BENGALURU: The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR) has been entrusted with a large tract of uncultivated land in the
Western Ghats
in Kodagu district by Dr Saraswathy Ganapathy and her family for
ecological research
and
biodiversity conservation
.
The 50-acre land abutting reserved area in Western Ghats - given to NCBS on a long-term lease - will be dedicated to
long-term monitoring
of biodiversity and its response to
climate change
.
Saraswathy is the wife of late Jnanpith laureate Girish Karnad. NCBS will set up a
field station
on the land to facilitate monitoring of
flora and fauna
in the region. "We've always wanted to find use for this land that preserves it (ecology) for Coorg (Kodagu) and protects the environment. We couldn't have hoped for a better partner than NCBS to be its steward," Saraswathy said.
Knowing that this forest will support long-term ecological research is very exciting," said Saraswathy, explaining her motivation to dedicate this land for research.
NCBS director Prof LS Shashidhara said the field will be made available for the larger community of ecologists and wildlife biologists to conduct studies on biodiversity and conservation.
The announcement was made at a meeting of ecologists and wildlife biologists, govt organisations, and NGOs from across the Bengaluru and Mysuru regions. The meeting aimed to foster collaborative research and explore ways to establish ecological monitoring initiatives in the country.
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