bengaluru you dont even need a weekend for this date with nature just 175km from mg road turahalli forest off kanakapura road in south bengaluru is an adventure aficionados delight providing good terrain for trekkers rockclimbers mountain bikers and even bird watchers if hoardings advertising new apartments and ongoing commercial constructions indicate invasion on development thats threatening to consume turahalli just like its surroundings tens of people gathered on a chilly sunday morning to celebrate turahalli day raises the hope for a green futureaaron and jackie two us citizens working in bengaluru are enthusiastic but shy we climb here every sunday today the crowds more aaron said refusing to be photographed while jackie insisted shed only speak if we can help save the forest about 150 metres away rishab gotaparthi 5 was just beginning to climb a steep hillock disconnected to the realities of the world staring at a pet great dane he was searching for his fathers hands i used to frequent this place in the 90s now i want my son to see all of this before it vanishes pradeep gotaparthi said leading rishab ahead while the forest has been a regular adda hangout for many groups a conscious effort is now being made to save the forest from encroachments which regulars like aalok bharadwaj brand a threat spread over around 1100 acres but shrinking rapidly turahalli is home to a rich biodiversity birdwatchers have catalogued more than 120 species of birds including the great indian horned owl sirkeer malkoha blackwinged kite brown shrike rosy starlings scimitar babbler spotted owlet bluerock thrush loten sunbird and beeeaters of all hues aalok said there are over 50 species of butterflies among the rarest sightings are the asian palm civet jackal and leopard first discovered by rock climbers around 1960 turahalli has a great potential to become bengalurus bouldering cradle a place where promising climbers can train and get back in touch with the rock that the city deprives them of there were plenty of adventure aficionados and environment lovers there on sunday roshan thyagarajan who regularly trains at the kanteerava stadium said the facility at the stadium is great but that isnt real rock this is amazing and ill make this a regular affair given that i can cycle here from indiranagar trash threat carrying a trash bag is a must organisers of turahalli day said in the mails sent to likeminded people well carry back as much litter as we can the organizers saidgarbage seems to be an issue this forest has been dealing with despite the pollution control board recommendations against dumping of waste there bbmp had tried using the land as a dump yard earlier this year finally the high court intervened and said that it would initiate action against officials concerned if no chargesheet is filed