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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/citizen-science/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>A scientist’s search for dragons and damsels [Interview]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-scientists-search-for-dragons-and-damsels-interview/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-scientists-search-for-dragons-and-damsels-interview/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 May 2026 12:49:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[damselflies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dragonflies]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/28000548/Crimson-Marsh-Glider-banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38393</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Citizen science, Conservation, Ecology, Insects, Interviews, People, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“One third of India’s dragonflies likely extinct”, “Scientists sound alarm”, “35% drop in populations”. These were some of the headlines in the media over the last month, following the publication of the first-ever comprehensive study on odonates in the Western Ghats. Odonates are a group of predatory flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies. A [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“One third of India’s dragonflies likely extinct”, “Scientists sound alarm”, “35% drop in populations”. These were some of the headlines in the media over the last month, following the publication of the first-ever comprehensive study on odonates in the Western Ghats. Odonates are a group of predatory flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies. A taxon that otherwise rarely gets any press coverage was suddenly speculated to be going extinct. Pankaj Koparde, who leads the Chatur Ullu Lab in Pune, Maharashtra, which — as the name suggests — works on dragonflies (chatur in Marathi) and owls (ullu in Hindi), is the lead author of the paper. He is also an assistant professor at the MIT World Peace University in Pune. Mongabay-India met the researcher, who has extensively worked on this lesser-known taxon over the last decade and a half, to learn more about odonates and their conservation status in the subcontinent. In this interview, edited for clarity and length, Koparde introduces us to the fascinating world of dragonflies and damselflies, the growing citizen-science movement behind these tiny hunters, and what lies ahead for this understudied taxon. Pankaj Koparde leads the Chatur Ullu Lab in Pune and is an assistant professor at the MIT World Peace University. He has extensively studied Odonates, a group of predatory flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies, and their conservation status. Image courtesy of Chatur Ullu Lab. The Chatur Ullu Lab team, which studies dragonflies and owls in Pune. Image courtesy of Chatur Ullu Lab.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-scientists-search-for-dragons-and-damsels-interview/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-scientists-search-for-dragons-and-damsels-interview/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Plugging data gaps in global plant diversity using citizen science</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/plugging-data-gaps-in-global-plant-diversity-using-citizen-science/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/plugging-data-gaps-in-global-plant-diversity-using-citizen-science/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Apr 2026 14:44:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anusha Krishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[data]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[data collection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mapping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/22093742/54845290113_dbf0dfa29c_o-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37800</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Citizen science, Climate Change, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Forests, Plants, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[What does a global map of plant life look like, and what happens when the data behind it is incomplete? A recent study published in Nature Communications in January 2026, describes such a map, built from field surveys, earth observation systems, and millions of observations recorded by citizen scientists around the world. This map now [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[What does a global map of plant life look like, and what happens when the data behind it is incomplete? A recent study published in Nature Communications in January 2026, describes such a map, built from field surveys, earth observation systems, and millions of observations recorded by citizen scientists around the world. This map now offers one of the most in-depth views of how plants function across ecosystems. However, the map also exposes something else. These are large, persistent gaps in the data that scientists rely on to understand the Earth’s vegetation, which means that quite a bit of the world’s plant life is still poorly documented. The study used 31 plant traits such as size, growth strategy, leaf characteristics, wood density, reproductive traits, and resource use to outline a global ‘plant economics’ spectrum. These characteristics, also known as functional traits, can help us understand how plant strategies change in response to climate and ecosystem stress. Currently, most global biodiversity data only tell us what species are found where; they don’t tell us what roles they play in carbon storage and ecosystem dynamics. Mapping these traits on a global scale gives us a spectrum of characteristics spanning fast-growing, nutrient-hungry plants to slow-growing, stress-tolerant ones and how these traits support plant growth, survival, adaptation, and persistence in an ever-changing world. This is especially important for informing models on energy, nutrient, and water cycles which are increasingly being used to plan infrastructure, agricultural, and energy strategies in a world faced with climate&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/plugging-data-gaps-in-global-plant-diversity-using-citizen-science/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Grassroots women map air pollution hotspots, spur a coal company to curb dust</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/grassroots-women-map-air-pollution-hotspots-spur-a-coal-company-to-curb-dust/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/grassroots-women-map-air-pollution-hotspots-spur-a-coal-company-to-curb-dust/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Dec 2025 13:50:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air quality index]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AQI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coal Mining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rural India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/11120029/A-meeting-with-rural-women-in-Mahuda-Dhanbad-e1765443339580-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36002</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jharkhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Carbon emissions, Cities and Towns, Citizen science, Environment, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Mining, Pollution, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As