In 2024, it’s hard, thankless work to keep a blog running. Especially when it’s not your day job, and the workdays are long. Especially, a blog that is concerned with a niche theme like nature experiences. And, especially, one that is not led by paid influencers peddling things or ideas that you don’t really need.
Attention spans have diminished, and what’s left of them have been claimed by the dopamine hits offered by Instagram and a plague of other social media notifications. Few care to make time for the long patient read. Internet and social media pundits (always too many of those) pontificate that we must all move to video, even those with visual impairments. Why? That’s what the algorithm wants, they say.
Sorry, Algorithm, but we’re old school pen-and-notepad-and-keyboard humans, and our content is generated by human brains and handmade, not churned out by ChatGPT. We’ll take the traffic we get. Your loss if you don’t read.
We Don’t Need No Algorithm
Interestingly, one look at our analytics dashboard tells another story — the big numbers there are not against acquisition, daily active users, or page views, but time spent. People (I hate to call them users—makes them appear like junkies) spend an average of 8-18 minutes reading our posts. Actually staying on the page, scrolling, and signing up for newsletters.
That’s platinum in the golden age of doom-scrolling.
We’re Gainfully Engaged. Are You?
The Green Ogre is not for sale. If you notice, we don’t run ads. This doesn’t mean we chicken away from battling it out in the big, mean, walled garden of the 21st century internet. We do our own word-of-mouth marketing, without being pesky or intrusive. And that is enough. If you enjoy our content, tell others about it.
The Green Ogre is powered by goodwill. This is a self-funded project, so I spend zilch on social media marketing. We do not peddle or promote products or services. And we don’t do “collabs”—uh-uh. However, the costs of hosting, website security, and maintenance are getting overwhelming every year, and harder still since I took a pay cut to pursue my passions. Balance-sheet wise, I am eternally in the red. Yet, the joy of sharing the joy of a nature experience outweighs all of the pain and penury.
So that’s why, late in 2023, we introduced a series called TL;DR —geek-speak for Too Long Don’t Read. This was also the year that we brought in Bird Games. The Green Ogre Nature Quiz had kicked off in 2023, but 2024 saw us introduce a full suite of games—crosswords, jigsaws, etc.—powered by a nifty free software called PuzzleMe from AmuseLabs.
While some posts are tapped out fast and furious, I enjoyed the slow burn of writing one over weeks, like this post on The Nature Fix and another about a Taiga Flycatcher gender-bender.
Smells Like Team Spirit!
While I do the commissioning and editing, The Green Ogre would not have breathed in 2024 without a wealth of great contributions from fellow-Ogres and nature lovers.
Related Posts:
Sandy, my dear friend and fellow-Ogre who’s one of the most talented photographers that I know, contributed a riveting 6-part series on his Christmas birding tour of Costa Rica.
Andy, taking a break from daddy duties, penned a lovely travelogue from the Ardennes in his inimitable style. I love the way he thinks and expresses, and you’ll see that observation echoed in Jennifer’s praise of his writing. He pores deeply with his engineer’s mindset, assimilates, and decodes — what a great gift!
Jennifer Nandi published her first book this year, and it’s flying off the virtual shelves on Amazon. What’s even more fascinating to see is Jennifer in person—all seven decades and counting of her lithe, electric, animated self—speaking eloquently and ardently about No Half Measures. At every reading, she sells more books and wins more hearts. I’m honoured that she returned to The Green Ogre to publish her ongoing series Ink On The Move. It’s a veritable serialised book in a Dickensian tradition.
Arun Raghuraman, whom I met while birding at Saul Kere during the pandemic, enthralled us with his photo-diary about the Adjutant Storks of Guwahati’s garbage dumps. A well-travelled nature lover, he pursues the experience of enjoying the outdoors and documenting them on his blog and Instagram page. As with most prolific bloggers, he knows the angst of blogging in an era where no one really reads.
As did Bhawana Bhargava, another pandemic birding buddy, who captured the unalloyed joy of watching a Spotted Owlet relish its ratty breakfast! I have always enjoyed the results of her patient observation and her sensitivity to ethics while in the field, going to show that you don’t have to stalk or badger your wild subjects to get outstanding results.
Just as we thank everyone who has contributed in the past year, The Green Ogre would be worth nothing but for the attention of every loyal reader, admirer, quiz player, and subscriber—you know who you are! It’s your nudging—“you should write a post about that!”—which keeps me going. So, thank you!
I’ll leave you with a few words from our tribe of contributors who enriched our pages in 2024. And we look forward to swelling their ranks in 2025! If we make it as far as 2026, remember that it will be 20 years of The Green Ogre. Wow!
