Chiroptology
January 21, 2017
Bats are extremely important for our ecology. Many plants depend on bats for their reproduction - fruit bats perform a dual role in the life of plants, taking on the role of both the birds and the bees! They help not only by pollinating flowers but also by dispersal of seeds. Many forests would not be the same without bats. Insect-eating bats eat so many insects in a single day that they help to keep the pest population in control. A single bat can eat it's body-weight in insects every day - that's a LOT of mosquitoes!
One of the things we do during our expeditions is to educate the locals about the importance of bats. In Meghalaya, bats are unfortunately on the menu. Our aim is to let the locals know how valuable these little furry animals are to their environment and their beautiful forests if they are left alive.
Picture Credits: Oana Mirela
Delicate Formations
January 18, 2017
It takes thousands of years for beautiful formations to grow inside a cave. Minerals are deposited, layer upon layer by the slow and gradual drip of moisture inside a cave, finally producing spectacular formations. Many cave formations are extremely delicate, so much so that even if they are touched by a single finger, the oils and dirt left behind can ruin the formation for good. Extreme care must be taken while inside a cave to ensure that they are left the way they were found, for future generations to enjoy. Our expeditions focus on educating people on the importance of looking without touching and preserving instead of destroying or taking.
Picture Credits: Simona Elena Buduran
All Things Bright & Beautiful
January 15, 2017
Many mysterious and beautiful creatures dwell within a cave. Some are familiar but some are so alien that seeing them for the first time can mentally transport you to another planet! Take for example these beautiful snottites.
Snottites or snotties are created by cave-dwelling bacteria who form a mucous-like environment around themselves within which they live. They hang from the roofs of some caves like strange, living stalactites.
Scientists believe that life on Mars, when we find it, will be very similar to snottites and are studying these strange and beautiful creatures with extreme interest.
Photo Credits: Marcel Dikstra
