Interview Summary
Prachi Mehta shares the process of getting selected for her PhD research at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and goes on to recount her impressions of the institute. Mehta talks about her project on bird diversity and felling practices and the fieldwork she carried out in Bori Wildlife Sanctuary and Melghat Tiger Reserve. She also mentions other projects by other researchers. She touches upon her experiences as a woman at WII.
She shares her experiences and observations in forestry and wildlife conservation, highlighting the importance of understanding the vertical stratification of communities and the role of different feeders in the ecosystem. She discusses the events and people that influenced her thinking about issues around conservation, emphasizing the transition from being a researcher to thinking about conservation and the practical application of research outcomes.
She goes on to speak about how her marriage affected and informed her career decisions. She details the job opportunities post her PhD and talks about what led to her and Jayant Kulkarni setting up the first Enviro Search and then the NGO Wildlife Research and Conservation Society.
(00:00:04) Experiences and memories of applying and interviewing for PhD at Wildlife Institute of India
[00:06:18-00:11:10 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]
(00:11:12) Classes at WII, project on bird diversity and felling, reflection on fieldwork at Bori Wildlife Sanctuary and Melghat Tiger Reserve
(00:21:07) Discussions about how Mehta devised study design and funding for projects at WII, interaction with AJT Johnsingh, and his involvement in the project
(00:25:36) Personal interest in ecology research, conservation, and forestry practices
(00:30:14) Reflections on PhD work at WII
(00:32:43) Meeting Jayant Kulkarni, birdwatching at Rajaji National Park, and Kulkarni’s influence on Mehta regarding conservation
[00:34:35-00:36:17 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]
[00:37:56-00:38:59 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]
(00:40:08) Career choices after PhD, marriage, and job opportunities
(00:45:07) Starting a consulting firm focused on environmental issues
(00:50:16) Setting up Mehta and Kulkarni’s consultancy called Enviro Search, conservation efforts and setting up the nonprofit organization Wildlife Research and Conservation Society
Dates
- Creation: 2023-06-03
Creator
- From the File: Sridhar, Hari (Interviewer, Person)
- From the File: Udaipurwala, Umm-E-Salama (Processing Archivist, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Level of Access: Open/Online
Biography
Prachi Mehta is an ecologist who has been studying the ecology of the Forest Owlet since 2005. She is currently the Director (Research) of the Wildlife Research and Conservation Society (WRCS), Pune. She grew up in Mumbai and did her undergraduate degree from Ruia College, Mumbai in Life Sciences. She pursued her master’s in Life Sciences from Mumbai University following which she did her PhD in Wildlife Biology from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, (WII) studying the impact of forestry practices on bird communities of Satpura Hills in Bori Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, and Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.
She and Jayant Kulkarni started an environmental consultancy called Enviro Search in 2001 and later created the non-governmental organization WRCS in 2005. Her work involves studying the ecology of the Forest Owlet at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, and Melghat, Nandurbar, and Tansa in Maharashtra. She has been involved in community-based mitigation of human-elephant interactions in Uttara Kannada and Maharashtra.
In addition to her research on the Forest Owlet, Mehta has been involved in the protection of the bird. She has collaborated with local communities through awareness programs and with the Forest Department by conducting capacity-building programs for their frontline staff.
Extent
58 Minutes
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Archives at NCBS Repository
National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Bangalore Karnataka 560065 India
+9180 6717 6010
+9180 6717 6011
archives@ncbs.res.in