One of the divides that city-dwellers have to face is that very often, they are cut off from the many facets of Nature that they would be a part of if they were to live in the rural areas, or close to the jungles. And for many people, this becomes a lack that they try to make up by taking to birdwatching or wildlifing, that is, going into less populated areas or the jungles for brief trips, and trying to commune with Nature and recharge their batteries for the urban lifestyle.

Wildlife photographed, a violent moment. Pic: Sainath Vellal.

Many such people, who are interested in Nature in all her aspects, refer to themselves as naturalists. What's more, there are several organisations that try to put people in touch with their interest for wildlife and Nature.

The Jungle Lodges Naturalists program

Very near Bangalore, one such organisation is Jungle Lodges and Resorts, a government-run organisation that has been one of the very first to start eco-tourism in Karnataka. And for the past several years, JLR has also been running a Naturalists' Training Program, where people who would like to learn more about Nature can go for a weekend's worth of exposure to the kind of knowledge they would like to get, from people who are experts in the field.

S Karthikeyan and Sarath C R started conducting the NTP in 2004. Sarath later quit JLR to join the Taj Resorts/CC Africa wildlife tourism initiative, Karthikeyan, who was earlier with WWF, joined JLR as their Chief Naturalist, and has continued the NTP courses.

Not much of publicity is given to the course. Karthikeyan prefers to keep a low profile and conduct it for people who are keen on the course. He has also modified the course content to be birding-specific, as the venue of the course, the JLR property in Bannerghatta National Park, is far richer in bird species than in mammal species (though one can invariably spot chital and sambar deer, and several macaques, on the Nature trail that is part of the course.)

S Karthikeyan.

Karthikeyan's interest in wildlife dates back to the days when a teacher in his Bangalore school encouraged him to go birdwatching. At the same time, with the gift of a camera from a brother in the US, he became keenly interested in photography as well. Through his days with WWF and then with JLR, Karthik's focus has always been communication....conveying the facts and the fascination about Nature to an audience of ordinary tourists, or students...in fact, for any audience profile.

The WWF job, which he took up in 1992, was a "dream come true", he says. He has been Bangalore-based right through, except for a short period when he was doing research on the Tree Shrew in Yercaud. He has published material on various topics of Nature-- birds, mammals, reptiles, butterflies, trees, and so on...and has two coffee-table books to his credit, too. His macro photography is well-known in wildlife circles, though he does not participate in exhibitions usually. He is often to be found on the birdwatching walk in Lalbagh that the "Bangalorebirds" group does, and is always willing to share his knowledge with the beginners.

I came to know about the Naturalists' Training Program from Kalyan Varma, whom I met while he was working as a naturalist in the JLR property in Biligiri Ranganna Hills (B R Hills). When Varma (who prefers to be known as Kalyan) told me in March 2006 that Karthikeyan was conducting another batch of the NTP, I eagerly joined, and that, for me, marked the beginning of my own transformation from a wildlife tourist to a keen naturalist.

I was fascinated to see that the program drew a very wide variety of people. Their profiles are fascinating. Some were software engineers (well, that's to be expected in Bangalore!), some other engineering graduates, doctors, dentists, corporate executives, and at least one person whose leanings towards Buddism led him to explore the world of Nature! All this apart from people who were working as naturalists in JLR and whom Karthik wanted to train further.

Finding them all very interesting, I started an e-group, and over a period of time, have added the names of most of the people who have taken this program over the years. For this article, I thought of profiling four people, who have each taken their interest in Nature in a different direction.

The ‘un-expected' naturalists

I'll start with Kalyan Varma, who won the ABN-AMRO Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in 2005 for his picture of the Jumping Ants killing their queen. This was a macro shot, and taken in the B R Hills property of JLR. Since then, he has moved into professional photography and videography, and went on several field trips.

Varma's interest in images dates back to his childhood, when he used to paint. His job at a well-known IT company which was starting operations in Bangalore, and his subsequent "Superstar" award at the firm enabled him to put by the savings that paid for his camera, and the series of lenses that he has invested in. His love for photography is such that, when it came, at one time, to a choice between another lens and a new car, guess what the choice was!

Varma, one could say, is the poster-boy of the NTP. He is someone who won laurels in a very well-known IT firm, and yet quit the job and worked in JLR for several months, during which time he started an enduring love affair with the forests of B R Hills, and its animals, birds and people. He is now involved with several initiatives in the area, working for the betterment of the "giri jana" as the hill people are called. Ensuring that the human/wildlife conflict does not escalate into either depradation of the wild animals, or loss of livelihood for the tribals, is a concern close to his heart.

Two people who took the course together are Sandeep Chakrabarti and Santosh Martin. Of these, Chakrabarti also veered off the beaten path in his life. A cushy corporate job failed to satisfy him, and he decided to quit and make his living by utlising his own interest in Nature. He started Outigor which offers wildlife, trekking and angling adventures.

Chakrabarti works regularly with JLR, using their accomodation, especially their fishing camps in Bheemeshwari, Galibore, and Dodmakali. He says that his lifestyle is extremely satisfying now. "I may not be making millions," he says, "but I am doing what I like to do, and am also able to introduce many foreigners to the beauties that Karnataka has to offer." He takes personal care of his guests, from frying a quick meal on a pan on the stove, to taking along tents if needed.

Martin is a mechanical engineer who turned into a naturalist, Having worked as a lecturer, he decided to turn to what he liked the most - wildlife conservation. He has been actively involved in a lot of social activities in the area, as well, and has been associated with many charitable institutions like schools, orphanages, and day care centres. He has travelled widely, trying to document Indian wildlife and is also involved in the conservation of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard. Martin, like Chakrabarti, is a naturalist accredited with the Karnataka Forest Department and has worked with the forest officials in the development of the Daroji Bear Sanctuary, which is one of its kind in India.

In contrast to these people is Sainath Vellal. A software engineer, and at present a student doing his Masters' Degree at IIT, Kanpur, Vellal took the course with me, and says that his interest in birds developed from childhood, and he would often wander around Lalbagh in the early mornings, looking around and drinking the scenes in. Slowly, his interest in photography followed, as he found that he would like to document the birds that he had seen.

After his bachelor's degree he took up a job with an IT firm in Bangalore, which, he says, gave him the weekends free to pursue his passion. Going to IIT-Kanpur, he says, has actually furthered his knowledge of birds, as the campus is a veritable bird-heaven! He has, in fact, converted some of his friends into inveterate birders as well, and he has also utilised his time there to visit some of the wildlife sanctuaries. As of now, his plans are to pursue a career in IT, and retain wildlife and birding as passionate hobbies. His photographs can be found on his blog.

Another young man who is planning to see what wildlife and working as a naturalist will hold for him is Chirdeep Shetty, who also took the programme with me. He is taking a break from his job at another well-known software firm in Bangalore, to try out a voluntary assignment. After the two months, says Shetty, further avenues may open up, or he may return to his job. "It's all very open at this stage," he says, "I am just taking it as it comes and am excited to try this out." His photographs are at his online gallery.

I could go on an on about the several other naturalists in this group, including one young man who actually moved his work to Mysore to be closer to the forests. And a lady who is a facial surgeon! Such is the diversity of people who come to take the Naturalists' Training Program that JLR offers. The only link tying them together is the NTP, and of course, the love of wildlife and Nature that they all share, and try to protect in their various ways. Over 80 people have taken the Program to date.⊕

Deepa Mohan is a freelance writer who fell in love with Bangalore when first she moved from Chennai, and has been both enthused and worried over the rapidly changing city. She is also a Bangalore metroblogger.

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