Fig trees are a magnificent keystone species that support a variety of life, both large and small. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science study how these trees, with the help of their pollinators, are keeping Bengaluru’s green cover alive through genetic diversity.

Bangalore’s second Moving Waters Film Festival brought with it stories of beauty, despair and hope, from water bodies from all over the world. Based in India, it is the first film festival of its kind devoted to oceans and rivers. This year, the film festival was held in two of the nation’s major cities - Bengaluru and Chennai. The 2 day event, which took place on the 14th and 15th of October, was hosted at the Max Mueller Bhavan, Indiranagar, Bengaluru.

Bangalore of the yesteryears was a city of gardens; cool, pleasant and green. In addition to the 2000+ species of trees -- some natural and some specifically planted -- individual gardens in small households contributed to the large biodiversity here. The undulating terrain of the city allowed formation of lakes -- natural and manmade – that were interconnected. As the ‘Garden City’ transformed into the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, the city’s rapid, uncontrolled growth turned this biodiversity haven to a concrete jungle.