Jennifer Nandi – On Reading And Writing
The Green Ogre’s travel series is a treasure trove of adventure, offering detailed trip reports and stunning photographs that transport you across the globe—all from the comfort of your home. How incredible is that!
Recently, The Green Ogre introduced a variety of engaging quizzes, crosswords, and other nature-themed riddles and puzzles for an extra dose of fun. I love how the blog keeps evolving, constantly challenging me to keep up with its creativity!
Writing for The Green Ogre is an absolute delight. It’s like maintaining a journal, but with the added flair of pictures and the joy of sharing it with everyone. Knowing that people are reading your work and engaging with it through comments is incredibly rewarding. The platform’s reach is vast, with a diverse and widespread readership, making the experience even more fulfilling.
My favourite posts are those by Bijoy and Sandy. Bijoy captivates with his masterful storytelling, weaving narratives that linger long in your mind. Sandy’s breathtaking photographs speak volumes, dazzling the viewer with their artistry and precision.
Then there’s Andy, with his engineer’s bent of mind and razor-sharp curiosity. His writing reveals how his mind works – a delightful blend of analytical depth and creative insight. I say this because he makes unexpected connections that leave me marvelling at his perspective. He’s an absolute joy to read.
Arun Raghuraman – Making Pictures Talk
The Green Ogre provides a fascinating viewpoint on encounters in the wild and travel stories from a bunch of passionate nature enthusiasts. What caught my eye, though, were the bird-themed games—crosswords & quizzes—which entertained and taught many fun facts along the way.
I was really happy when Bijoy asked me to contribute to the site with my story on photographing Greater Adjutants. He further shared with me details on the conservation efforts by the Hargila Army. This got me to help out in a small way on The Green Ogre and also learn more along the way. Looking forward to more such opportunities.
Bhawana Bhargava — The Ethics Of Observation
I am truly grateful to The Green Ogre for publishing my bird-watching experience. Bijoy provided this platform and helped me with his thoughtful insights. The exposure has allowed it to reach a wider audience.
I hope that it will encourage more people to go out and appreciate the natural wonders around us. I highly appreciate the opportunity and look forward to reading and learning more from this platform.
Andy — When Writing Flows Like Birdsong
In 2024, I enjoyed reading Reclaiming The Nature Fix – In Pursuit Of Biophilia on The Green Ogre.
Beej, in an unassuming manner, shined the spotlight on nature’s obscure creations around us. Being a nature fix seeker myself, the article transported me virtually to Bengaluru. The vivid photographs made the journey real.
Coincidentally my post Wild Wallonia – A Short Walk In The Ardennes was a nature fix activity in itself. I drafted this post in my mind as I walked through the Furfooz Nature Reserve. There was something special about that walk—every sensory perception went straight to my heart. I connected with nature—with mind, body, and soul. While writing that post, my penstrokes flowed like birdsong—effortlessly.
Sandy — Make Mine Macabre
As far as my favourite posts on The Green Ogre go, the horror fiction-lover in me fell head over heels for the title Death Stalks Like A Marabou Stork. Beej’s similes and metaphors are stuff that I have always been in awe of, and this one had me hook, line, and sinker.
As far as my personal favourites go, I would pick Resplendent Quetzal: Part Bird, Part God and Full-Time Economy Driver. I remember writing this down while it was fresh in my memory on the airplane back from Costa Rica — day six was such an emotional roller coaster. We hung on through gloom and despair for the large portion of the day, and the anticlimactic end to the day made it the most incredible and memorable day of the trip—and it had to be written down while the memories were still warm!
Arun Menon – Speaking Up For Lakes
The post Make Bengaluru’s Saul Kere Bird-friendly Again emphasises the crucial role of lakes in urban areas like Bangalore, where people engage in activities such as walking, jogging, or birdwatching. While these lakes seem to offer simple recreational value, they actually serve as important ecological hubs that support a wide range of wildlife and habitats. Without proper ecological management, however, a lake could become little more than a stagnant percolation tank (sort of a soup bowl). The post stresses the need for collective wisdom and action to preserve lakes like Saul Kere by urging individuals to voice their concerns and suggestions to local governing bodies, ensuring these areas remain vital havens for both wildlife and urban communities. Posts like these are the need of the hour as they call for greater awareness and community involvement in protecting the ecological balance of urban lakes that we all enjoy so much.
Thanks for following The Green Ogre in 2024. If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter, now’s a great time. Come back for more in 2025, and stand up for nature.
- Pranayama with Bar-headed Geese – A Pilgrimage in Gadag - January 10, 2025
- 2024 – The Year The Green Ogre Breathed Again! - December 29, 2024
- Let Nature Guide You – Inspiration For Naturalists - December 28, 2024
