I first met Dr Joseph George when he had come to our Zoology Department at Bangalore University in 1978 to deliver a talk on birdwatching. I met him again the very next year in 1979 at the exhibition organised by the birdwatching community at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum. It was then that the fine-tuning of my interests in the natural world began. With this came a little more understanding of the ways of nature, and learning how I could further my interests in the field.

This journey of learning more about the natural world has taken me many decades, and that is what I would be walking you through in this talk today. Since 1980, I have involved myself in various  professional surveys, studies, projects, evaluation work, documentation and related work both of a voluntary and research oriented nature on aspects relating to ecology or environment.

The eco-components for NSS and NCC were good starting points to share thought from the beginning. Motivating and  coordinating College green groups and nature clubs where ever I have taught was a very passionate activity for me. The ‘Kids for Tiger’ activities for school children, being initiated in Bangalore, was a new opportunity. All in all, interacting with the young, the old, the rural, the suburban or the urban, the government or the NGOs gave a sense of relevance to bring out the changes of our times.

I will share these experiences of the past four decades with you in the talk. Dr Joseph George has been one my highly inspirational personalities who have in some ways chiseled my early but as yet hazy passion for Nature then. Help in trying to understand its intriguing ways and discover how I could go about furthering it possibly had its beginning there.

 

After a PG in Zoology   (1979), pursued Ph D in the field of Aquatic Ecology.

 

Research and teaching have formed a major part of my formal career at PU, UG and PG levels. Have always made efforts to provide a nonformal and out of classroom environment to make biology related learning a dynamic and practical day to day experience.

 

Overtime, have been exposed to experiences in the fields of Limnology, Hydrobiology, Ecology, Wetland ecology inclusive of wetland habitat surveys (mainly during1988 to 1998), wildlife (mainly fauna); Man animal conflict aspects and brief exposures to biodiversity and Socio economic issues. Have also involved in a few EIA studies in the eco/ biodiversity areas.

 

At a purely personal level, following some initial professional training around early 80’s in adventure and mountaineering locally and a fairly tough Basic Mountaineering Course at NIM, Uttarkashi in 1984, have been involved in numerous activities like camps, workshops, treks, etc locally and expeditions/ (including ecological cleaning) in the Himalayas. Whenever possible, have involved in participation, training and conduct of extension programmes concerning the above related activities. Was fortunate to have a Camp leader’s experience for a YHAI trekking programme in the Manali ranges (Apr – May, 2007).