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Ecoregion

Deccan thorn scrub forests, South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests, South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, South Western Ghats montane rainforests

Expertise

Community leader, Conservationist, Naturalist, Nature educator, Private landowner, Researcher

Sharan V

Rhopalocera and Odonata Association of Rajapalayam

Founder Trustee of Rhopalocera and Odonata Association of Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu.

He quit his high-paying IT in 2020. Having been brought up close to the Western Ghats in Rajapalayam ,he initially was into birding for nearly a decade Realising the critical need to spread the knowledge on importance of lesser fauna like butterflies and odonates among people, he along with his friends formed ROAR in the year 2018. The sole purpose of the organisation is to bridge the gap between people and nature through meaningful education and activities for the locals and students and also widely distribute and market easy to use materials that are not readily available. Apart from their primary focus on Butterflies and Odonates, the team also studies birds, moths and trees at Rajapalayam and Srivilliputhur Meghamalai Tiger Reserve.

They run two programs called WildEarthlings and NEST which was started in 2022-23. One being an eco-stewardship program for the public with fortnightly walks on various topics to sensitise them on local biodiversity and the other an eco-literacy program for school and college students on their campus biodiversity. Many faunal images photographed by him and about the organisation have been featured in several fieldguides, newspapers and magazines.