Come June and a team of naturalists will begin a first-of-its-kind, long-term monitoring programme for different species in Amboli – one of the best biodiversity hotspots in Maharashtra. A databank of different species, from insects to mammals, will be prepared, which will later be used for better protection of the hill station.
A brainchild of taxonomist Dr Varad B Giri, post-doctoral fellow from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, this unique citizen-science project will aim to rope in nature enthusiasts and encourage them to learn the art of documentation.
"Amboli is like a second home to me, as I have been working here for decades. For a long time I wanted that a baseline study of biodiversity be conducted here to create a database of various species found in different seasons from different habitats. Fortunately, things have fallen in place now and we will initiate this long-term study on June 10," said Giri, adding that though there were no funds, 10 naturalists volunteered to join the study. In the first session, they will be trained in data collection and other aspects of the study.
According to Giri, an authentic report of the biodiversity found in Amboli will not only be documented in detail but also geo-tagged. Also, the impact of various activities – climate change to tourism – will be studied in detail.
"If equipped with this data, proper demands can be made, including that of declaring Amboli a conservation area to seek better protection as well as encourage better management practises by local authorities and the forest department," he said, adding that already several locals from Amboli were helping by providing stay and other facilities. They were even being involved in the study that could go on for the next 10 years.
The study will also look in detail at the impact of "monsoon tourism" on several species of amphibians and reptiles found in Amboli. "More and more lodges are being set up here as tourism is catching up. Night trails for tourists are extremely popular, and at times tourists walk through areas where frogs breed, creating a lot of disturbance. Thus, we will try to suggest a protocol for environment-friendly tourism to ensure that there is least disturbance to the biodiversity," said Giri.
Andheri-based Shashank Birla (28), who is co-ordinating the project, said that last year, he joined a four-month course on herpetology conducted by Giri, merely out of interest, where this idea was discussed. "A lot of work has been done in Amboli but it is limited to a few species. Our aim is to do a very structured study. Once we gather the data, we will also work with the locals on creating awareness at the ground level," he said.
Amboli, located in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, borders the Western Ghats. In just last three years, around six new species have been discovered from here. It is also home to the Malabar gliding frog, found only here.
