Introduction (intended for fellow students)

SELF-MADE NATURALIST                         

 

http://www.selfmade-naturalist.blogspot.com

Introduction to the blogger............... and his aims!

Photography is my passion, mostly bird and insect photography. From there arose a need to know the organisms which I click. So, learning to identify my subject became essential part of the process. Consequently, natural history has become my hobby too, and I call myself, a 'self-made naturalist'.

It is important to understand that wildlife photography, whether your subjects are large like elephants and tigers, or small like butterflies and dragonflies, require a keen knowledge of your subjects, and natural history goes hand-in-hand with it.

What is natural history by the way? Natural history is, as the name suggests, the study of the various plants and animals and other organisms on this earth, excluding humans. It also deals with the relationships between the plants and animals and how they have evolved. Natural history comprises subjects like ornithology (study of birds), entomology (study of insects) which is further divided into topics like lepidopterology (study of butterflies and moths), odonatology (study of dragonflies and damselflies), etc. Of course there are many more, but these are of my interest at present.

I've been introduced to natural history (birds only) by my father way back in 2008. I started photography much later, in 2014. It was only in 2014 when I received a Handycam that I seriously started exploring the creatures around me. The more I explored, the greater details and the things became exponentially beautiful and interesting.  The past two years, from 2014 to 2016 have been really engaging. I've learnt so much more in this field, thanks to the advent of social network. At times I even felt why I should be doing anything else when there's so much to learn here.

At present, I'm trying to popularise this study among school students, so that I can have a strong army of ardent nature lovers with me. It hasn't been quite a success yet, but the attempt continues to attract more people to join me in my journey. Are you interested? Why don't you give it a try? Only one warning though: it's really hard to get out of this once you fall for it! J

It doesn't need you to travel far away from city to study this, at least till now, and I hope it stays like this. There is still some bit of nature left in Kolkata, in spite of the relentless destruction. If your home is situated in a place with at least a few trees nearby, then you can start your study right there. That's what I did too.

Nowadays, most of you have your own mobile phones with reasonably good cameras. When you spot something, you can simply click a picture of it from as close as possible without disturbing it. I will help you with the identification, don't worry about that. Just send me a clear enough picture of

it. Soon, you would be identifying things by yourself!

Also, if you use Android phones, then there are apps which help in identification, such as iButterflies in Google Play store. I'm also developing an app for identifying dragonflies. I will be publishing it once it is tested properly, praying that it works!

Many of you are on social networking sites. If you are already on Facebook, congratulations! If you aren't because your parents are not approving of it, then get to persuade them. Believe me, just like other things, Facebook is what you make of it. If you use it ONLY for gossiping  and following film stars and stuff like that, then it's your fault. There are also many ways of utilising Facebook for constructive works. There are many researchers out there who can help you with the identification. So tell these to your parents and make them understand. The world, and FB ain't too bad really.

Once you are on Facebook, you can send your pictures and queries as messages to my profile: www.facebook.com/purab.chowdhury . I will recommend you to join my group: Students for Wildlife. You can post your pictures, request for identification help, share your thoughts on creatures, etc. If you know anyone is interested too, you can add them. They don't need to be students, can be from anywhere, of any age; they just need to have the interest.

I will help you in the gradual process of learning about creatures, but there are many things which cannot be only written about. You need to learn on your own from Nature herself. She reveals her intricacies only to her keen and patient observers. You need occasional field trips to learn all these. There are various tips and tricks for observing closely.

IMPORTANCE OF FIELD TRIPS

In spite of developments in technology, field trips still remain the best way for learning. One may be able to identify species from pictures with the help of guide books, BUT, you need field trips to acquire the art of identifying, say, a butterfly from one single flutter, just seeing a flash of colour or by its flight pattern. Only field trips can teach you where to find the species you're looking for. It's good if you have a camera and/or other equipments for a field trip. But it is not a necessity. What is necessary is just a notebook. That is how the army doctors in the British era made enormous contributions in this field. Without them, the Indians would have been left in the dark, at least in this aspect.

For a start, you can register for the upcoming field trip. One such trip is scheduled to be held in this summer vacation. The venue is Botanical Garden, Shibpur. Till now 3 members are going, including me. If you are interested, let me know.

CONTACTS:

Facebook  profile: Purab Chowdhury        [ www.facebook.com/purab.chowdhury ]

Phone:  +91 94320 64739         (for details regarding timings of the trip)

Email: purab2k@gmail.com

Facebook group: Students for Wildlife [Kolkata Natural History Society]

PS - While other cities like Mumbai, Cochin and Bangalore have their own organizations such as the historic Bombay Natural History Society of which Dr. Salim Ali himself was a part, Kolkata lags behind in this regard. So our collective efforts are directed towards establishing a responsible society for our city. Students for Wildlife group was launched with this aim. Help us in making it successful.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Soumya, Aritrim and Ritagnik for your bit of advertising!