Point Calimere, one of India’s most significant coastal wetland ecosystems, offers a rare window into the science of bird migration and field ornithology. As part of the Basic Course in Field Ornithology and Bird Migration Studies by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), I spent days learning bird counting, ringing, tagging, and conservation practices through immersive fieldwork in wetlands, forests, salt pans, and coastal habitats. This blog is a personal reflection on that experience — where migration science met lived landscapes, and observation slowly turned into responsibility.

காடுகள், மலைகள், மரங்கள், ஆறுகள் - இவற்றையெல்லாம் ரசிப்பதற்கு எல்லோருக்கும் ஆவல் உண்டு. ஆனால், இரண்டு நாட்கள் சுற்றுலா முடியும் வரை மட்டுமே! அதன்பின், வாழ்க்கை என்னவோ அலுவலக கேபினுக்குள்ளும், மடிக்கணினிகளோடும், செல்ஃபோனில் பரபரப்பான உரையாடல்களாகவும் பலருக்கும் கடந்துபோகிறது. காடுகளோடும் மலைகளோடும், மரங்களோடும் இரண்டறக் கலந்து வளர்ந்த ஒருவரின் அனுபவம் நமது அனுபவங்களிலிருந்து முற்றிலும் மாறுபட்டதாகவே இருக்கும். 

That night in Vellagavi, as the mist wrapped the village and the campfire slowly faded into embers, I knew the journey wasn’t done. The forest had tested our preparation, offered us shelter, and gently eased us into a new year—but the mountains still had more to say.

Ahead of us lay another trail. Another silence. A longer walk that would begin before dawn and take us from the sacred calm of Vellagavi toward the edges of Vattakanal, and eventually, back home.

We slept peacefully that night—not knowing exactly what the next day would bring, but trusting the path as we always do.

That night in Vellagavi, as the mist wrapped the village and the campfire slowly faded into embers, I knew the journey wasn’t done. The forest had tested our preparation, offered us shelter, and gently eased us into a new year—but the mountains still had more to say.

Ahead of us lay another trail. Another silence. A longer walk that would begin before dawn and take us from the sacred calm of Vellagavi toward the edges of Vattakanal, and eventually, back home.

We slept peacefully that night—not knowing exactly what the next day would bring, but trusting the path as we always do.

I can only say this: true happiness, at least for me, is not found in careless enjoyment but in mindful presence. If we are careless, we miss the quiet wisdom that nature offers us every day. We miss how a spider weaves its fragile web overnight, teaching us patience and resilience. We miss the way a snake rests motionless for hours, reminding us that stillness too is strength.

They say dogs come into our lives to teach us something, and once they finish teaching, they leave quietly. Bruno taught us love, loyalty, discipline, courage, empathy — and above all, he taught us that family is not defined by species, but by heart.

Bruno was not just part of our home; he was part of our journeys — literally. From the earliest days, he travelled with us everywhere. Before we even owned a car, he would sit between us on the motorcycle, calm, composed, and so unbelievably obedient that strangers on the road would turn their heads in admiration.

He was with me in every season of life — the quiet days, the storms, the victories, and the failures. He never cared about who I was, what I earned, or where I stood. His love had no conditions, no expectations, no judgement.

He taught all of us — my wife, my parents, her parents, friends who had never even touched a dog before — that love is universal.

He lived with a discipline and grace rare even in humans:
He waited for me to say “go and eat”…
He sat with us on the floor when we ate…
He loved simply because he loved.

You cannot expect your child to lead a balanced life if your own is a mess of bad habits. If you're indulging in midnight food cravings, binging on junk, skipping exercise, throwing money around on unnecessary luxuries, turning every weekend into a mall-hopping spree, and making late-night parties the norm — you’re not raising a child with values. You're raising a fragile, unhealthy, and sometimes emotionally unstable individual.

ஜவ்வாது மலை பாதையின் ஒவ்வொரு திருப்பமும் தீண்டப்படாத இயற்கை அதிசயத்தின் காட்சியை வெளிப்படுத்துகிறது. சிறுசிறு சிகரங்கள், பசுமையான பள்ளத்தாக்குகள் மற்றும் படிக நீரோடைகள் அனைத்தும் இயற்கையின் கலைத் தேர்ச்சியின் அடையாளங்கள். இது நமக்குள் ஆழ்ந்த பிரமிப்பு மற்றும் ஆச்சரியத்தை எழுப்புகிறது.

Yet this journey left me with more than memories of effort and companionship. The Kullar Caves and their enigmatic dolmens lingered in my mind like unanswered riddles. The dwarf-like structures, the perfectly carved circles facing east, the stories of Valiyar and the celestial Nagas, they stirred something deeper in me. Standing there, it felt as though the stones were whispering truths too ancient for words, asking us to pause, listen, and question.

As the Moon’s surface quietly embraced Earth’s shadow, it wasn’t just a celestial body turning red — our souls were stirred, reminded of how tiny we are in the ever-expanding universe. In that fleeting alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon, we glimpsed something timeless — not just a shadow, but a cosmic mirror reflecting the vastness beyond and within.

As the Moon’s surface quietly embraced Earth’s shadow, it wasn’t just a celestial body turning red — our souls were stirred, reminded of how tiny we are in the ever-expanding universe. In that fleeting alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon, we glimpsed something timeless — not just a shadow, but a cosmic mirror reflecting the vastness beyond and within.

In that moment, I realized something deeper:

 In this universe, everything is connected.

Everything happens for a reason.

Everything depends on time… and time is eternal.

Atoms are everywhere — in the stars, in us, in the shadows.

Through years of dedicated research, ARRS has led groundbreaking work—tracking King Cobras using radio telemetry, studying their breeding and nesting behaviors, and even exploring how climate change affects reptilian activity. These aren't just academic pursuits; they are lifelines for future conservation strategies.

Through years of dedicated research, ARRS has led groundbreaking work—tracking King Cobras using radio telemetry, studying their breeding and nesting behaviors, and even exploring how climate change affects reptilian activity. These aren't just academic pursuits; they are lifelines for future conservation strategies.

It was the first time in my life I truly learned about their intricate life cycles, their nuanced behaviors, their astonishing adaptations. I sat there, completely absorbed, realizing how little we know about these remarkable creatures—creatures that predate humans by hundreds of millions of years, yet are often dismissed, ignored, or even ridiculed.

To try any Science Projects, you don’t need to be a Scientist. You don’t need expensive equipment. You just need a bit of time, some basic materials, and a willingness to explore together.