Heart of Conservation

SEASON TWO. For the first time, I'm interviewing an interesting young researcher-couple who are both experts in their fields. Pritha did her Ph.D. on the diversity patterns of the Geometridae family. Her doctoral work included the study of insect biodiversity loss due to anthropogenic disturbances in the western Indian Himalaya. My second guest is Pritha’s husband Rohit Chakravarty. He is a bat biologist currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin. Listen to some amazing facts and stories. Truly inspiring.

For more info on bats write to [email protected]. For more on moths, write to [email protected]

Show notes coming soon on earthymatters.blog. #listennow

For a person who would normally rather communicate through his photographs, in his first podcast-recording, Dhritiman Mukherjee, one of India’s most sought after wildlife photographers, opens up and speaks at length about his own perspectives and the process of his photography. Always lobbying for wildlife, he helps us understand several issues based on his experiences and personal knowledge of over 20 years. Talking of tourism, he explains how it helps wildlife rather than harms. He tells us about some of his conservation efforts including the Narcondam hornbill, which is exclusive to the Narcondam island and other projects documenting the Bengal florican, the Himalayan snow-leopard, brown bears, western tragopan, etc. and why he is never 100% satisfied with his efforts.

He speaks about his travels on the iconic 2018 Abhor expedition (last conducted 160 years ago) with five WII (Wildlife Institute of India) scientists into parts unknown in Arunachal Pradesh, where they discovered recorded and discovered several species. Briefly, we discuss equipment; he tells us why he isn’t fussy about equipment and what ‘ethics and responsibility’ means for him. He tells us why he has a problem with words like “favourite-species”, ‘proud”, “good” and “bad”, “success and failure” Dhritiman also share a word that he thinks is important to conservation.

Listen now. Let me know what you think. Write to me at [email protected] You can read the Show notes soon on my blog. Check out other episode show notes there in the meanwhile.

Otters are kept as pets. Can you imagine? They are a huge part of the illegal wildlife trade. I found out this and more at Wild Otters an otter-research based organization, tucked away in a corner of Chorao island in Goa. Listen to Ecologist and Director, Dr. Katrina Fernandez and Director and Chief of Communications, Kshitij Garg; Katrine Burford-Bradshaw and Shiri Lev and find out what they're doing to conserve the Smooth-coated otter, in its habitat.

Listen on Spotify, apple podcasts, google podcast and android. Show notes for this episode on earthymatters.blog

https://earthymatters.blog/2019/06/05/wild-otters-pvt-ltd-a-business-model-for-conservation-ep10/

Photo and otters sounds courtesy: WildOtters.

In episode # 9 of Heart ofConservation, I'm speaking with the young, talented Cara Tejpal. She describes herself as conservation generalist, who lends her skills to help confront the gamut of conservation challenges in India. She writes, fundraises, works on policy documents and develops campaigns under the umbrella of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation, while also heading their unique Mud on Boots Project. As an independent writer, her articles on wildlife have appeared in several publications. We speak of various conservation issues and concerns including saving the Great Indian Bustard. You can read the transcripts for all podcast episodes on https://earthymatters.blog/ Cover photo courtesy Cara Tejpal.

Sanjay Sondhi is responsible for discovering a new species - the Bompu Litter Frog. This frog discovered by Sanjay was previously unknown to science. Sanjay is as well known for his expertise on moths and butterflies and conducts workshops for the same. His nature column, Doon watch, in Hindustan Times and a column called Urban Nature Watch published in TERI's monthly magazine are both very popular reads. He has researched and authored an impressive number of field guides on butterflies, lizards, and amphibians, and is involved in conservation and livelihood projects in the western and eastern Himalaya.

Award-winning Ajay Rastogi, (Co-founder & Director of the Vrikshalaya Himalayan Centre, Uttarakhand, India) is an applied ethics practitioner, philosopher, and a yoga instructor.

He tells why not just energy saving appliances but an almost 180-degree turnaround in attitude is crucial for saving the planet.

He explains the science behind nature contemplation and why you don’t go into the forest with a checklist if you want to contemplate on nature. He tells us why he thinks the three principles of ‘dignity of physical work’, ‘interdependence’ and ‘interconnectivity’ are imperative for a smart, harmonious planet.

He shows us by example us how village homestays are bringing out positive change both culturally and monetarily in a small corner of the Himalaya. Also, why the ‘Science of Happiness’ and the merging of the East with the latest neuroscience of the west are so popular.

Ajay is a recipient of the South Asia Youth Leaders Award, European Union Erasmus Mundus Fellowship in Applied Ethics, and the Nehru-Fulbright Environmental Leadership Award for Contemplative Education.

Read Show Notes on earthymatters.blog Suniti is a consultant wildlife biologist, nature educator and author with multiple skills. He lives in Dehra Dun. I asked him why so many elephants are killed on the tracks in India. He tells us what it was like working under the legendary Papa John, Also, why it's crucial to create nature awareness and empathy among children. He speaks of his love for cycling and how he connects it with conservation. Suniti also speaks about the birding book he co-authored and throws some light on the famed Himalayan quail that was last spotted in the 1800s.

Read show notes on earthymatters.blog. Dr. Sejal Wohra recounts her journey as a woman conservationist through the years. She speaks frankly of the state of conservation in India, the fragility and challenges in the Himalayas and provides valuable insights on human-wildlife conflicts and other issues. She also shares some of her most unforgettable experiences around the world and of her pet project - the Jaberkhet Nature Reserve - that is changing lives.

You can read the whole show notes on earthymatters.blog. Dr. Dinesh speaks about the importance of treating injured adult turtles, the artificial flipper he created to enable physiotherapy to turtles and the impacts of pollution on sea life. He also tells us about the sea turtle species that get washed ashore, the dedication of volunteers, how creating awareness changed a community- where once they ran to kill wildlife they are now running to save.

Vijay Dhasmana, well-known rewilder of ‘IAmGurgaon’ fame, has been hugely instrumental and successful in rewilding around 400 acres of wasteland ravaged by mining. This site is part of the Aravalli range on the edge of a millennium city, Gurgaon, near New Delhi. Vijay explains what rewilding is all about. He speaks about the challenges his team faced over 9 years, the strategies they used, the use of native species, sourcing seeds, getting the community involved, the transformation and biodiversity of the park now and more.