Author: Sonali Chauhan
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Snakes in the City
Vipin and Sonali At the turn of five years of untiring efforts towards restoring a wetland at Dheerpur village, now recognized as the Dheerpur Wetland Park (Project Site) has finally started to show the fruits of labour. Besides numerous flora (48 tree species), several species of grasses and sedge and a significant variety of fauna (birds, amphibians,…
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National Capital in Pandemic: Visualising the story so far
Sonali Chauhan On August 11, we completed five months since COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. With over 22 lakh cases and around 45,000 fatalities, India is amongst the worst-hit nations after the US and Brazil. In the first eight days of August, the total number of new cases reported from India surpassed the U.S.…
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The Little Bird Over My Window
Sonali Chauhan During mid-March 2020, academic institutions in Delhi were put under lockdown. A few days later, office work, general discussions, and conversations shifted to online mode. Apart from the pandemic, the conversations were centered around the topic of anxiety and mental stress that may increase due to our current sedentary lifestyle. People are devising…
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Learning to Live in Cities: Challenges of Urban Green Spaces
Sonali Chauhan My work as a researcher in the field of ecology doesn’t always mean spending several hours in forested areas but it also means spending long hours in front of a computer doing regular administrative work. While I enjoy being in the field collecting data and working on plants, I am not particularly enthusiastic…
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Twinkle, Twinkle City Light: The Effects of Artificial Lighting on Species
By Sonali Chauhan Homo sapiens or humans can be termed as the most adaptable species on the planet. We not only adapt to our immediate environment but also modify it like no other species can. Urban ecosystems or cities are an epitome of the extent we can modify a particular space. Satellite images are an…
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Alien in the Forest
By Sonali Chauhan “If a forest isn’t replacing itself, it’s a garden. Just standing back and letting trees grow is not going to work.” – Dr. Robert J. Warren Delhi, the capital of India, enjoys a special place in history. Situated on the alluvial plain of Yamuna, it is a unique landscape. To the south-west…