coal mine workers begin their day in the village of Jarangdih, the first sound they hear is the whirring of heavy machines. Soon, trucks loaded with coal from the local mines rumble down the roads. “By afternoon, the air gets bad. Courtyards swept clean in the morning are covered in dust again,” said Rekha [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As coal mine workers begin their day in the village of Jarangdih, the first sound they hear is the whirring of heavy machines. Soon, trucks loaded with coal from the local mines rumble down the roads. “By afternoon, the air gets bad. Courtyards swept clean in the morning are covered in dust again,” said Rekha Devi, a resident of the village in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district. “And it gets worse in the winter.” Devi is a paryavaran sakhi (a friend of the environment) and one of the grassroots women leaders, who co-led a recent community-participatory research study published in the Canadian Journal of Action Research in March 2025. The study throws light on the impact of air pollution on public health in rural neighbourhoods in Dhanbad and Bokaro, Jharkhand&#8217;s two prominent coal mining districts. The research was jointly conducted by Neha Saigal and Saumya Shrivastava, who lead the gender and climate change programme at Asar Social Impact Advisors and ten paryavaran sakhis, who work with Deshaj Abhikram, a local community organisation. Paryavaran sakhi is a model where the women lead environmental efforts in their areas. The women, trained in air quality mapping, monitored 69 sites for air quality in rural Dhanbad and Bokaro, out of which they identified 26 as air pollution hotspots. Apart from air quality monitoring, the study involved 200 participants in a survey, focus group discussions and health system mapping, with data collected over nine months in 2022 and 2023. Today, many states in India are exposed to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/grassroots-women-map-air-pollution-hotspots-spur-a-coal-company-to-curb-dust/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Tracking seasons through changing tree behaviour [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/tracking-seasons-through-changing-tree-behaviour-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/tracking-seasons-through-changing-tree-behaviour-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Aug 2025 13:11:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Geetha Ramaswami]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trees]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/15121746/Dillenia_pentagyna_flowering_by_Dr._Raju_Kasambe_DSCN1362_37-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34149</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Citizen science, Climate Change, Ecology, Plants, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Over the past two decades, citizen science has emerged as a powerful means to democratise the production and accessibility of scientific knowledge, enabling non-professionals to initiate, contribute, or participate in scientific research, making problem-solving mainstream. Citizen science is especially valuable in documenting biodiversity — people can collaborate and collect, collate, and verify the diversity of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Over the past two decades, citizen science has emerged as a powerful means to democratise the production and accessibility of scientific knowledge, enabling non-professionals to initiate, contribute, or participate in scientific research, making problem-solving mainstream. Citizen science is especially valuable in documenting biodiversity — people can collaborate and collect, collate, and verify the diversity of life forms across large spatial scales and even over the long-term. It is now an essential tool for understanding enduring ecological phenomena, such as shifts in species distributions and changes in population dynamics over time. Take, for instance, iNaturalist. Anyone with a smart phone and an eye for plants, insects, fungi, birds, and larger animals can contribute photos to the portal, and get a verified identification from a pool of experts who volunteer their time for this purpose. This location and species data can then be accessed by diverse end-users. The data has also been utilised in understanding multiple ecological processes — from first records of invasive species, to the timing of flowering plants and animals. Long-term, large-scale data on the occurrence of birds via millions of observers on eBird have helped identify migration paths of long-ranging species. The same database has also been used to understand the population dynamics of birds in the State of India’s Birds. It comes as no surprise then that citizen science is emerging as a vital tool for understanding biodiversity response to climate change. Seasonality of living beings and climate Living beings respond to changing seasons through altered seasonal&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/tracking-seasons-through-changing-tree-behaviour-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Can a native forest rewrite the story of Mumbai’s coastline? [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/can-a-native-forest-rewrite-the-story-of-mumbais-coastline-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/can-a-native-forest-rewrite-the-story-of-mumbais-coastline-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Aug 2025 10:36:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manan ShahNamrata Dewanjee]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coastal commons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban forest]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/07/31154633/signal-2025-07-31-141648_002-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33888</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Citizen science, Coast, and Environmental Politics]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Mumbai’s relationship with the sea has taken many forms over the years, at times a boundary, for many a lifeline, and historically treated as an obstacle to be overpowered. Once a disparate conglomerate of seven islands, the city has routinely redrawn its geography. In recent memory, there was the Backbay Reclamation in the 1920s that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Mumbai’s relationship with the sea has taken many forms over the years, at times a boundary, for many a lifeline, and historically treated as an obstacle to be overpowered. Once a disparate conglomerate of seven islands, the city has routinely redrawn its geography. In recent memory, there was the Backbay Reclamation in the 1920s that gave the city the cherished Marine Drive. In the 2000s, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link opened to the public, standing tall in the sea on stilts. In the 2010s, the largest alteration in the city’s relationship with the waterfront was conceptualised in the form of a 29.2 kilometre coastal road along the western side of Mumbai. Despite severe criticism from citizen groups and environmentalists, the first phase of the Coastal Road, built on reclaimed land, was opened to the public on March 11, 2024. Today, nearly 20,000 vehicles utilise the road, much lower than the anticipated 130,000. But once you turn your attention from the traffic congestion that it failed to alleviate to the land that once was the sea, a glaring issue comes to attention. What