What happens to biodiversity when their habitat is destroyed?
Over 350 species of birds have been recorded in Bengaluru over the years. At the same time, the city has seen a rapid increase in urbanization and loss of vegetation in the last few decades. Researchers from Bengaluru found an increase in built-up area and decrease of vegetation cover and water bodies.[1][2] In April 2016, Bengaluru recorded its hottest summer in 85 years with the temperatures rising to 39.2°C.
A long term monitoring of biodiversity in urban areas is essential to improve our understanding of ecological systems and their response to anthropogenic changes. As part of Project Ashoka, the long term ecological research project, Gubbi Labs is calling for interns in Bengaluru to join us in a systematic monitoring of birds to understand how they are adapting to land-use and climate changes in the city.
Internship details:
- The internship starts from December
- Selected participants will have an orientation/workshop on birdwatching and methods at IISc.
- Participants are expected to carry out bird surveys during the course of the internship
- Get a certificate upon successful completion of the internship.
Essential qualifications:
- Preferably (but not limited to) undergraduate/post graduate students
- Interested in birdwatching and can identify the species found in Bangalore
- Ability to work independently or in teams
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate with volunteers and carry out systematic bird surveys in Bangalore
- Collect and collate the data
To intern with us , fill up the sign-up form here.
FAQ
- How do you participate in this program?
Participate by filling up the signup form. Await a response from the Gubbi team for further steps regarding surveys. - How long is this internship for?
This is an ongoing project. You are free to intern for as long as you wish with a minimum period of one month.
- Do you have to be in Bengaluru?
We prefer if the intern is based in Bengaluru.
- What happens to the data collected?
The data collected will be made available on our repository and a copy of the same will be uploaded on ebird. - What do you get from this internship?
- Participants will be trained to carry out systematic bird surveys and contribute to long term monitoring of biodiversity.
- Get a certificate upon successful completion of the internship.
- An opportunity to co-author publications.
- Get discounts for the up-coming courses by Gubbi Labs.
[1] Nagendra, H., Nagendran, S., Paul, S., & Pareeth, S. (2012). Graying, greening and fragmentation in the rapidly expanding Indian city of Bangalore. Landscape and Urban Planning, 105(4), 400-406.
[2] H.S. Sudhira and H. Nagendra (2013). Local assessment of Bangalore: Graying and greening in Bangalore - Impacts of urbanization on ecosystems, ecosystem services and biodiversity. In Urbanization, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities, ed. T. Elmqvist et al., Chapter 7, pp. 65-74.
