Dear Kevin, Anything we can do only in Saligao? We have 2 springs - including Salmona a world famous birding site - a good amphitheater of hills with a little original tree cover left and fields. We could do a round trip starting and ending at Salmona, since we have both at the same natural heritage spot: the pristine, timeless spring with its world famous birding environs on the one hand and modern man's mindless madness in the form that monstrosity of a building there, on the other.
Can you help us get started? Doubtless, we will need some nature loving enthusiasts to also help with the trek. Warm regards and solidarity. M&M. On 10 June 2013 09:00, Kevin Saldanha <[email protected]> wrote: > ** > > > Thanks Victor, Tallulah, Wendell and others. > > It is up to the organizers (in my case pretty much myself!) to create a > hike which will be enjoyable, challenging and educational. > > I got the idea from a group in the UK <http://ancestorstrail.net/> who > prefer to stay true to the theme presented in the book - The Ancestor's > Tale - where the hikes all work backward into geological time. They have > created a logarithmic scale for their timeline and have many different > hikes all congregating on one beach indicating a common progenitor. > > We have had complaints that our 12.5k hike is too long (the longest UK one > is 13 miles ~ 20+ km!). We have accommodated that by allowing those unable > to do the whole hike to join in later along the > trail<http://www.ancestorstrail.ca/pledgeinstructions.htm>where things start > getting interesting (ie. less than 500mya = 6k or less) > > I would be happy to assist any organization wanting to create their own > hike. > > Kevin > > > On Sun, Jun 9, 2013 at 12:56 PM, [email protected] <[email protected]>wrote: > >> ** >> >> Superb idea, Kevin! It should be possible to do this in Goa, but it will >> take planning and knowhow. >> Warm regards, >> Victor >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Rajiv D'Silva <[email protected]> >> To: MissionGreenGoa <[email protected]> >> Sent: Sun, Jun 9, 2013 12:47 pm >> Subject: Re: [MissionGreenGoa] A hike back in geological time >> >> Brilliant, Kevin. >> Hope you are able to do something like this in Goa sometime. >> >> Regards, >> Rajiv >> >> Sent from my Blackberry >> ------------------------------ >> *From: * Kevin Saldanha <[email protected]> >> *Sender: * [email protected] >> *Date: *Sat, 8 Jun 2013 17:59:11 -0400 >> *To: *<[email protected]>; < >> [email protected]>; cafe scientifique< >> [email protected]>; <[email protected]> >> *ReplyTo: * [email protected] >> *Subject: *Re: [MissionGreenGoa] A hike back in geological time >> >> >> Thanks for the shout-out, Frederick. >> >> I hope that other groups may be able to emulate this effort and thereby >> bring about a better understanding of our place in the natural world. >> >> Kevin >> >> >> On Sat, Jun 8, 2013 at 4:01 PM, Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या >> *فريدريك نورونيا <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> ** >>> >>> A hike back in geological time >>> May 30, 2013 | Author:Freelance Writer Margo Pierce >>> [image: A hike back in geological time] >>> Kevin Saldanha (center) takes people on a 12.5-kilometer hike back to >>> the beginning of multi-cellular life on Earth to help them understand our >>> connection to other living beings. (Photo: Courtesy of the Ancetor's Trail >>> Hike) >>> If a single human stride (0.75 meters/.82 yards) is equivalent to >>> 60,000 years, then 6.25 centimeters (2.46 inches) represents the duration >>> of human civilization, which is only 5,000 years old. That means a >>> 12.5-kilometer (7.7-mile) hike would cover approximately one billion years >>> of evolutionary time, back to the beginning of multi-cellular life on >>> Earth. But who would make such a calculation and why? Kevin Saldanha did. >>> He’s a veterinarian in Ontario, Canada, and the founder of the Ancestor’s >>> Trail Hike <http://www.ancestorstrail.ca/> in Mississauga, Ontario. >>> The hike is an opportunity to combine education about the natural world. >>> A pre-set route is mapped against a specific timeline in Earth’s history. >>> During the hike there are stops, called milestones, where hikers learn >>> about different developments in the lifecycles of creatures on the planet. >>> The goal is to go back in time to learn about human ancestors that didn’t >>> look like people but are still part of our biological family. >>> This in turn creates an opportunity for humans to understand the >>> importance of preserving biodiversity. For Saldanha, one of the many >>> volunteers who will participate in the third annual hike June 23, the link >>> between humans and all living beings is essential to reverse the >>> devastation of the natural world by human exploitation. >>> Having studied evolution during his schooling, Saldanha thought he had a >>> good sense of the connection between humans and other living beings. But >>> the notion of a common ancestry, that humans came from other beings and not >>> just apes, isn’t something taught in most schools. >>> “You know it at the back of your mind but it doesn’t hit you until you >>> realize that a fish is your cousin, a coral is your cousin,” he says. >>> “You’ve got the same DNA in your cells that those organisms have in their >>> cells. The genetics, the DNA sequencing, proves that we have common DNA and >>> genes.” >>> *The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution* by Richard >>> Dawkins