happens to the acres of land left unused? Usually, it gets appropriated into shacks of what you would consider illegal construction. Most of the time, it is usually forgotten about. Well, not this time. Turning unused land into a forest Amid the concrete and controversy surrounding the Mumbai Coastal Road, an alternate reality is taking shape. On the 100-acre stretch of newly reclaimed land running from Nepean Sea Road&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/can-a-native-forest-rewrite-the-story-of-mumbais-coastline-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Damselflies in climate distress</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/damselflies-in-climate-distress/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/damselflies-in-climate-distress/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Apr 2025 13:22:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[damselflies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dragonflies]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/04/04092947/River-Heliodor-1-by-Ameya-Deshpande-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32064</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Citizen science, Climate Change, Insects, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[One doesn’t normally associate terms such as &#8220;armageddon&#8221; or &#8220;apocalypse&#8221; with tiny creatures like insects. Yet, in the scientific world, this association has been drawn, for alarming reasons. Concerned about the rapid decline of insect populations worldwide, triggered by a 2017 German study that showed a 76% decline in insect numbers in the country over [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[One doesn’t normally associate terms such as &#8220;armageddon&#8221; or &#8220;apocalypse&#8221; with tiny creatures like insects. Yet, in the scientific world, this association has been drawn, for alarming reasons. Concerned about the rapid decline of insect populations worldwide, triggered by a 2017 German study that showed a 76% decline in insect numbers in the country over 27 years, some scientists around the world say that the Earth has either entered or is in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, also called the Holocene or the Anthropocene Extinction. They call it the “ecological apocalypse”, driven primarily by human activities resulting in the mass extinction of insect populations, referred to as the Insect Armageddon. While experts differ on this theory, some even calling it alarmist, a group of scientists in the Western Ghats named a new-to-science damselfly, Armageddon reedtail (Protosticta armageddonia), in 2023. “We wanted to highlight the climate impact on insects, especially the Odonata species,” explains evolutionary ecologist Pankaj Koparde, who is an assistant professor at the MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) in Pune, Maharashtra. Koparde and his team have been investigating changes in Odonata species (dragonflies and damselflies) in Pune district, along with other related studies such as land-use change and the status of the city’s rivers since 2011. Fourteen years of regular monitoring of the species make their study perhaps the only long-term monitoring project of Odonates in India so far. Though insect populations around the world are rapidly declining, a small respite is found in new discoveries such&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/damselflies-in-climate-distress/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>A new era of science festivals in India is bringing science to the public</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/a-new-era-of-science-festivals-in-india-is-bringing-science-to-the-public/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/a-new-era-of-science-festivals-in-india-is-bringing-science-to-the-public/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Nov 2024 14:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/11/13094706/Capella-Science-performance-by-Tim-Blais-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30222</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Citizen science and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The season of science festivals is about to begin. From large-scale festivals such as the India International Science Festival to smaller ones focussed on a theme, such as the upcoming Mountains of Life by Azim Premji University, these events are essential bridges between the science community and the public. “Science festivals are often called public [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[The season of science festivals is about to begin. From large-scale festivals such as the India International Science Festival to smaller ones focussed on a theme, such as the upcoming Mountains of Life by Azim Premji University, these events are essential bridges between the science community and the public. “Science festivals are often called public celebrations of science. But not many people know about the exact origins, key characteristics, and the impact of contemporary science festivals in India,” says Sarah Hyder Iqbal, science engagement consultant. In her recent paper, From Vigyan Jathas to Science Festivals: A New Avatar of Public Engagement with Science in India, she explores the evolution of public engagement with science in India. Since they first emerged in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1989, science festivals have now grown significantly, globally reaching more than five million people annually. They have become a crucial way of communicating scientific ideas and innovation to people. “They [science festivals] provide a pause to reflect on where we are at with respect to science and technology,” says Iqbal. People’s science movements In India, the beginnings can be traced back to the 1960s when there was a rise of grassroots social movements, such as the People&#8217;s Science Movements (PSM), which aim at spreading scientific literacy, Iqbal notes in her paper. Led by science activists, predominantly current and retired scientists, PSMs work towards disseminating scientific knowledge through vigyan jathas (science processions). In the early years, the People’s Science Movement mostly comprised several organisations across India and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/a-new-era-of-science-festivals-in-india-is-bringing-science-to-the-public/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Your Environment This Week: Citizen science improves scientific knowledge, Mahouts of Kaziranga, Fishing cat population grows</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/your-environment-this-week-citizen-science-improves-scientific-knowledge-mahouts-of-kaziranga-fishing-cat-population-grows/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/your-environment-this-week-citizen-science-improves-scientific-knowledge-mahouts-of-kaziranga-fishing-cat-population-grows/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Oct 2024 17:44:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Saumitrashinde]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/10114108/IMG-20241003-WA0001-1-720x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29846</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cats, Citizen science, Elephants, and Frogs]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. When people’s participation propels science A study on the Malabar tree toad highlights [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. When people’s participation propels science A study on the Malabar tree toad highlights the significance of citizen science in advancing scientific knowledge. The courage and legacy of mahouts in Kaziranga The elephants and their mahouts of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve play an essential role in the management of the park. A fishing cat survey indicates robust population density Researchers attribute this increase mainly to the lake’s abundant fish population, the primary food for the cat. Converting carbon dioxide into fuels for the future Bappi Paul, a scientist with the National Forensic Sciences University in Ahmedabad, was recently awarded the Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar for the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to ethanol, among other innovations. [Commentary] Can “life” be defined, one species at a time? Despite its apparent diversity in forms and functions, life is a continuum – a continuous chain that cannot be easily broken up into distinct and separate units. This is why attempts to draw discrete boundaries have led to unresolved debates, writes R.J. Ranjit Daniels in this commentary.This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/your-environment-this-week-citizen-science-improves-scientific-knowledge-mahouts-of-kaziranga-fishing-cat-population-grows/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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						<item>
					<title>When people’s participation propels science</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/when-peoples-participation-propels-science/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/when-peoples-participation-propels-science/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Oct 2024 14:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toads]]></category>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29836</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Citizen science, Climate Change, Impacts of Climate Change, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[How much can the general public contribute to science? Plenty, it seems — a realisation that the scientific community is increasingly embracing. A recent study on the distribution and future habitat suitability models for the endemic Malabar tree toad of the Western Ghats exemplifies this trend. The paper published in August 2024 features approximately 85 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[How much can the general public contribute to science? Plenty, it seems — a realisation that the scientific community is increasingly embracing. A recent study on the distribution and future habitat suitability models for the endemic Malabar tree toad of the Western Ghats exemplifies this trend. The paper published in August 2024 features approximately 85 co-authors, many of whom represent citizen science initiatives. “Scientists can no longer work in silos; we definitely need the collaboration of the public,” admits scientist Gururaja K.V., who led the study. A citizen science programme usually involves the general public in scientific research, data collection, and analysis, often in collaboration with scientists or experts. The data for this research primarily came from the citizen science programme, Mapping Malabar Tree Toad, a part of the Frog Watch initiative on the India Biodiversity Portal. The study examined the influence of climate change on the Malabar tree toad (Pedostibes tuberculosus), endemic to the Western Ghats, and the availability of suitable habitats for the species in protected areas, both presently and in the future. Researchers found that climate change has a far-reaching impact on the species, which is found to occur more robustly in areas with higher precipitation. The study used 50 years of rainfall data (1952-2000) to conclude that the rapid change in rainfall could have a significant impact on the species in the next 50 to 80 years. Gururaja shares that they have noticed a decline in precipitation in the north of the Western Ghats, in places&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/when-peoples-participation-propels-science/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Nature-based learning programmes improve environment and climate literacy in Chennai</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/nature-based-learning-programmes-improve-environment-and-climate-literacy-in-chennai/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/nature-based-learning-programmes-improve-environment-and-climate-literacy-in-chennai/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Apr 2023 17:11:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aparna Ganesan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/04/25101325/011-scaled-e1682398770391-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=22596</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Citizen science, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Science, and Community based conservation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Walking on the shores of Elliot&#8217;s beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with an 18-member-group of children is naturalist, educator and activist, Yuvan Aves. He asks them, “Oh! So, this is interesting. Do you know why this seashell has a hole here?” Thamizhselvan, 15, from Urur Olcott Kuppam, a fishing hamlet in Besant Nagar, giggles and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Walking on the shores of Elliot&#8217;s beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with an 18-member-group of children is naturalist, educator and activist, Yuvan Aves. He asks them, “Oh! So, this is interesting. Do you know why this seashell has a hole here?” Thamizhselvan, 15, from Urur Olcott Kuppam, a fishing hamlet in Besant Nagar, giggles and replies, “Hmm… maybe to put a chain through it and wear it around your neck?” Aves pauses for a second and gives him a baffled look that makes the entire group burst into laughter. Aves then opens a booklet with images and names of common coastal fauna found in Chennai. He explains, while pointing to the image of a bladder moon snail, “Carnivorous seashells like the Nilanathai shoot hydrochloric acid to penetrate their prey’s shell and eat the soft flesh inside.” For the next forty minutes, a baffled Thamizhselvan trots behind Aves, asking questions and brimming with curiosity as they continued to explore the biodiversity along the coast. Yuvan (left) explains different types of seashells for the youth climate interns. Photo by Aparna Ganesan. The youth participating in the shore walk, ranging in ages from 13 to 24, are selected from climate-vulnerable communities and are called ‘youth climate interns’. They undergo a 10-month climate internship programme under Palluyir Trust for Nature Education and Research. Established in 2021, the Trust focuses on empowering communities that are often marginalised and at risk of exposure to the impacts of climate change, through nature-based education (NBE) and advocacy. In&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/nature-based-learning-programmes-improve-environment-and-climate-literacy-in-chennai/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Commentary] Documenting the flora and fauna of Phalee to mitigate the impact of forest fires</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/commentary-documenting-the-flora-and-fauna-of-phalee-to-mitigate-the-impact-of-forest-fires/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/commentary-documenting-the-flora-and-fauna-of-phalee-to-mitigate-the-impact-of-forest-fires/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Nov 2022 12:56:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ng Ngashangva]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fauna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flora]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Fires]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hotspot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mountains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trees]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/11/07093542/comme2.