The aim of the workshop would be to unpack a simple economics framework that can be used for understanding policy-making and outcomes. Where policies emanate from is critical understand how they transmit on the ground. The success and failure of policies has long been a question of interest and significance for conservation.

Through the workshop we will address three questions:
1. What are suitable areas for policy interventions?
2. In what way do policies translate to outcomes?
3. What are some common issues in policies?

The workshop starts with differentiating between policy and law through which we will establish that laws are the enforceable products of the policies on the ground. The resource person will then cite literature and real world examples to convince the participants that laws are mere ‘ink on paper’ (Basu, 1993). Having established the limited effectivity of laws will lay the ground to look at why certain laws succeed and fail. In light of limited effectivity of laws the first question that the workshop deals with is which are areas where public policy should intervene (Kelkar and Shah, 2019). This is followed by a simple framework to look at how policy outcomes as a function of incentives embedded in the governance. (Pethe, Unpublished) We also look at the evolution of this governance structure emanating from theory. We finish with giving the participant a list of common place issues that can be identified in policies (Bhatkhande, unpublished).

In the recent past, there have been rapid changes in environmental law and policy in India such as the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act (FCAA) of 2023, and the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023. Moreover, in the context of the looming climate and ecological crisis, new legal and policy instruments are also evolving like the Green Credits Scheme and the recent Supreme Court judgment on climate in M K Ranjitsinh & ors. In this scenario, conservation practitioners are left to make sense of the impact of these changes on the governance of the land and seascapes that they are working in.

This workshop will aim to build the capacity of participants to engage critically with the fast paced changes in environmental law at the national level. It will look at existing legal principles, frameworks and legislation and the amendments to environmental laws in the last 3 years. The workshop keeps in mind that it is impossible to dissociate environmental law from the larger social, political and economical processes that shape it. The workshop will take an embedded approach to law, looking also at how history, debates, identities, negotiations, and practices of environmental law are tied to legal decision making.

How should a study be designed to ensure that it effectively addresses the identified research question? This workshop will discuss important elements of study design in ecology and conservation including how to identify and distribute sampling units and avoid bias while doing so; how many samples to collect; and what inferences can and cannot be drawn from particular research designs. Throughout, we will use examples to make concepts as clear as possible. As a part of the workshop, we will set exercises in study design for participants and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the designs that participants come up with and ways to improve them to obtain better results.

This workshop is for students interested in learning how to conduct systematic observations of animal behaviour. The workshop will start with an introduction to the discipline, followed by a discussion on sources of observational bias and methods to reduce or remove these biases. Participants will also get practical experience in the standard methods of collecting behavioural data using real-world examples, and will learn how to analyse and interpet these kinds of data. The workshop will conclude with discussions on selected case studies to highlight the successful application of animal behaviour studies in conservation, and on the importance of ethics in animal behaviour research.

Step into the world of nature through dance and storytelling with this unique workshop, ""Rhythm of the Wild."" This immersive experience invites participants of all dance levels, as well as those passionate about nature education and innovative storytelling, to explore the wonders of the natural world through movement, gestures, and expressions.

Led by an experienced instructor blending expertise in dance and conservation, ""Rhythm of the Wild"" offers a dynamic fusion of art and advocacy. Through guided exercises and improvisation, with a focus on body language, expressions, and movement, participants will learn to embody the essence of various ecosystems and wildlife, from lush rainforests to vast ocean depths, from hunting wildcats to wading waterbirds, using their bodies as instruments to convey the beauty, fragility, and urgency of conservation messages.

The workshop does not require prior dance experience - all levels of expertise are invited. Participants will learn how to use their bodies as a tool in storytelling and how emotional connections can spread messages as effectively as facts. Whether you're a seasoned dancer or a nature enthusiast eager to explore new avenues of storytelling, this workshop provides a welcoming space to connect with like-minded individuals and deepen your appreciation for the natural world. Through collaborative exercises and group discussions, we'll explore how movement can spark conversations, inspire action, and foster a deeper connection to our planet.

Recent advancements in DNA sequencing have revolutionized wildlife studies, empowering researchers to delve deeper into understanding species ecology and their environments. One powerful and increasingly popular method is DNA metabarcoding, which allows us to uncover the dietary patterns and preferences of wild species. This method holds tremendous potential for species management, conservation efforts, and understanding the needs of different species in a changing environment.

The aim of this workshop is to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the key concepts involved in designing a project focused on exploring variations in the diet of wild species. We will cover various aspects, including study design and sample collection, library preparation, sequencing on an NGS platform to generate data, and data analysis. Participants will also work with a test dataset to interpret the results of a metabarcoding sequencing run.

Additionally, the workshop will offer insights into how cutting-edge genomics can be applied to wildlife research, highlighting the new avenues it opens for ongoing and future studies.

Understanding the relationship between communities and the ecosystems they depend on is crucial when designing interventions for conservation outcomes as well as human wellbeing. Socio-economic data collection is crucial for enabling communities to participate in conservation-development interfaces as significant stakeholder. But often, measuring incomes and resource dependency can be challenging and result in misrepresentation, especially when working with rural communities. Using correct proxies can help overcome these issues.

This session aims to share with its participants a set of best practices to effectively collect quantitative socio-economic data. We will discuss some guidelines drawn from experience of collecting data from over 50,000 households from communities across 8 different biogeographic zones in India, along with the challenges that were encountered while doing so.

