EcoRE was founded in August 2020, with two main aims:
First, to popularise ecology research among the larger audience, from kids to nature enthusiasts.
Second, to help students in India who are willing to pursue a career in ecology.
We are always open to collaborations and conversations. Please email to get in touch.
Meet our Team
Devica Ranade (Founder)
I am a Behavioural Ecologist by training, that is, I am trained in studying the behaviour of animals in an ecological and evolutionary context. Growing up, I had innumerable questions about the world around me -- Why do frogs croak? Why do peacocks have such long tails? How does a flower attract butterflies? Everything around me used to make me curious. That is when I decided that I want to understand why animals do what they do, and that I want to do this for the rest of my life! :)
With this passion for understanding the natural world around us, I did my BSc in Zoology from Garware College (Pune) and MSc in Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology from the University of Exeter (England). My bachelors and masters gave me an opportunity of working on the behaviour of different animals including spiders, chinkaras, tadpoles and even giraffes in South Africa. Following my MSc, I spent a year at the Kalahari Meerkat Project, again in South Africa. In 2020, I defended my PhD thesis from CES, IISc (Bangalore, India). For my PhD, I worked on the behaviour of females of the beautiful Peninsular Rock Lizards!
In 2020, I founded EcoRE, with the aim of making ecology research in India more approachable and to share my passion of studying ecology with you all. Currently, I am also working as a Project Manager with Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), a part of the 'Education and Public Engagement' team.
When I am not working, I am busy attending to my 4 year old son, or catching up on a light episode of Friends! :)
Ahana Bera
I'm a nature lover with a postgraduate degree in Zoology from the University of Calcutta. Growing up in a place surrounded by lush greenery and diverse species sparked my passion for birdwatching and understanding their behavior and ecology. Currently, I'm all about making ecology fun through social media management and editing at Ecology Explained. When I'm not editing or prepping for my Ph.D., you'll find me with a camera in hand, snapping shots of nature, or gracefully practicing Bharatnatyam.
Former Team
Anuja Vartak
Anuja has pursued her Master’s in Biodiversity from Abasaheb Garware College, Pune. She is a passionate biologist and is especially fascinated by the complex world of ants. Anuja has previously worked on an olive ridley turtle conservation project wherein she conducted a research study on the behaviour of an ant species that predated the eggs and hatchlings of the ridleys. Apart from this, she works with local animal welfare NGOs and helps to rescue animals.
With EcoRE, Anuja is involved in content writing, managing social media posts and reviewing articles. She conducts workshops and activities for kids and is very dearly loved by them. At times, she also experiments with digital art to make complex research more exciting!
Nikita Gupta
Nikita has a base in Biotechnology, a subject she's currently pursuing for her Master's degree from Jamia Hamdard University, Delhi. During her graduation (also in Biotechnology) she enjoyed working on research projects in Molecular Biology and Environmental Chemistry. Her interest in the weirdly fascinating workings of nature eventually led her down the rabbit hole of ecology and evolution, where she is now stationed for life. She enjoys reading and music and hopes to play a role in getting people excited about science. With EcoRE, she is not only involved in writing articles, but also in editing them!
Akhilesh Tambe
Akhilesh is a naturalist and wildlife filmmaker, amazed by all things wild. Right after he graduated in Botany from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, he worked on several projects in varied landscapes ranging from the mountains of Ladakh to the rainforests of Agumbe.
Pratiksha Sail
Pratiksha has a Masters degree in Zoology from Goa University and has worked on several biodiversity projects. She is currently working as a researcher and a wildlife illustrator. She is fascinated by natural history, and conservation and writing top her interests. She has previously worked on bats and shorebirds and was also involved in preparing biodiversity registers and ecotoxicology projects.
Thejaswini S
Thejaswini is pursuing her Master's degree in Zoology from Government Science College, Bangalore. She is especially interested in ecology, evolution and wildlife conservation. She and has previously been a part of projects on termites and wasps. worked on several biodiversity projects. She loves to sketch animals, movie characters and is also an avid reader.
Prahlad Saldanha
Prahlad is interested in a range of subjects including, ecology, evolution and psychology. He has previously studied Asian weaver ant aggression as well as behaviour in gerbils. And what's more? Prahlad plays ultimate frisbee and even practices magic!
Nagarthna Balakrishna
Nagarathna is a budding primatologist, currently working on zoonotic disease outbreaks in India at NCBS (Bangalore). She holds a masters degree in Ecology and Environmental Sciences from Pondicherry university (2019). She has previously worked on human-primate interactions, conflict and primate behaviour and is extremely passionate about studying primate behaviour, ecology and conservation. Nagarathna is an avid reader, singer, amateur ukulelist and loves travelling and cycling.
Nandana Chaudhuri
Nandana is a nature lover and an avid birder. Her interest lies in making sense of animal behaviour. She pursued her Master's in ecology and environmental science from Pondicherry university, and has previously worked on the habitat suitability of grassland birds.