-e1667805864901-768x485.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=20492</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Manipur]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Citizen science, Community based conservation, Conservation, Deforestation, In-situ conservation, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“Our habitat was once a thick jungle in which trees such as Magnolia sp., Dipterocarpus sp., Pinus sp., Phoebe hainesiana, Quercus sp. and more, as large as three to four metres in circumference, were in abundance. These giant trees were cut with axes and carved for months to make traditional royal beds. Animals howling, insects singing [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[“Our habitat was once a thick jungle in which trees such as Magnolia sp., Dipterocarpus sp., Pinus sp., Phoebe hainesiana, Quercus sp. and more, as large as three to four metres in circumference, were in abundance. These giant trees were cut with axes and carved for months to make traditional royal beds. Animals howling, insects singing and birdcalls once filled the air,” recalled 96-year-old Ng Yarkao. He is the oldest man in village Phalee, in the district of Ukhrul in Manipur. Hunting used to be another common activity at Phalee. “Deer, bear, bird, wild boar, monkey and wild cat for bushmeat were hunted and their skulls stored as a display of skill and a trophy,” said Yarteo. By the end of 1968, there was a tremendous increase in forest clearance for jhum cultivation in Ukhrul, he said. Yarteo, 78, is a teacher. A view of Phalee from Changrimai. Photo by Ng ngalengshim/Wikimedia Commons. The 2011 census reported that the village of Phalee has a total of 794 households with 3,742 people, of which 1,934 were males and 1,808 were females. Phalee occupies a total area of about 17 sq. km. and stands at an elevation of about 1,533 metres. Agriculture is the primary occupation, with more than 80% of the population involved in the activity. The common agricultural practices are wet paddy, dryland farming and rain-fed terracing, ideal for the red sandy soil. The commonly cultivated neglected and underutilised crop species (NUS) includes Amaranthus sp., Eleusine sp., Coix lacryma-jobi, Vigna umbellate, Sorghum bicolor, Setaria italica, Chenopodium album, Ipomoea&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/commentary-documenting-the-flora-and-fauna-of-phalee-to-mitigate-the-impact-of-forest-fires/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Book Review] &#8216;First Steps&#8217; tracks the beginnings of citizen science in India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/book-review-first-steps-tracks-the-beginnings-of-citizen-science-in-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/book-review-first-steps-tracks-the-beginnings-of-citizen-science-in-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Oct 2022 13:12:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/10/20091011/1200px-Sparrow_closeup-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=20268</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Eco Hope]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity and Citizen science]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Few terms are more paradoxically promising to a scientist than ‘open data’. ‘Funding approved’ is better, but that’s not the subject of this review. Open data promises ‘data’, the cornerstone of a scientist’s life. And this data is information that is available freely &#8211; not behind paywalls or red tape, not at the end of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Few terms are more paradoxically promising to a scientist than ‘open data’. ‘Funding approved’ is better, but that’s not the subject of this review. Open data promises ‘data’, the cornerstone of a scientist’s life. And this data is information that is available freely &#8211; not behind paywalls or red tape, not at the end of years, months, or weeks of repetitive, but rewarding, toil. It’s also a wolf in sheep’s clothing, filled with selection biases, unwieldy, occasionally factually incorrect, and unverifiable, from a large number of unknown sources. However, this information keeps coming, which is perhaps the greatest reward a researcher can ask for. This vast dataset would be impossible to collect by oneself, but it can be accessed easily and analysed statistically. It also leads to the breaking down of walls between the professionally scientific and the personally curious. The dataset in discussion is pooled from public participation in research and is called citizen science. What is citizen science data in ecology? A sparrow you spotted, the flower you photographed, a small moth you saw in a corner of your room and the weed that’s eating up your garden: they all are part of an increasing dataset which has been a boon to ecologists. (Clockwise from left) The book is the outcome of year-long research by Sekhsaria and Thayyil. Photos courtesy Pankaj Sekhsaria. This takes us to First Steps: Citizen Science in Ecology in India by Pankaj Sekhsaria and Naveen Thayyil. In a slim book of a succinct 150&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/book-review-first-steps-tracks-the-beginnings-of-citizen-science-in-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>‘Delhi is a gaping wound…we’re a tiny Band Aid’: a film explores human and non-human relations in Delhi</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/delhi-is-a-gaping-woundwere-a-tiny-band-aid-a-film-explores-human-and-non-human-relations-in-delhi/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/delhi-is-a-gaping-woundwere-a-tiny-band-aid-a-film-explores-human-and-non-human-relations-in-delhi/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 May 2022 15:52:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[co-existence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Films]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/05/27154154/All-That-Breathes-spotted-owlet-copy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18449</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Birds, Cities and Towns, and Citizen science]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Black kites have a vantage view of Indian cities. The ubiquitous bird has adjusted to urban areas and lives close to humans. The sight of these birds of prey occupying Delhi’s dull and hazy skies became the backdrop for Shaunak Sen’s documentary All That Breathes. The film turns the lens on the non-human life forms that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Black kites have a vantage view of Indian cities. The ubiquitous bird has adjusted to urban areas and lives close to humans. The sight of these birds of prey occupying Delhi’s dull and hazy skies