During the session, we will discuss the following:
1. Guidelines for creating effective survey instruments and measures
2. Common biases and issues arising during the collection process and how to address them
3. Understanding the effect of these guidelines on data quality

The session will take participants through the process of large-scale data collection undertaken by Wildlife Conservation Trust and draw from theoretical and experiential learnings gathered during the process. It will introduce them to open source secondary datasets that can be harnessed to set a solid foundation for an enquiry. It will then focus on discussing what prior information should be taken into consideration when designing questions and how they can affect data outcomes, and thereby our larger understanding of communities interfacing with conservation and development interventions.

Freshwater ecosystems support specialized and vulnerable biodiversity, highlighting the need to understand how environmental changes may impact these species. However, quantitative data on species distributions within these ecosystems remain limited. This limitation is due to inconsistent species occurrence data, variability in species detectability in aquatic environments, a scarcity of comprehensive freshwater-specific environmental predictors, and the lack of cohesive methods to address these issues. The workshop is designed to demonstrate analytical approaches that equip researchers to collect, process, and aggregate freshwater-related variables at the catchment or sub-catchment scale. It aims to provide researchers with practical and theoretical knowledge for forecasting ecological change and variability using simple ecological niche models. The workshop includes practical sessions on model purpose, acquisition and manipulation of freshwater environmental data, and spatial data visualization to enhance understanding of ecological change. Additionally, ecological forecasting case studies from India will be showcased, serving as a platform for discussions and knowledge transfer among researchers working in diverse ecological systems and promoting future collaborations. To facilitate the course, a mini-tutorial on the widely used R programming language will be provided. Participants are expected to have a basic understanding of R to fully engage in the workshop.

Scientific papers serve as the primary information source in both research and practice fields. However, approaching them can be daunting, time-consuming, and complex. Often, research papers are left out or introduced abruptly to students in their academic curricula. This leaves them with little to no guidance on how to navigate scientific literature. Consequently, many of us lack the skills to effectively read, understand, and summarize research papers.

We, the organizers of this workshop, faced similar difficulties upon our introduction to research papers. We have acquired this skill through trial, error, and practice. Hence, we are familiar with the hardships of this process and want to facilitate it for others.

This workshop targets individuals, particularly current students, with limited experience in reading research papers. We aim to offer a straightforward guide to enhance their paper-reading process while encouraging creativity and critical thinking. We will emphasize understanding the purpose behind referencing a paper and tailoring the reading approach accordingly, fostering an engaging and enjoyable experience. Additionally, we will cover techniques for synthesizing paper findings.

The workshop will feature a paper-reading exercise and ample discussion among participants and facilitators to apply and comprehend the toolkit effectively.

From the hare and the tortoise to the Panchatantra to the Jataka tales , there is a strong presence of flora and fauna mentioned both directly and indirectly. The workshop explores the definition of folklore and folktales and therein explore how across the country and globally Lores have documented species with care and observation. Like the snake and the mongoose tale in the panchatantra where a high level of ethology is displayed.

The lost in translation and theories that it creates over time . For example it's always the peacock in Lores and not the peahen or the peafowl. In terms of birds too . The power of folklore in not only documenting but also the usage of Lores to depict human behavior in a biased way their creating an impact on the species over time. For example donkey and buffaloes vs tiger and elephant.

The participants will be motivated to explore their personal and cultural fabric to see and explore their memories of tales . And therein explore the need to create Lores for the present time.

The workshop will open the participants into the space of Aural Storytelling in the area of folk myth , folk tale in current times.

Odonates (dragonflies & damselflies) are aquatic insects often used as ecological indicators in wetland studies. Over the last decade, there is much progress in Indian odonatological literature with a number of groups involved in the research on odonates. The proposed workshop links odonatology with freshwater habitats and covers topics such as,
- Odonata adult & larval Taxonomy
- Evolution of odonates
- Behavioral ecology of odonates
- Research methods and field techniques used in odonatology
- Ecological research involving pollution ecology
- Conservation requirements of odonates and action
- Citizen science and biodiversity informatics
- Applied conservation of odonates.

Teaching Pedagogy: The workshop will include activities, games, flash quizzes, and group work to make learning effective. The proposed long workshop will include a short field visit to a nearby wetland (pond/lake).

Previous workshops: As an admin of a larger network called DragonflySouthAsia, we have been conducting annual meetings in the South Asian region. Apart from this, we have conducted the Euphaea workshop in SCCS 2018 & 2019 as well as YETI 2018, receiving a great response and feedback from the students. Most of the workshop participants pursued odonatology research and subsequently published.

Workshop outcomes: - Capacity building for promoting research in freshwater ecology, odonatology & wetland conservation
- Output-based research projects by workshop participants
- Broad-scale data collection for wetland conservation

You may be doing dazzling research in your lab or in the field. But the success of your research endeavour depends on how effectively you communicate, particularly using the written word, with various stakeholders – be it in the form of research papers, review articles, popular articles, grant proposals, reports, policy documents, and perhaps even emails. The effectiveness of your communication depends on the response your writing elicits in the mind of the readers. It turns out that readers have expectations: a narrative that is engaging, paragraphs that are coherent and transition smoothly, and sentences that are clear, concise and flow seamlessly. So, how do you, as a writer, do the required cognitive handholding of your readers and meet their expectations? If you want to know the answer to this question, this session might be able to help you.

While no book or a course or a workshop such as this one will magically transform your writing overnight, I will introduce you to a few tools that will put you on the road to becoming a more effective (and productive) writer. I will also dwell upon the importance of developing a process for you as a writer in achieving this goal.