Dr. Joseph George Memorial Talk

Birdwatching as a Window to the World of Ecology and Conservation

Birdwatching is a simple hobby and yet, it holds the potential to change the direction of one’s life. It fuels a sense of curiosity that is hard to resist and is often the motivation for most of us to wake up before the crack of dawn and go in search of birds. Sometimes, this passion leads us into unknown terrains and every so often, it leads us astray.

My earliest memories of birds are from my childhood when every morning, I would throw broken rice for the hundreds of sparrows that lived in our well. Just out of school, I started watching birds and got hold of a field guide and would show up to participate in the 2nd Sunday outings at Lalbagh. Having been a shy person all along in school, birdwatching presented an interesting opportunity. Interacting with people who shared the same level of enthusiasm, and a dash of craziness, was fun. Before I knew it, I was enjoying going in search of birds, insects, frogs and kinds of other things, either alone or with newfound friends.

With or without my knowledge, I had gotten on a course that I had least imagined that I’d be on. I will take you along on this journey as a volunteer, a researcher, a student, and an early career faculty researching some of India’s fascinating ecosystems and working towards conserving it. I hope to share little bits of wisdom about aspects of ecology and evolution and leave you with more questions than answers. I will also attempt to evoke a sense of longing to be in the wilderness and that of sadness over the portending loss of nature. This deliberate attempt is with a hope that some of you might find it mildly interesting and nudge you to lose your way.