Himangshu Kalita

Hailing from Nalbari, Assam, Himangshu is a doctoral researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. He holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences and a Post Graduate Diploma in Gender Studies from Cotton University. His academic journey reflects a deep commitment to interdisciplinary thinking, weaving together ecology, gender, and community-based conservation. He has also worked with fishing communities near Deepor Beel – an urban Ramsar site. After working for four years in the government sector, Himangshu returned to academia, driven by a strong belief in inclusive and just conservation.

His current project explores how gender, livelihood, and identity shape people’s perceptions and responses to wildlife presence in forest-fringe villages, focusing on the Bodo and Adivasi communities near Manas National Park. Himangshu’s research documents the gendered dimensions of interactions with wildlife, primarily elephants, the everyday strategies of coexistence and coping mechanisms, and how conservation governance includes, or more importantly, overlooks local voices, particularly those of women and marginalized groups. He is driven by a simple but urgent question: How can conservation empower those it impacts most?

His research involves in-depth ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation, interviews,and spatial analysis of patterns of interaction with wildlife, complemented by archival and policy review. He also intends to engage with forest department records and local institutions to build a multi-stakeholder understanding of conflict and coexistence.

Himangshu believes that addressing conservation challenges requires not just ecological insight, but also attention to social justice, power, and voice. By foregrounding perspectives often excluded from conservation decision-making, particularly women, the research aspires to contribute to approaches that are not only ecologically effective but also socially just. Through this project, he hopes to develop a blueprint for conservation that places community experience, gender equity, and ecological sustainability at its core.

Angeline Mano M

Angeline is a field researcher in Ornithology based in Salem, Tamil Nadu. She is currently a Research Assistant and Nature Educator at Salem Ornithological Foundation as well as  an Earth Educator Fellow at YouCAN. Driven by her passion for conservation, Angeline shifted from Arts to Science, holding a B.Sc. in Zoology and an M.A. in English Literature. Since 2018, she has contributed to outreach, education and community-based conservation. She works with school students and has been introducing birds, promoting citizen science through nature walks and activity-based education programs in Salem. In the last five years, she has been actively involved in monitoring the health of 350+ wetlands across Salem district. This long-term engagement has provided her with a deep understanding of the region’s ecological dynamics. She also works on biodiversity assessment projects across the state.

Angeline’s project focuses on the vulnerable White-naped Tit Machlolophus nuchalis which is endemic to India, with one of its disjunct populations found in parts of southern India, including the dry deciduous forests of Salem district, Tamil Nadu. Despite its ecological importance, there has been no in-depth study of the White-naped Tit in Salem. The data largely remains insufficient and the bird stands as a symbol of lesser-known species and their neglected habitats. Her project’s focus lies in finding significant foraging trees and its foraging behavior, and will contribute to the collection of data about this elusive and threatened bird in one of its southernmost habitats. Through a combination of research, education, and on-ground conservation by undertaking a focused field study in Salem district, the project will address knowledge gaps, providing valuable insights into the habitat ecological requirements and advocating for protection of neglected habitats where these birds thrive. This will form the basis for future research and long-term monitoring.