Biodiversity – the variety of life in a particular ecosystem – is a precious thing, inherently. In species-rich environments, the awe-inspiring intricacies of our planet’s long bio-evolutionary history can be found in full flower, growl, flutter, slither and bubble. It is truly an amazing thing to behold. We encourage travellers to explore these biological treasure troves, but to do so responsibly.

This photo depicts a typical village scene, with one of the younger girls in the family preparing the day’s rice for the family. The rice is first pounded using a wooden pile driver, which is visible just behind the girl in the bottom left hand corner of the full size picture. The material is then sifted by hand using large wicker plates to separate the rice from the husks.