus you need access to outdoor places, which in Goa is in plenty.”

Rajiv goes on to mention that for bird photography one needs very good lenses as birds are typically small and fast and one needs to be able to invest in buying good cameras and lenses. More people are watching birds today than ever before; its popularity as a pastime has been growing rapidly over the past few years. Birding’s tremendous ripple effect as a hobby has influenced everything from ecotourism to optics manufacturers. Birding is a hobby with many upsides, whether one keeps it to neighborhood observations or embarks on a guided birding expedition.

This is a hobby one can participate in just about any time of the day, any day of the year. Any time one interacts with the outdoors, whether one looks out the window, walk to one’s car or goes hiking, is an opportunity for a bird sighting.

More people should try bird watching. Parag states that bird watching is a healthy hobby. “It takes you outdoors; you wake up early and it is an amazing stress buster. Other than this, observing birds tells you a lot about your immediate environment, since birds are amazing indicators of the environment that they live in.” Rajiv says bird watching is a fun activity. “There’s a lot of joy in spotting birds, being able to identify them, looking at their antics, and admiring their varied colours. It gives us more opportunities to connect to nature. Further, as people who live in Goa, we are very lucky that there is so much bird life and beautiful habitats around us. You can just walk out of your house in the morning and spot around 30 to 40 species of birds in one morning. I feel people should take advantage of that.” Sheena, meanwhile, says that bird watching is a great way to appreciate the flora and fauna and learn how amazing nature really is. “Through birding you actually learn a lot about trees, seasons, insects, sounds etc. Personally, it has taught me a lot of patience, as well.” The lists of bird observations compiled by members of local birdwatching societies are very useful to scientists in determining dispersal, habitat, and migration patterns of the various species.

When it comes to hobbies people do a lot of unusual things and bird watchers too, are the same. Parag has traversed most of the State to look for birds. “Though I would not call it unusual but I have boarded fishing trawlers to watch pelagic birds in the sea. Watching those birds that rarely come to land on a boat is an experience by itself that every birder should take atleast once.”

Sheena’s favourite bird watching trips have been to the remote forests of Goa which requires one to wake up before 4 am and take a 2-3 hour journey in order to reach there in time to spot birds.

Rajiv has a different quirk. “When I’m at a site or client meeting outdoors, talking about serious things, and I hear a bird, I get very distracted and start to look towards the trees in order to spot the bird and identify it. This is something I tend to do very often.”

When asked what is the one bird that they haven’t spotted and wish to spot Parag says that he wishes to sight the Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, an enigmatic large owl of dense forests, while Sheena says that she would like to spot a Nightjar as they are so elusive and camouflaged.

Rajiv on the other hand, says he would like to spot a Rain Quail. “It’s not that uncommon, but it’s mostly seen in the rains, and it’s a very skulky bird. It’s usually in the grasses and very rarely comes out in the open. There are others who have spotted it,

“There’s a lot of joy in spotting birds, being able to identify them, looking at their antics, and admiring their varied colours”

RAJIV D’SILVA

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“Through birding you actually learn a lot about trees, seasons, insects, sounds etc. Personally, it has taught me a lot of patience, as well”