Now now, I had already mentioned that this blog is only for stuff that adds value to the internet. If you’re asking why I’m writing about my internship, then good question. It’s because there’s absolutely no information available online about what one does or can expect as an intern here at ATREE - ACCC (Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre). For people who are working so intensively in documenting tons of scientific data, this habit doesn’t extend to things outside of that realm.

I came here little more than a month ago. will be here a month more. Although they do take interns for much shorter durations.

While the following sentences may seem like gatekeeping, I truly believe that there should be some minimal barrier to entry which is why I have purposefully omitted stuff relating to my application and the facilities given here. If you want to know these details, do a little bit of internet sleuthing. Put a little effort.

Breakdown

Edu Program for Uni Students

My first 5 days here, there were 15-odd University students here for their “Conservation in Practice” program. They were taken around a couple of places nearby, and I just tagged along with them. Heritage Sites, Forests, Bird Conservation Reserves, GI Tagged Places, Herp, Bird, Owl Walks.

And if all the seats were full, I sat in the office and learnt- about the ABR, the Campus and the people who work here.

I came here for one project(The beekeeping feasibility study), but even people who are not officially listed under the project help out. So everyone who works here actually works on every project and not just theirs, because no single person has absolute knowledge of everything and you will have to reach out to others for help. And I assist on multiple projects too. I went with another researcher here to help in taking interviews of farmers and then later transcribe it.

Nights at Mundanthurai

Oop, The TNFD wants the Center to conduct a EIA of the temple festival happening nearby. Everyone pitches in, even though they have their own projects. Anddd can’t pick it up for 5 more days because we are in the forest. So everyone is part of their individual projects AND whatever the center is allotted - learnt that when there’s educational programmes, absolutely everyone makes the time to be involved, no matter how busy they are.

Set out a day before to do recon. Stayed there for the next 5 nights. Every morning set out at 6am exactly to check for road kills on the assigned transects. No signal anywhere. And we took turns counting vehicles to estimate the turnout for the event. Of course, not all work, there was plenty of adventure. It is not everywhere that you get to sleep in a forest dept dorm next to a river in a forest, watch gaurs, chital, bears, wild boar from the balcony, wade across neck-deep flowing water to get to a temple 😁 . And also not everyday that you get bitten by ticks 😖

Beekeeping Survey

The villages are located at quite a distance. Went by train, car, bus, auto, even walked 12 kms once. AND the concept of a Sunday is quite loose here, when you have work, you set out, no excuses. Some places meetings are pre-arranged by local contacts, some places we have to attract the crowd ourselves(sometimes with treats :KEK:), some outside their houses, their streets, their churches, their temples, etc.. Sometimes we align our visits with some other program happening at ACCC so that transport becomes a bit easier.

Office Days

Some days I just sit at office, doing reports, data-entry or building a website or sometimes hanging with people who are here only for a couple days or helping out someone else with any computer-y stuff they need. Did QGIS Remote Sensing Maps, Tourism Maps, Code for blogs, or going with other students around the campus and whatnot. Sometimes I am sitting in session happening for other students by the Research Associates here.

Other Visits

Well, also tagged along for a Namma Ooru Nandavanam Project (The 9th one). Took some photos.

The HRCE wanted to do a afforestation project so tagged along to see that place.

The Moth Researcher here needed a Field Assistant, and I tagged along for that too. Absolutely beautiful landscapes, with the best views, the darkest skies(saw the Galaxy with naked eyes) and most diverse winged insects I have ever seen in my life.

Also went to Bangalore for their biennial work seminar.

And sat in with students of a government school for a green school programme

No two days are the same. No two internships/work identical. Be flexible, be nice. 👍

1 month in, and still can’t help but be awe-struck everyday on my cycle to work by the mountains garlanded by the paddy fields

It’s been very intense, very busy. But never overwhelming. I am doing what I love.

Acknowledgements: coming next, its a long list