Spending a couple of weeks on a jungle safari is an ideal bonding project, especially if your closest family is with you. It is a choice opportunity to have new experiences together, even if you sometimes do head off in two completely opposite directions. The trees and wildlife are ideal companions, but we tend to overlook two of most beautiful gifts of the forest while praising the beauties that are easier to spot. The sweet cooing of the birds and wild blooms are just as irresistible. Wildflowers are easily spotted on trails leading deep into woods. While the rest of the family enjoys the meadows and sunsets.
Fragrance of the wildflower
It is debatable whether being a naturalist and easily identifying genus and plant species is better than being able to appreciate the simple perfection of each tiny petal without bothering about its name. For none of the wildflowers look too rare or exotic. Many of them seem to belong to the mustard family, and some to a ‘tiny violet’ home. Some tiny ones growing on long stems resemble the narcissus. Most patches of wildflowers grow because of the abundant fertility of the area, unplanned yet protected from rain and shine by leafy canopies overhead. Much like the wildlife, they stick to their allotted space, intruding as little as possible into the domain of other living creatures.
Few of us aren’t absolutely in love with the fragrant bloom of spring wildflowers. But often they can spread far enough to block the growth of the native flowers of the region. Barring this, there is absolutely no reason for us to not revel in the glory of these creatures. Besides, more flowers is only to be delighted in. If they were not special hosts of a particular insect, there is not a whole lot to lose from the mystery wildflowers claiming our special attention. These born-wild-and-free beauties need no digging, weeding or pruning: they are made to require less toil and more enjoyment.
WALKING WITH WILDFLOWERS
The idea here is to sip every little dreg of sunshine while summer lasts. A safari is not only the majestic tiger and grand trees. In every nook of the journey unnamed miracles rush on our sights, and we often overlook them. We miss out on a lot. They may not be model gardens of expensive flowers, made to order. Yet they grow and thrive amongst trees stronger than themselves. Little secrets of nature.
Born and brought up in New Delhi, it was Sharad’s childhood passion to play cricket for India. While on a holiday in 1990, he saw his first tiger. Little did he know that this one sighting would immerse him into a realm where forests and tigers were all that mattered.
Sharad’s experiences as a wildlife photographer have inspired him to observe the tiger’s behavior for over 30 years and motivated him on his own journey as an entrepreneur. He started Nature Safari India Pvt Ltd, with a focus on “Conservation through Tourism.” to align himself to the mission of saving the regal species and repopulating them in India’s forests. In 2006, he set up one of India’s premier jungle lodges in Kanha National Park.
Sharad believes that there are many lessons to be learned from a tiger that can be applied successfully to leadership—both in business and in life. Here’s a new book by Sharad Vats on management and leadership skills to learn from a Tiger.
