In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the story of Arjit Jere, who is an ecologist and nature educator, who is passionate about raising awareness regarding nature conservation through science communication. In this candid chat, he talks about his journey as an ecologist and educator, while sharing some essential skills required if one has to pursue a career in ecology.
You transitioned from biotechnology to biodiversity after your bachelor’s degree. What incident influenced you to make this transition?
While pursuing bachelors in biotechnology, most of the practicals were laboratory-based, which I never enjoyed. I had the chance to stumble upon biodiversity during the zoology classes in my bachelors course.
We once went to Sinhagad Valley for a field visit, which was a very enjoyable and memorable experience for me.
After graduation, I had a couple of months to decide my professional path. That time, I recollected my visit to Jim Corbett National Park with my family. It dawned on me that observing wildlife was fun and exciting. And, I realized that studying wildlife and biodiversity would be a lot more enjoyable since I always had an interest in observing animals. I remember watching animal documentary shows on the TV channels of National Geographic, Discovery, and Animal Planet. All this changed my outlook and helped me transition from biotech to biodiversity.
Having read your blogs and articles, I must say they are captivating and beautiful. You seem to have a knack for writing about relevant, yet distinct topics. Please familiarize us with your journey of becoming a popular science writer and journalist.
During my school days, writing essays was a favorite pastime. In my first year of undergraduation, I had written for college magazines for interdepartmental activities, on topics revolving around biotech and biodiversity. I realized that writing came naturally to me without much preparation. My interest, as I mentioned earlier, was towards biodiversity and wildlife. I began writing more articles on these subjects. Thus began my career in popular science writing.
I also maintained a blog named ‘My Enthusiast’ where I used to write about scientific discoveries and various topics relevant at that time. For example, I had written about the discovery of a new species of early humans (referring to Homo naledi, discovered in 2013).
I gradually built my skills and confidence in writing. Once I felt ready, I submitted my stories to magazines, few of which were also featured. I was delighted to see my article on the insect antlion getting featured in Saevus Wildlife India magazine.
This achievement not only started my popular science writing career but also gave me the motivation to continue with it.
The reason behind my interest in writing articles about insects is that they are crucial for many reasons; for example, providing us with honey and facilitating pollination. Insects are underrated and ignored in India. When the general Indian public thinks of wildlife, they only consider birds and mammals. Insects are also an important part of the wildlife. Popular science in India should focus on such unheralded taxa. Also, I love studying insects. My research experience was mostly based on them. Hence, I always try to champion their cause.
Thus, mine has mostly been a self-taught journey. However, I have also completed a course in science communication conducted by the Indian Science Communication Society.
I am curious to understand whether pursuing a PhD is in your mind and if you are not planning on that, why is it so? Would love to know your perspective on how and whether a PhD adds value to a career like science communication or ecological conservation.
PhD is not on my current priority list because I want my career to be in science communication or conservation with field research. There are some roles in this career that can be performed without a PhD.
I think a PhD will help only if you are more into technical writing and editorial roles for academic journals. Technical writing is very different from popular science writing. A PhD will prepare you more for the former because you are writing research papers in a very technical style. With a PhD, some of your career options might change because it has heavy research involved. Post your PhD, you have more chances of securing a research-based job rather than any scicomm jobs.
On the contrary, in science communication, you have to continuously improve your writing for popular science. I have seen people flourish in this field without a PhD. Hence, I wouldn’t say that it is mandatory, but it will be an added bonus.
Research aptitude is needed for every scientific field, but for ecology and conservation, your skills and experience in the field work matter more.
You have been a teaching assistant at the University of Alabama, Hunstville. How different is the dedication of the US or West towards teaching the younger generation about the relevance of environment and wildlife conservation, compared to India?
In the USA, I taught a basic biology course which did not involve topics on wildlife conservation. However, I discovered that their syllabus had a strong focus towards biology documentation. They taught the students to use apps like ‘iNaturalist’ wherein you can easily document any observed plant or animal. The focus towards documentation was very apparent in their courses.
In India, in bachelor degrees for specialized courses like biotechnology, conversations surrounding conservation take a backseat. Such topics should be taught with biotechnology and not as a different subject because of their important applications in the latter. For example, there are major subjects of environmental studies based in biotechnology like bioremediation, conservation genetics, and genotyping of animal populations in a particular region. Hence, the curriculum should be more interdisciplinary. This is a recurring problem in India as every subject is taught separately.
