“If you spot the Lanja Tara, the dry season is near.”

When Nirakar Behera was a child, he fell asleep to stories of cyclones and saltwater crocodiles. His family has lived for generations along the tidal creeks of Bhitarkanika, a mangrove-rich region on Odisha’s eastern coast where three rivers — the Baitarani, Brahmani, and Kharasrota — meet the Bay of Bengal.

“It’s the Lanja Tara you should look for,” his grandfather would say, pointing at the night sky. “If you spot it, the dry season is near.” The star he spoke of was likely Canopus. “And when Hilsa fish suddenly swarm the river,” Nirakar adds, “it means a cyclone is coming.”

Bhitarkanika, declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975 — the year Nirakar was born — is a delicate wetland of tidal waters, mudflats, estuaries, and creeks. It is home to crocodiles, rare mangrove species, and people like Nirakar, whose lives move to its rhythms.

By the age of eight, Nirakar was already curious about every plant and bird in the forest. Today, he can identify all 96 mangrove species found here — 63 native and 33 associated — by both their regional and scientific names. Among his favourites is Hental (Phoenix paludosa), a spiky palm also called the Mangrove Date Palm.

Now in his fifties, Nirakar works as a field assistant with the Forest Department. But that title barely captures his role. He is a storyteller, a naturalist, and a bridge between science and tradition.

“It’s the mangroves that protect us from cyclones,” he tells The Better India. “They slow the wind, hold the soil, and absorb the storm’s force.”

Teaching what the forest taught him

As Nirakar grew older, his bond with Bhitarkanika only deepened. He speaks of the mangrove ecosystem not like a textbook, but like someone who has walked every creek and listened to every birdcall. He knows how tides shift, how the river smells before rain, how fish dance in certain seasons.

These are the things he shares with his neighbours and people from nearby villages. He explains why the soil is eroding, how chemical pesticides harm the land, and how unregulated prawn farming is eating away at the roots of the mangroves. There are no charts or slides — just words that make sense to the people listening.

“In 2022, I was part of the Forest Department’s mangrove reforestation initiative called ‘Mangrove Mitra’. We convinced 30 families to give up 13 acres of non-arable land near the river,” he says with quiet pride.

The families kept their land rights and received compensation. Ten species were planted — Hental, Guan, Bani, Rai, and more.

Childhood bond turns into a mission

Behind Nirakar’s love for the forest was someone who saw his spark early on — Madhusmit Pati. Founder of Nature’s Club, an organisation that has been active in Bhitarkanika since 1994, Madhusmit has spent decades helping people prepare for disasters, restore damaged forests, and find ways to earn a living without harming nature.

He took Nirakar under his wing during his school years, guiding him through tough times and fanning his curiosity about the mangroves.

“This is a vulnerable and complex ecosystem,” Madhusmit says. “Thoughtless actions in the name of conservation can backfire.”

© The Better India