became the backdrop for Shaunak Sen’s documentary All That Breathes. The film turns the lens on the non-human life forms that inhabit Delhi and the city’s ecological decay through the experience and perspective of three wildlife rescuers. Dedicated to the welfare of birds, siblings Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammad Saud founded Wildlife Rescue. Shot over two-and-a-half years, the documentary spans multiple black kite migratory seasons and numerous rescue operations by the two brothers and their young assistant Salik Rehman. The film takes us inside their humble basement in Delhi’s Wazirabad area, where a soap dispenser assembling unit doubles up as a place to treat and house injured birds. The film glides over multiple ecological and social issues &#8211; severe air pollution, flooded streets, power cuts, chemical frothing on rivers, the overflowing Ghazipur landfill, political unrest, etc. Amidst all that seems bleak, the documentary chronicles the everyday resolve of its characters, determined to do their bit despite all odds. In addition to black kites injured by kite-flying threads and other urban obstacles, the clinic also gets Egyptian vultures, painted storks, shikras, spotted owlets and other bird species. Under one roof, this diversity of creatures, wounded or dead or recovering, illustrates Delhi’s co-inhabitants. Subtle and elaborate sequences poetically convey the idea of human-animal coexistence in the city. A spotted&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/delhi-is-a-gaping-woundwere-a-tiny-band-aid-a-film-explores-human-and-non-human-relations-in-delhi/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Video] A wagtail on shared space, birdwatching and hope</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/03/video-a-wagtail-on-shared-space-birdwatching-and-hope/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/03/video-a-wagtail-on-shared-space-birdwatching-and-hope/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Mar 2021 12:23:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kartik ChandramouliTaarini Ravjit]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/03/11225119/wagtail-banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=13536</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas, India, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Birds, Cities and Towns, and Citizen science]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Bird migration is a phenomenon worth celebrating. And celebrate they do at the Government High School Cinchona, in the hilly town of Valparai in Tamil Nadu. Every year, grey wagtails escape the winter in the upper Himalayas and fly to Valparai in south India, thousands of kilometres away, reaching during August-September. Since 2019, the students [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Bird migration is a phenomenon worth celebrating. And celebrate they do at the Government High School Cinchona, in the hilly town of Valparai in Tamil Nadu. Every year, grey wagtails escape the winter in the upper Himalayas and fly to Valparai in south India, thousands of kilometres away, reaching during August-September. Since 2019, the students of this school have marked the bird’s arrival by a ritual of distributing sweets and pasting welcome posters in town. During migration, the small insect-feeding bird flies from one pitstop to another, in several parts of India to reach its destination &#8211; wooded areas or places with streams and other water bodies. For instance, if one bird would settle in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, the other could destine itself for a lake in the middle of Pune city. The ones that arrive in Valparai, a hill-town famous for its tea plantations, are a familiar sight for residents. The bird is called sambal vaal aatti in Tamil; which means ‘grey tail shaker’ because of its natural behaviour of frequently wagging its long tail. One can often hear the sharp pseet pseet of the bird from a rooftop, in the markets, on the side of the road, in tea estates, or near streams. K. Selvaganesh, the teacher who seeded the idea of welcoming the wagtail, said, “It’s a common sight for children but it is also a very nice looking bird. So, we thought of using it to create awareness about the nature around us.” A&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/03/video-a-wagtail-on-shared-space-birdwatching-and-hope/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Urban projects, human settlements close in on Mumbai&#8217;s bird habitats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/urban-projects-human-settlements-close-in-on-mumbais-bird-habitats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/urban-projects-human-settlements-close-in-on-mumbais-bird-habitats/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jan 2021 13:43:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hepzi Anthony]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/01/13124350/lokhandwala-stilt-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=12868</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Birds, Cities and Towns, and Citizen science]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Many popular and lesser known bird habitats in Mumbai city are facing a threat from urban infrastucture work, while some have managed to survive despite the urban landscape closing in. Naturalist and writer-photographer Sunjoy Monga estimates that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has lost about 75% of habitat landscapes in just over a quarter of a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Many popular and lesser known bird habitats in Mumbai city are facing a threat from urban infrastucture work, while some have managed to survive despite the urban landscape closing in. Naturalist and writer-photographer Sunjoy Monga estimates that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has lost about 75% of habitat landscapes in just over a quarter of a century, with the most shocking and large scale devastation witnessed in just the past 7-8 years in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). “Urbanisation, not just in Mumbai, but anywhere does constantly influence the ecological dimensions, including its effect on avifauna. The most threatened urban habitats include the wetlands (these come in various designs and dynamics, from coastal and brackish to inland freshwater) and the openland pockets of grass and scrub. Since habitats usually have many niche species of birds, its loss reflect prominently in their numbers, appearances and vanishings,” Monga said. The citizen science website for birders, ebird.org, lists about 52 birding hotspots in Mumbai. Many of these are lesser-known and already being swallowed up by urbanisation. A lake at Seven Bungalows, in the western suburbs of Andheri, which used to be a thriving bird habitat is now lost completely as a Metro Yard has come upon it. Another wetland nearby, the Lokhandwala lake, is now facing threat from dumping of concrete debris that’s part of construction waste. The vast campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Powai, once a popular birding spot, has been curtailed due to many new buildings coming up&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/urban-projects-human-settlements-close-in-on-mumbais-bird-habitats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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					<title>Almost Famous species: the wild side