takes readers from modern day back through time to identify common >>> ancestors. The book gave Saldanha the idea to recreate that virtual march >>> through time along the Culham >>> Trail<http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Streetsville,+Mississauga,+ON&gl=ca&t=h&msa=0&msid=201615899307792421034.00049b2b004aec97b6925&ll=43.575541,-79.686928&spn=0.065912,0.169086&z=13>, >>> which follows the Credit River in the western portion of Mississauga. The >>> biggest challenge was helping participants comprehend the scale of time. >>> “The concept of geological time is so difficult to grasp, not just for >>> kids but for adults,” Saldanha says. “That’s why the reluctance to believe >>> in evolution. If you don’t understand geologic time, then it’s really >>> difficult to understand evolution. This would be an ideal opportunity to >>> show people that on a hike.” >>> The start of the hike begins in the past. Each step moves people closer >>> to present day. >>> “I’ve only plotted the last billion years from the time multi-cellular >>> life started,” Saldanha says. “I decided to keep the scale constant, so for >>> the first several hundred million years there’s not much happening until >>> you get to about 500 million years ago, where the hag fish (appear), and >>> the shark and boney fish about 450 million years ago. As you get down to >>> 300 million, where the amphibians and reptiles (appear), it starts getting >>> exciting. You can actually relate to animals that you see today.” >>> As life begins to appear, the hikers stop at “rendezvous” points to >>> learn about the animals from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), >>> naturalists and other experts. On the 2011 hike, the 6 million year >>> rendezvous focused on the primates of that time. Abner Lico of the Jane >>> Goodall Institute's Roots & Shoots <http://rootsandshoots.org/> program >>> also talked about the youth leadership program related to environmental >>> issues. >>> Part of the Ancestor’s Trail Hike is a fundraiser for Roots & Shoots. >>> The youth environmental organization connects kids of all ages around the >>> world who “share a desire to create a better world,” by identifying >>> problems in their communities and taking action through service projects >>> and an interactive website. This was added as the result of feedback from >>> hikers who wanted to give something back. >>> Saldanha believes that kind of direct action will come from recognizing >>> that human beings have a responsibility to care for the world from which we >>> come. The science of the past and present creates the understanding of why >>> the fate of other beings should matter to us. >>> “About 440 million years ago we had a common ancestor with boney fish, >>> which is somewhere between lung fish and sharks,” he says. “A lot of people >>> may understand a common ancestry with chimps, bonobos and maybe even apes, >>> but when you talk about fish they say, ‘Fish are so different from us. How >>> could we have a common ancestor with them?’” >>> Saldanha explains by using the anatomy of modern day humans to draw a >>> connection -- the vertebra in our spinal column formed in the early boney >>> fish. And the gills of a fish evolved over time into a structure used for >>> hearing sound, our ears. >>> “I usually tell people I’m not making up this stuff because it’s >>> probably the first time they’ve heard it. They can go back and they can >>> read up on it and see how, even though embryology, when a human embryo is >>> conceived, the whole structure looks very much like a tadpole, which looks >>> similar to other mammals at that stage.” >>> Hiker and 2011 trail volunteer Vishal Murthy points out that hikers can >>> get more information on the spot. QR codes on signs at the various stops on >>> the route allow a smartphone to access additional resources about the >>> animals and time period represented. A student of veterinary medicine, >>> Murthy was working with Saldanha when the first hike was organized. >>> “I felt that this walk really drove home the scope and enormity of time >>> and the process of change on our planet,” Murthy says. “Learning about >>> evolution is one thing, but to actually walk the trail as we went from one >>> ancestor to another, it really helped put into perspective how much history >>> we share with animals and how short a time we as humans have truly spent on >>> the Earth." >>> One of the ancient life forms still alive today is coral and it serves >>> to illustrate the impact humans are having on the existence of others to >>> whom we’re connected. The acidification of ocean water causes coral >>> bleaching, which in turn destroys the incubator of the marine food chain, >>> according to Saldanha. He invites groups working to reverse this kind of >>> destruction to present information to hikers at the milestones. (See >>> the milestones on the Google trail >>> map<http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Streetsville,+Mississauga,+ON&gl=ca&t=h&msa=0&msid=201615899307792421034.00049b2b004aec97b6925&ll=43.575541,-79.686928&spn=0.065912,0.169086&z=13> >>> ) >>> United Conservationists <http://www.unitedconservationists.org/> is one >>> of the groups that volunteered to help with the Ancestor’s Trail hike. They >>> included the movie *Shark Water <http://www.sharkwater.com/> *by, >>> Toronto filmmaker Rob Stewart, as part of the information they shared. It >>> serves as an illustration of what Saldanha wants people to learn from >>> evolution, geologic time and humanity. >>> The fins are harvested by cutting all of them from the bodies of live >>> sharks. Then the body is thrown back into the ocean. >>> “They can’t swim, so they sink to the bottom of the ocean and >>> die,” Saldanha explains. “There are things that we’re doing that are >>> unsustainable, are really cruel. >>> Raising this kind of awareness is considered political by some, even >>> though Saldanha says his focus is on science. He believes fact, not >>> religious beliefs or political agendas, is what’s needed for people to >>> learn the truth about the state of the natural world. But difficulties >>> still arise. One of the largest hiking clubs in the area refused to promote >>> the Ancestor’s Trail hike to its membership, stating, “People will see it >>> as a threat to their religion, so we won’t promote it.” >>> Saldanha insists science offers the best explanation for the way in >>> which humans fit into the world. >>> “We’re destroying that web of life that we’re intricately connected to. >>> As those connections are breaking down, we’re putting humanity at risk,” he >>> says. >>> Saldanha hopes that by understanding the ancestry we share with a >>> variety of living beings, not just those who seem to look like us, will >>> make it possible to better understand our multifaceted connections with the >>> natural world. If we have a kinship with these creatures, he explains, then >>> there’s an opportunity for a sense of responsibility for the fate of those >>> relations. As the highest form of intelligent life, humans have a unique >>> role and importance in the preservation of life, but that can’t happen as >>> long as people don’t see and feel the need to protect those that can’t >>> protect themselves against us. >>> >>> http://membercentral.aaas.org/blogs/aaas-serves/hike-back-geological-time?page=0,0 >>> >>> FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 [email protected] >>> Audio recordings (mostly from Goa): http://bit.ly/GoaRecordings >>> Goa,1556 >>> http://www.scribd.com/doc/76671049/Goa1556-Catalogue-Books-from-Goa >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> ========================== >> *“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the >> rest of the world.” *(John Miur) >> >> >> > > > -- > ========================== > *“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the > rest of the world.” *(John Miur) > > __._,_.___ > Reply via web > post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MissionGreenGoa/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxNTgwdGx2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzMzY3NDA3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTgzODA3NgRtc2dJZAMxNTg4BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTM3MDgzNTA1Mw--?act=reply&messageNum=1588> > Reply > to sender > <[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20%5BMissionGreenGoa%5D%20A%20hike%20back%20in%20geological%20time> > Reply > to group > <[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20%5BMissionGreenGoa%5D%20A%20hike%20back%20in%20geological%20time> > Start > a New > Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MissionGreenGoa/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmNHJyYTB2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzMzY3NDA3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTgzODA3NgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzEzNzA4MzUwNTM-> > Messages > in this > topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MissionGreenGoa/message/1582;_ylc=X3oDMTM1a3JjMWk1BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzMzY3NDA3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTgzODA3NgRtc2dJZAMxNTg4BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM3MDgzNTA1MwR0cGNJZAMxNTgy>(6) > Recent Activity: > > > Visit Your > Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MissionGreenGoa;_ylc=X3oDMTJmaTM5bDRyBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzMzY3NDA3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTgzODA3NgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEzNzA4MzUwNTM-> > [image: Yahoo! > Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlZTZhaml0BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzEzMzY3NDA3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTgzODA3NgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTM3MDgzNTA1Mw--> > Switch to: > Text-Only<[email protected]?subject=Change+Delivery+Format:+Traditional>, > Daily > Digest<[email protected]?subject=Email+Delivery:+Digest>• > Unsubscribe<[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>• > Terms > of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> • Send us Feedback > <[email protected]?subject=Feedback+on+the+redesigned+individual+mail+v1> > . > > __,_._,___ > -- *Our blog anOTHERgoa is now** active...* ................................................................ there *is* *anOTHERgoa* at <http://www.an*OTHER*goa.blogspot.in <http://www.anothergoa.blogspot.in>> & <http://www.youtube.com/anothergoa> ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' muriel & mario, c/o FULKAR, 6/22, sonarbhatt, saligao. bardez. goa. 403511. tel: 0832-2278276 / 2409999 <anothergoa AT gmail.com> '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' -- -- Saligao-Net is at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe email [email protected] --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. 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