paresh chhajed-picha

In 1960, David Latimer planted a spiderwort sprout inside of a large glass jar, added a quarter pint of water, and then sealed it shut. He opened the bottle for the first time only 12 years later, in 1972, to add some water and then sealed it for good. The self-contained ecosystem flourished for more than 60 years as a perfectly balanced garden and self-sufficient ecosystem. The bacteria in the compost ate the dead plants and broke down the oxygen released, turning it into carbon dioxide, essentially forming a microcosm of Earth.

The story of Klepetan, the stork who migrated from South Africa to Croatia every year for 20 years to be with Malena, a female stork who couldn't fly after being shot by a hunter. Croatia is a popular nesting spot for white storks; some 1,500 nesting pairs reside in the country, with some villages having more storks than people. Croatian janitor Stjepan Vokić found Malena while fishing in 1993; she had been shot by hunters and was unable to fly. Vokić rescued Malena and became her caretaker. In 2001, Vokić started to observe a male stork, which he named Klepetan, visiting Malena. Vokić was surprised when he saw the male stork returning the following year and the year after. Every spring Klepetan came back to mate with Malena. Through a radio tracking band, it was determined that Klepetan made a 13,000-km (8,000 mi) month-long journey from South Africa to Croatia to meet up with her partner each year. Vokić took care of their chicks since Malena was not able to hunt, building them a nest, shelter, and feeding them. Klepetan returned for the last time in April 2021, because on 7 July 2021, Malena died due to old age and natural causes.