of 2020 from forest to backyard</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/almost-famous-species-the-wild-side-of-2020-from-forest-to-backyard/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/almost-famous-species-the-wild-side-of-2020-from-forest-to-backyard/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jan 2021 09:19:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/12/31092142/almost-famous-2020-banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=12778</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Citizen science, Conservation, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Stretching from the Nicobar Islands very close to the equator to the Western Himalaya in the north, India covers about 30 degrees of latitude, with a long coastline on its peninsula. The wide geographic extent, topographic features with multiple long mountain ranges and fertile river basins, and the monsoon winds give rise to a plethora [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Stretching from the Nicobar Islands very close to the equator to the Western Himalaya in the north, India covers about 30 degrees of latitude, with a long coastline on its peninsula. The wide geographic extent, topographic features with multiple long mountain ranges and fertile river basins, and the monsoon winds give rise to a plethora of habitats that have been home to a variety of creatures. The global pandemic overtook our media narrative in 2020. However, we ensured that our coverage offered a peek into the elusive natural world. It is not every day that we encounter mushrooms that glow in the dark, a monkey with a golden coat or fish that exist in underground caverns. The species we cover as part of this series are what we like to call “Almost Famous.” Any mention of Indian wildlife always conjures up images of charismatic large mammals. We acknowledge that these are interesting; but we want to draw back the curtain on other species that are equally fascinating. My summary below includes one story on elephants as an honorary mention, lest the pachyderms (and other large mammals) feel offended. Important as it is to observe nature in its pristine form, a shot of reality is necessary to keep us grounded. Alongside India&#8217;s rich biodiversity also exists the second largest population in the world, a dichotomy that we have lived with for decades. Less than 5% of Indian land is demarcated as protected areas. Wildlife of course knows no boundaries and the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/almost-famous-species-the-wild-side-of-2020-from-forest-to-backyard/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The slender loris struggles to find canopy in Bengaluru</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/09/the-slender-loris-struggles-to-find-canopy-in-bengaluru/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/09/the-slender-loris-struggles-to-find-canopy-in-bengaluru/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Sep 2020 10:20:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mohit M. Rao]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/09/23205005/Angad-Achappa_Urban-Slender-Loris-Project-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=11510</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Citizen science, Conservation, Deforestation, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, and Mammals]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Flanked by the Outer Ring Road, where unceasing traffic spews noxious fumes, and a concreted canal where heaps of plastics float amid sewage, the Hennur Lake biodiversity park in Bengaluru is an incongruous speck of green in a wide swath of concrete. And for a few slender loris individuals, it is an unlikely home. As [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Flanked by the Outer Ring Road, where unceasing traffic spews noxious fumes, and a concreted canal where heaps of plastics float amid sewage, the Hennur Lake biodiversity park in Bengaluru is an incongruous speck of green in a wide swath of concrete. And for a few slender loris individuals, it is an unlikely home. As implausible as it may seem, grey slender lorises (Loris lydekkerianus) have clung to life while the city&#8217;s concrete-scape has corned them into this 34-acre park. At least 4-5 individuals of the beady-eyed, small, elusive primate have been spotted in the park&#8217;s canopies. Surveys conducted between 2015 and 2017 had spotted two infants, signifying a breeding population. &#8220;We can&#8217;t say for sure how they came about here,&#8221; said Vidhisha Kulkarni, from the Urban Slender Loris Project (USLP), a citizen science project that surveyed and studied the primates in Bengaluru between 2014 and 2017. &#8220;Perhaps, they ended up being isolated here due to the loss of greenery around them. Or, perhaps, they had been left here by animal rescuers in the city.&#8221; As recent as 20 years ago, the park was connected through canopies to the wetlands of the Hebbal-Nagawara valley. The shrubs and trees that lined the Rajakaluves (Storm Water Drains) provided a corridor for lorises to travel to the Indian Institute of Science Campus, about 11 km in the west, or to the verdant green campus of University of Agricultural Sciences&#8217; GKVK campus – 13 km to the North. First came the broad Outer Ring&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/09/the-slender-loris-struggles-to-find-canopy-in-bengaluru/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Travel the great indoors for a glimpse of your city’s natural world</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/travel-the-great-indoors-for-a-glimpse-of-your-citys-natural-world/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/travel-the-great-indoors-for-a-glimpse-of-your-citys-natural-world/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Mar 2020 15:03:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen scientist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COVID-19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban birds]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/03/31105050/FLAMEBACK-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=9206</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment And Health]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Birds, Cities and Towns, Citizen science, Coronavirus, and COVID-19]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A lesser flameback woodpecker drums a tree trunk while a pair of brown-headed barbets collect berries for their nest, a shikra swoops down on a gecko and then feasts on it, a group of sweat bees returns with pollen to their underground nests and a squadron of spot-billed pelicans take off to the skies. This [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A lesser flameback woodpecker drums a tree trunk while a pair of brown-headed barbets collect berries for their nest, a shikra swoops down on a gecko and then feasts on it, a group of sweat bees returns with pollen to their underground nests and a squadron of spot-billed pelicans take off to the skies. This collection of sightings wasn’t recorded from a remote landscape or the wilderness. They are usual occurrences amidst residential areas of India’s megacities. Natural history experts and enthusiasts witnessed these sights from their windows, balconies and terraces in different cities of India as the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to stay indoors. On March 24, the