A note on the issue: A forest holiday—by the water

To be perfectly honest, there’s not much to do in a mangrove forest. You can hire a boat and float through its intricate, ever narrowing network of waterways, marvelling at the silence, the shades of green and the way the sun glints off the water. Unless you’re an avid birdwatcher, an amateur naturalist or the intrepid kind to take a kayak out by yourself despite warnings of crocodile sightings, it’s hard to fill more than an afternoon with a trip to the mangroves.

Also read: Where the forest meets the sea: Walking the mangroves of Queensland

Yet, these mysterious forests that sit on the margins between land and sea are among the richest, most interesting places to visit, as we write this week in Lounge. Goa, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Maharashtra and a few other states have mangroves, often with national parks situated within. Most of these states’ tourism websites will gush about kayaking and parasailing but really, most of us aren’t looking for all that. 

Across the country, mangroves are integral to local communities, and it is those connections of sustainability, harmony and daily life that would draw travellers. Maharashtra’s Koli, for instance, rely on mangroves for survival and have started their own efforts, including boat rides, walks and food pop-ups, to protect and create awareness about them. These are aspects that could be highlighted in tourism as Queensland in Australia does. Forest walks by the indigenous Kuku Yalanji, another story explains, bring alive the connected ecology of the ancient Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. It’s interactive, it’s not merely for adventure sports lovers or birdwatchers, and it’s truly educative, serving the purpose of conservation. 

The language of protection in India tends to the technical—intertidal zones, biological barriers, carbon sinks. While all this is true and should be reason enough to protect ecosystems, sometimes we just need an engaging show-and-tell: this is the community that thrives because of the mangroves, this is what the mangroves do for you, and here’s how you can help.

Other stories in this issue include a report on pregnancy and sports, with a special focus on the expectant mothers who participated in the Olympics and Paralympics, a profile of Phani Kishan Addepalli of Swiggy; and a selection of what to watch, read and do.

Write to the editor at shalini.umachandran@htlive.com

@shalinimb

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