At least the situation is changing in top Indian institutes like IISERs, IISc as many interdisciplinary subjects are being taught but that is not the case in every degree college. Hence, interdisciplinary courses are needed to be implemented on a larger scale in India. At the grassroots level, this is only possible when students of different departments in a college are allowed to collaborate and work on joint projects. In many colleges I know, professors are not that keen towards collaborative work. Sometimes, they also don’t allow students to undertake short projects specific to other departments as a learning experience. This narrows down the perspective as well as the scope of the students to perform interdisciplinary projects. Because of this, Indian students do not recognize the interconnections between different fields of science.
In my masters course at Garware College, Pune; my batch was allowed to do their dissertation from external research institutes. My guide was from NCBS, Bengaluru. My dissertation taught me a lot about how research works in big institutes and allowed me to expand my horizons.
There are very few courses in a select few institutes in India for wildlife conservation and ecology for bachelors and masters. This shows an obvious ignorance to these very important subjects. Why do you think this is the case?
In Indian institutes like NCBS and IISC, there are very few top-class courses pertaining to ecology and wildlife conservation. It’s actually the Indian mentality which needs to change and not the lack of necessary material to study these subjects. Indian parents and academicians have a focus towards application-oriented subjects like molecular biology, immunology, biotechnology, etc. as they receive more funding and importance. Naturally, these subjects cause human welfare and improve lifestyle. Because of the application-oriented outlook, these subjects have received more attention than biodiversity.
Conserving biodiversity and ecosystems indirectly helps humans as they are essential resources for survival and a good quality of life for humans. In the last 2-3 years, there is increased awareness towards the importance of having ecology and conservation in the degree courses. I have seen more such courses being available. The situation is not so bad. But, yes the perspectives should be changing because these subjects of ecology, biodiversity, and wildlife conservation are equally important. Only when there is adequate awareness in academic institutes and decision-makers, will we have more of such courses.
Could you explain what entails your job role, and share your experiential learnings as a nature educator at the Centre for Environment Education? Please share your other employment experiences as well.
An advantage of being in Pune is the availability of many different biodiversity sites: hilly areas like Vetal hills (Western Ghats), grasslands, lakes like Pashan lake, alongside many sightseeing areas like Mulamutha river basin.
When I was pursuing my masters course in biodiversity, I used to conduct a science club as a volunteer educator in Jnana Prabodhini School in Pune. It is a school known for science communication and science popularization. They conduct various programmes including science camps. My first experience as an educator was during this one-and-a-half-year stint. Here, I went to Sinhagad and other biodiversity spots with the school students to teach them the concepts of biodiversity and expose them to various plants and animals. It is fun to make children appreciate nature by letting them observe and experience it by themselves.
I also helped to conduct some treks on behalf of CEE at Pashan Lake in Pune and got in touch with them while I was conducting nature trails. My current job at CEE is mostly about planning and conducting nature education events like bird trails at Pashan Lake in Pune. I also invite experts for tree walk events and arrange various nature education activities for children. These include puzzles and crosswords of bird names. These activities are conducted in a unique manner to ensure that kids learn and remember these small tidbits of knowledge. I always strive to find interesting and unique ways to teach children to engage their attention in discussions about nature and wildlife.
Apart from this, I also conduct a nature education course for bachelors students in environmental science from Fergusson College, where I teach them about the biodiversity existing in Pune as well as the importance and various aspects of conservation, and ways to be a good nature educator.
Additionally, I also conduct some informal workshops on mapping, statistics, and odonatology (study of dragonflies) with Dr Pankaj Koparde at MIT-WPU, Pune on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. I take different modules and lectures in these workshops as I am passionate about teaching.
Previously, my research stints took me from Nilgiris in Western Ghats for a landscape ecology project, to the urban scrublands of Bangalore for the social spiders project. It has been enjoyable to work on different projects within ecology and behavior.The experiences have provided me with a varied skill set in the ecology field. I have tried to impart my own views about the project and learn as much from the research as I can. I have been lucky to work with interesting study systems, particularly insects, in different ecosystems under the guidance of some fantastic professors.
Could you share some tips on how you facilitate collaborations with environmentalists and scientists?
Meeting the right people at the right time is crucial. I was lucky in that case because mentors can make or break your career. In this field, many things depend upon your guide and the guidance they impart. Guides and teachers need to be considerate of their students and their well-being.
I have worked with many professors including Dr Pankaj Koparde. I have collaborated with him the longest in the past 6/7 years in various roles. This collaboration has been very instrumental in shaping my journey. I first met him during a molecular phylogeny workshop that was conducted at Garware College. Professionally and personally, we were on the right page straightaway. His own thoughts about research inspired and influenced me a lot. Later, I worked for him as a project assistant on one of the projects as well, which was a very good learning experience for me. I also worked with him on some important surveys related to Covid-19 and am now working part time as a Programme Coordinator at his lab at MIT-WPU Pune.
