27-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
A quest for green spaces
Golden jackals, mongoose, Indian flying fox, painted storks, pelicans, and spotted owlets are among the many animals and birds that are frequently spotted here. To put things in perspective, fauna lists displayed at the 149th International Convention of Theosophists, held at their global headquarters in Besant Nagar, listed 12 mammals, 52 birds, 6 amphibians, 14 reptiles, and over 100 insect species — from butterfly, dragonfly, wasp, beetle, ant, to spiders — that call Theosophical Society their home. Many of which are only found here, after much of Chennai's natural habitat has been lost to housing and infrastructure.
This sprawling green space shows how wild the city once was and how wild it could be.
Although establishing large green spaces such as this within a densely populated city is unrealistic, efforts could be made at a smaller, but equally meaningful scale. Upcoming development projects can adopt a landscaping model that prioritises diversity in trees and plants over purely ornamental and aesthetic values. That could both improve biodiversity and benefit the people residing in surrounding neighbourhoods.
