People of Nature Podcast EP 08
A Day in the Life of a Forester with Divya Bharathi IFS

Listen to the incredible story of Smt. Divya Bharathi as a Deputy Conservator of Forests at Melghat Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra. 

Living her childhood dream of being in forests, Divya enjoys managing one of the oldest tiger reserves in the country. 

Listen to how she is switching to a systems conservationist from species specific conservation with her involvement in research and documentation of lesser known fauna with the help of her fantastic staff.

EP 08 with Divya Bharathi IFS - A Day in the Life of a Lady Conservator

Dr. Ishtiyak is a leading researcher in forest conservation working towards sustainable forest resource use in the Kashmir Himalayas. 

Through his several projects he demonstrates that it is possible to lead successful conservation action in remotest areas with harsh climate, working in rugged terrain! 

Listen to his story of bringing together the youth of Kashmir, forest department, and several government agencies for conservation of the HImalayan flora.

EP 10 with Dr. Ishtiyak | Uniting Youth for Action to Safeguard Kashmir's Flora

Sobiya Syeed, researches on Kashmir’s tiny fauna including butterflies, moths and odonates (dragonflies & damselflies) and has been instrumental in bringing youth together for conservation action. 

Sobiya belongs to an area which is still considered conserved for women & has seen conflict & violence from decades, yet today she stands tall to spread conservation optimism through her story.

Sobiya has been leading several initiatives in Kashmir Himalayas being a part of IUCN SSC and involved in various programs including those of UNDP, World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), Entomological Society of India (ESI), and International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF).

Let us hear her story of struggle and survival and bringing together folks who care for insects! 

Listen now!!!

EP 12 with Sobiya | Wings of Optimism: Conserving Insects in Kashmir Himalayas

Prachi Hatkar is a certified scuba diver who is actively working on Dugong conservation at the Gulf of Kutch. Prachi talks about her journey on how she chose the sea for her research work. 

As the first Indian woman to receive an international grant for diving certification from the Women Divers Hall of Fame, Prachi is breaking barriers in the field. 

Engaged in numerous outreach activities for marine conservation, Prachi is one of the few women scientists who are actively working towards marine conservation in India!

Listen to her story!

EP 14 with Prachi Hatkar | Dive of Faith for Marine Conservation

Anand Pendharkar, CEO of SPROUTS and Founder Director of SPROUTS Environment Trust, is a leading voice in conservation. 

Anand in his 30+ years of conservation career has mentored numerous students and has contributed extensively to research and conservation activism, especially in the Aarey Forest Movement. 

Listen to Anand’s journey and struggle as an openly gay person striving hard to make a mark in India’s conservation history. Let’s celebrate his conservation optimism by listening to this episode.

Episode 15 with Anand | Immerse into Nature & Embrace Yourself

Aarini Ghosh, a bioacoustics researcher, takes us on a journey into the soundscape of the forests of Meghalaya. Aarini has discovered three new species of Crickets to science through her bioacoustics research.  

Aarini narrates her ups and downs in the fieldwork at Meghalaya, being a queer person and working at nights to capture nocturnal sound diversity. 

Aarini is a PhD Scholar at Ashoka University and studies sound diversity and evolution in the subtropical forests of Meghalaya! Listen to her incredible story!

Episode 16 with Aarini Ghosh | Close Your Eyes and Listen to the Forest

Listen to the incredible relation between people and nature and how it translates into conservation action from the Lead Social Psychologist at WCT, Prachi Paranjpye. 

Prachi talks about her journey of switching from traditional social psychology to conservation psychology. She narrates challenges she faced and how she overcame them. 

As a part of the conservation behavior team at WCT, Prachi tries to understand the perception people have with the forest. She further narrates stories from her extensive study on forest guards. 

Listen to the in-depth discussion and let us know how lost you are in the forest!

Episode 22 with Prachi Paranjpye | Mind in Forest, Forest in Mind!

कोकणातल्या कातळ सड्यांवर येणाऱ्या विविध वनस्पती, त्यांचा उपयोग आणि सड्यांचे वैशिष्ठ्य जाणून घेण्यासाठी ऐका “निसर्गाच्या वल्ली” पॉडकास्ट भाग २३. 

डॉ. अपर्णा वाटवे या सुप्रसिध्द वनस्पती-तज्ञ मागील २० हून अधिक वर्षे कोकण भागातील कातळ-सड्यांवरच्या वनस्पतींचा अभ्यास करत आहेत. डॉ. वाटवे मॅडम या भागात त्यांच्या एकूण प्रवासाविषयी, सड्यांच्या सद्यस्थितीबद्दल, तसेच महाराष्ट्रातील पर्यावरणीय प्रश्नांवर तोडगा काढण्यासाठी काय करता येईल याबद्द्ल माहिती सांगत आहेत. 

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EP 23 with Dr. Aparna Watve | Lateritic Plateaus Calling

Listen about the current condition of lateritic plateaus as one of the critically endangered habitats in the Northern Western Ghats as Dr. Aparna Watve narrates her work story. 

Immerse in the know-how, peoples’ connections, and participation in conservation.

भाग २३ । कातळ-सड्यांचे गाऱ्हाणे । वक्ते: डॉ. अपर्णा वाटवे

Join us to immerse yourself in environmental careers outside academia and get to know the industry viewpoint towards environmental conservation. 

Dr. Meenakshi Singh, CEO of Sustaina Greens, a Vadodara-based environmental consultancy, talks about her journey of transitioning from academia to environmental entrepreneurship. She discusses challenges and opportunities working with industry giants. 

From quitting her academic job into taking a leap of faith into starting her own firm, Dr. Meenakshi shares what matters the most when it comes to shaping your career!

Listen to her story!!!

Episode 24 with Dr. Meenakshi Singh | Green Careers Outside Academia

Dear All, we are excited to launch the  “People of Nature” Podcast.
We are a podcast that aims to bring forth unheard voices from the Indian Conservation Landscape!
Come listen to positive stories from some of India’s finest conservationists here! 
Our podcast is an awardee of the 4th IndiaBioscience Science Communication Grants 2023.

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