Walking, Listening, Conserving: A Conversation with Nirmal Kulkarni
What does it take to understand a forest? For an ecologist, conservationist, photographer, and artist, Nirmal Ullas Kulkarni, it begins with walking, observing, and, most importantly, listening.
During the Upadhyaya Foundation team’s visit to the Mhadei region on the 3rd and 4th of September 2026, we sat down with Nirmal, Director of the Mhadei Research Center, to talk about his journey with nature, species discovery, forest restoration, community knowledge and the future of the Western Ghats.
From restoring a landscape once threatened by mining to building a new generation of young researchers, his work reflects a belief that conservation is as much about people and knowledge as it is about forests and wildlife.
From walking in forests to telling their stories
Preetham: You are an artist, photographer, and an ecologist. How do all these interests come together?
Nirmal Kulkarni: My love for nature came from my grandfather, who used to take me on nature walks as a child. Even today, I believe that walking is a way of knowing the forest.
I wanted to share that love of nature with more people, but it is not always possible to take everyone into a forest. Photography became a way of communicating what our forests have in terms of biodiversity.
People remember photographs. But words have to accompany images to tell people where they were taken and what the story behind them is. That is how photography, storytelling and my experiences in forests came together.
When a species is discovered, the work begins
Preetham: You have been part of several species discoveries. How do you know when something is a new species?
Nirmal Kulkarni: These are not individual discoveries. They are collaborative efforts involving different researchers.
When we come across something in the forest that we have not seen before, we first look at field guides. If it does not match known species, we photograph it and work with colleagues studying genetics, evolution, and landscapes. With the necessary permissions, specimens may also be collected for scientific study and preservation.
The process can take one to three years, sometimes longer depending on the species and its season. But the work does not stop once a species is described. We have to create awareness among local communities, forest department staff, and a wider audience about the species and its importance.
Some of the species we have worked on have been named after the landscapes, places, and languages of the region, such as Gegeneophis goaensis, Minervarya gomantaki, Minervarya goemchi, Gegeneophis mhadeiensis and Hottentotta vinchu. For me, these names are also a way of connecting the species back to the places and cultures they are part of.
Restoring a landscape by giving nature space
Preetham: You have been part of restoring the Mhadei landscape over the last two decades. What happened here?
Nirmal Kulkarni: This area of the Chorla Ghats was once threatened by mining. It is ecologically important because it lies at the intersection of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra and connects important forest landscapes.
A group of colleagues, friends and relatives came together to protect the corridor. When the land was acquired, it had already been heavily timbered. We began restoration work using nearby sacred groves as reference sites and worked with communities from surrounding villages to understand what species grew there and where.
We also imposed a ban on development in the area. Over time, nature began to take over. Wildlife returned and vegetation regenerated. What began as about 300 acres has now expanded to around 1,000 acres of forest, connecting important landscapes including Bhimghad, Mhadei and Tillari.
“What resulted was that nature took over itself.”
Conservation is about forests and people
Preetham: What makes the Western Ghats globally important?
Nirmal Kulkarni: The Western Ghats are recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot, but they are also a fragile landscape facing significant challenges.
Around 300 rivers originate here. The region supports communities and economies across five states and plays an important role in the Southwest monsoon.
At the same time, development, infrastructure, industry, and tourism put pressure on these forests. Damage to some of these ecosystems can be irreversible.
But the Western Ghats are not only about forests. They are also about the communities and cultures that have protected these landscapes over generations. We need to understand this entire relationship between people, forests and wildlife.
Preetham: Can development and conservation go hand in hand?
Nirmal Kulkarni: Development is necessary. Basic infrastructure is, in many places, both a need and a right. But we also need to ask ourselves: is this development necessary, and at what cost?
If a city needs water, for example, and a dam or network of roads and pipelines is proposed that will submerge a forest, we need to ask what exactly we are doing. Are communities being displaced because another population needs more than its basic necessities?
Nobody in the ecological space is completely against development. With our economy, population, and aspirations, development is a necessity. But projects need to be properly assessed and thought through before they happen.
We need to understand how development affects communities, wildlife and ecosystems—and at what cost.
With the technology and expertise available today, development and ecological concerns can go hand in hand. Building trust and bridges between industry, government, communities and conservationists is very important.
The knowledge we gain by listening
Preetham: You have worked closely with many communities. Is there a story that has stayed with you?
Nirmal Kulkarni: Some of my most memorable experiences have actually come from living with communities.
During one study in Northeast India, we showed community elders photographs of different animals to understand their local ecological knowledge. Among the images was an African lion. The elders pointed to the lioness and said they had seen it.
We were confused because lions are not found there. Later, we realised they were identifying a golden cat, a rare and critically endangered species that resembles a smaller version of a lioness.
They knew what they had seen. We were the ones who had made assumptions. That taught me one of the most important lessons I have learned: the art of listening.
We have forgotten to listen to a whole lot of people. Once we do, we open our doors to knowledge that might otherwise be lost.
Building the next generation
Preetham: What are you trying to build through the Mhadei Research Center?
Nirmal Kulkarni: I am trying to create a second line of defence; young researchers who can take forward the work we started 20 years ago.
Some may want to work on a particular habitat, others on communities, landscapes or individual species. We provide mentorship, resources and support to researchers working on everything from snakes and reptiles to bats, ants, bears and plants.
I also want to bring attention to lesser-known species that do not come into everyday conversations but are important and endemic to the region. The aim is to create people who can carry this work forward for the next 20 or 30 years.
A responsibility we all share
Preetham: What hope do you have for the Western Ghats?
Nirmal Kulkarni: The forests will survive. We are the ones who need them.
We need to see the Western Ghats as part of the future of future generations. Protecting them does not always mean working directly in a forest. It can begin with simply being aware that these forests exist, that communities live alongside them, and that people are working every day to protect them.
I have very high hopes for the younger generation. Forests are increasingly being seen not only as resources, but as a responsibility. And that responsibility is something all of us can nurture.
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