Indian government declared a 21-day lockdown and urged citizens to stay at home to avoid the spread of the disease. While some peek into their backyard during the national lockdown to feel at ease, others do it out of curiosity, to contribute to science or just to pass time. Overall, the observations provide a glimpse of India&#8217;s urban biodiversity. Aman Sharma, a 16-year-old from Vasant Vihar in New Delhi, was surprised by the bird diversity he found close to home. After a chance visit to his terrace recently, he saw two brown-headed barbets nesting on a tree. “Then I decided to be regular during the lockdown,” he said. “I saw a yellow-footed green pigeon, rose-ringed parakeets, purple sunbirds, the lesser flameback woodpecker and a pair of ashy drongos on the same tree!” Sharma, a vocal youth climate activist, views the presence&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/travel-the-great-indoors-for-a-glimpse-of-your-citys-natural-world/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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					<title>Women act to make slums climate-resilient, one house at a time</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/women-act-to-make-slums-climate-resilient-one-house-at-a-time/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/women-act-to-make-slums-climate-resilient-one-house-at-a-time/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Mar 2020 12:18:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community conservation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/03/16111124/2-DSC03839-copy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=9011</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Eco Hope and Environment and Her]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Citizen science, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Science, Community based conservation, and Impacts of Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Farida Sheikh remembers her house in the slums in Ahmedabad feeling like a furnace, where summer temperatures have reached up to 50 degrees Celsius. But for the last four years, the situation inside the house has cooled down. The two-room house’s metal sheet roof which raised the indoor temperature by two or three degrees was [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Farida Sheikh remembers her house in the slums in Ahmedabad feeling like a furnace, where summer temperatures have reached up to 50 degrees Celsius. But for the last four years, the situation inside the house has cooled down. The two-room house’s metal sheet roof which raised the indoor temperature by two or three degrees was replaced by ModRoof – a special cooling roof locally manufactured from coconut husk and paper waste. This brought the indoor temperatures in summer three to five degrees lower than the reading outdoors. Protected from the scorching heat, Sheikh said that related health issues have reduced, the children can study and the family can operate their home-run kite-making business in safe conditions. The house in the heat-stressed western Indian city is one amongst hundreds that has improved its climate resilience with the help of an NGO &#8211; Mahila Housing Sewa Trust (MHT). The non-profit, with its 25 years in the field empowering women from marginalised communities and resolving housing issues, pitched in to help slums adapt to climate change pressures. With approximately USD 1.2 million support from the Global Resilience Partnership from 2015, they expanded their climate resilience programme to reach 100 slums across eight Indian cities, one in Nepal and another in Bangladesh. “We focus on four stresses that are prevalent in a majority of the slums &#8211; heat stress, floods, vector-borne diseases, and water scarcity,” said Siraz Hirani, senior program manager at MHT. Vishwas Nagar slums in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. People in slum settlements are&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/women-act-to-make-slums-climate-resilient-one-house-at-a-time/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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					<title>Bringing freshwater turtles out of their shells and into the spotlight</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/bringing-freshwater-turtles-out-of-their-shells-and-into-the-spotlight/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/bringing-freshwater-turtles-out-of-their-shells-and-into-the-spotlight/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Mar 2020 12:02:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amphibians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freshwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife trafficking]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/03/06001451/Peacock-Softshell-Turtle_Kaziranga_Shantanu-Joshi-9-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=8921</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Environment and Her]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Amphibians, Citizen science, Conservation, Reptiles, Research, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For believers of Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, the kachua (turtles or tortoises) attracts good fortune. Decorative items, rings and pendants depicting these creatures are common talismans and some homes even keep them live as pets, for good luck. Sneha Dharwadkar however, is sceptical. “This is wrong. Over 50 percent of freshwater turtle species are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For believers of Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, the kachua (turtles or tortoises) attracts good fortune. Decorative items, rings and pendants depicting these creatures are common talismans and some homes even keep them live as pets, for good luck. Sneha Dharwadkar however, is sceptical. “This is wrong. Over 50 percent of freshwater turtle species are threatened. If they were indeed lucky, they wouldn’t be in this state!” says the herpetologist and conservation educator from Gujarat with experience in conservation, rescue and rehabilitation of freshwater turtles and tortoises. Common myths like these as well as lack of sufficient academic research and data on freshwater turtles and tortoises of India, spurred Dharwadkar and another turtle researcher, Anuja Mital, to take action and bring their favourite creatures into the spotlight. The two women founded the Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises of India (FTTI), a collective working to bring these species out of their metaphorical shells. “FTTI started out last year as an education and awareness project which has slowly gone onto becoming both, a field-based and education-based conservation project,” said Dharwadkar who noticed a severe lack of awareness around freshwater turtles and tortoises, even among her herpetologist counterparts. “Both Anuja and me are turtle biologists and people used to often send us requests to identify turtles. We realised that even herpetologists who have been in the field of herpetofauna, studying reptiles and amphibians, were not aware of many freshwater turtle and tortoise species. Many found it difficult to identify even common turtles,” she told&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/bringing-freshwater-turtles-out-of-their-shells-and-into-the-spotlight/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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