There are other animal behavior scientists, with whom I have worked at IISER Mohali and Azim Premji University as a JRF. Overall, I have worked with a lot of scientists and the experience has been good so far. They have been very open to different ideas as well as approaches with constant good guidance.
Today, I am a part of many environmental groups wherein we try to come up with different ways of reducing our own carbon emissions and following a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. Therefore, it always helps to stay in touch with such environmentalists for networking purposes and to experience a sense of community.
What are the different career opportunities in biodiversity and ecology? Kindly share with us some useful experiences that you have gained because of working on the field.
If anybody loves being outdoors and likes observing animals and birds, then a career in ecology and conservation is absolutely suitable for them. One must know that the conservation field is very hands-on. Fieldwork has two main types: on-ground intervention or simply observing a particular species. However, people have the misconception that fieldwork is always great and perfect. That’s not true at all. There are bad days where nothing is discovered nor observed. Sometimes the rains wash away the homes of antlions or other species, which you have been monitoring for some time. This is similar to having a bad day in the lab in research. There are all sorts of ups and downs like a rollercoaster. Luckily foe me, despite everything, my passion and interest in my field have kept me going for the past 10 years.
Academic institutes have openings for JRF/Project Assistant for Ecology projects. Besides science communication, numerous research-based jobs in ecology and wildlife conservation exist. These are monitoring jobs such as being a part of pollution control boards. Nowadays, a new type of job is getting popular: environmental and biodiversity assessments for infrastructural projects. These jobs are useful as there are many green infrastructures that are coming up.
There are also conservation NGOs that go above and beyond with their efforts for social improvement, wildlife conservation and environmental protection. NGOs are a good career option for those who want to work within wildlife but not academia.
Working in the Indian Forest Services is a viable career option too. Their recruitment comes after passing certain national-level exams organized by them. The roles available are Indian Forest Guard.
However, in India, this field only becomes a means of transition, as most of the education and training opportunities are available only at the postgraduate level. The foundation and basic concepts in ecology that can be developed in bachelors courses are lacking in many students. Therefore, we need government intervention and incentives to build many more courses related to ecology, biodiversity, and wildlife conservation at the undergraduate level. Even at the primary school level, students should be exposed to these subjects to inculcate sensitivity towards the wildlife and environment from a very young age. This will make them change their outlook: being more sensitive towards behaving with animals (eg: not unnecessarily buying pets of foreign breeds) and living sustainably.
The financial aspect in this field is also not very lucrative as compared to a research career in a private university or biotech. Hence, understandably parents object to their children taking up these fields. Thus passion, excitement, and satisfaction are important to power through and keep going. For me, nothing beats my unique experience in the field ie. following and studying an animal in the forest. This is a lot more than what money can buy for me actually.
What practical steps should the public undertake to fulfill goals set for climate change, wildlife and environment conservation?
The most basic thing one can do while visiting any natural space (park, lake or a hill) is to not disturb the fauna of that region. Avoid making a lot of noise and littering in that area. You are visiting the home of the animals and plants; you should behave like their courteous guest.
Indians should really consider the consequences of their actions towards fishes, animals, and birds. You don’t see misbehavior towards animals in other countries because their rules are strict with expensive fines. In India, if there are hefty fines and repercussions, only then would Indians listen.
What I have usually observed is that Indians behave very poorly in zoos and sanctuaries. They tease and disturb the animals by making loud noises. These actions are detrimental for the mental state of the animals. Already, animals are under a lot of stress in the zoos due to poor living conditions.
We should stop feeding birds and fishes with unhealthy and processed food items like popcorn, bread, and chips. This leads to them having high cholesterol in their bodies; which is naturally very unhealthy for them. Their digestive systems have not evolved sufficiently to digest the unhealthy oils and other ingredients in these foodstuffs. Therefore, I never encourage anyone to feed animals and birds in zoos and sanctuaries. I have never done it myself and I try to stop people from doing it. I understand that these people do not have ill intentions towards feeding these animals. Thus, I lecture them enough to convince them of their wrong actions.
For climate change, one should have a lifestyle which involves practically implementing ways to reduce one’s own carbon emissions. Small acts like walking to nearby places, using public transport like the metro and the bus services, are effective to reduce emissions. The more effectively these are implemented; it helps us to fight climate change. People should start thinking about this in terms of their own benefit. Consider equating maintenance of environmental health at the level of your own individual health. For example, how people start changing their lifestyle to reduce bad cholesterol levels; that’s how people should act with respect to carbon emissions. This is the only way to make people conscious of nature and act environment-friendly.
Waste management should achieve efficiency in India. The mantra: ‘Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle’ should not be forgotten. All dry waste should be sent for recycling. One good sign is that the composting of wet waste has become very common these days.
Employing these small actions would definitely help us tackle climate change.
