NATEXReview

minal soni1 month ago

1 month ago

Had a wonderful experience on the Bhandardara Fireflies Tour with Natex! on the 30th of May The trip was comfortable, well-organized, and made even more enjoyable by the friendly group and knowledgeable experts Mr Anurag and Ms Priyall; who guided us throughout.<br>Apart from the magical firefly sighting, we loved the fruit foraging, the beautiful sunset at the lake, and the peaceful visit to Amruteshwar Temple. A perfect blend of nature, learning, and fun. Highly recommended!

bharat soni1 month ago

1 month ago

I joined the Not Just Fireflies experience with Naturalist Explorers yesterday, and it was far more than I expected.<br><br>I had never seen a moonrise before, and watching the moon slowly emerge and light up the landscape was a beautiful and memorable experience. I went expecting to see fireflies, but I was pleasantly surprised by how many other activities and experiences were included.<br><br>My favorite part was the visit to the lake. The peaceful atmosphere, combined with the stunning surroundings, made it truly special. The Amruteshwar Temple was another highlight its architecture, history, and setting were absolutely beautiful.<br><br>The morning mist at the location was simply mesmerizing and added a magical touch to the entire experience. From the fireflies and moonrise to the lake, temple, and misty morning views, every part of the trip felt thoughtfully curated.<br><br>A wonderful experience overall, and one I would highly recommend to anyone who loves nature and unique outdoor experiences.

Ranjini Das-Gupta5 months ago

5 months ago

I went batting!<br><br>For the uninitiated, it means bat watching! Mumbai's first bat watching walk was held by Naturalist Explorers at the Mahakali Caves. It was conducted by a very learned researcher on bats - Raj Kumar Patil.<br><br>And it was fascinating!<br><br>Bats are such incredible creatures - some species eat fruits and help pollinate certain plants and actually help keep a forest alive.<br><br>For example, did you know that we wouldn't have tequila today if a certain species of bats in North America didn't pollinate the agave plant crucial for tequila production?<br><br>In India, for example, bats pollinate the wild banana plant.<br><br>Some bat species are insectivores and save mankind billions of dollars in pesticides.<br><br>Bat poop or guano is very rich in nitrogen and is highly sought after in Southeast Asia as a fertiliser. India, somehow, hasn't started using this as fertiliser as yet.<br><br>Bats communicate using ultrasonic sound waves and use the echoes to detect different surfaces and their prey - insects. Moths - their prey - have figured out how to emit the same frequencies and use it to jam the bats' frequencies frustrating the bats' efforts! And the bats have retaliated by emitting sounds very rapidly which freeze the moths! What an incredible way species adapt to each other!<br><br>And we spotted a bat species - Schneider's leaf nose bat - identified through the frequency of its calls. And we watched fascinated as it constantly emitted calls and furiously moved its ears to catch the echoes and detect surfaces and its prey. Special thermal heat generating cameras were used by the researcher to detect it and particular equipment for detecting ultrasonic sound was used to capture its calls.<br><br>What a privilege it was to watch this little bat in action. I am very grateful that I had this opportunity.<br><br>Of course, one must always take precautions and not make loud sounds and sudden movements and touch bats to avoid being bitten. Also, to prevent the spread of the Nipah virus, one should avoid nibbled on fruits and todi and neera - where fruit bats and their saliva and other fluids can get into during the process of extraction from the trees.<br><br>Such an important and fascinating and misunderstood creature - the bat - I hope to go on more such bat walks and learn more about them. Naturalist Explorers did a wonderful job of educating us. Join a bat walk too with them if you can!