Island Ecology - Andaman and Nicobar Islands!

This June, when the monsoons have just set in, we will head to a place that most people associate sunshine with. Sandy beaches, great snorkeling, star-studded skies, etc. We’ve chosen to go there to see a completely different side to The Andaman Islands. We’re looking at the animals that come out when the rains begin and enjoy the cooler clime and wetter environment.

This Island Ecology Experience is going to focus on the most alive season for herpetofauna! We will explore four separate habitats, better understanding the dynamics at play within them and how they affect each other.

We’ll be staying at the premier conservation and research body on the islands- The Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team’s base. We’ll get involved with their experiences, work and endeavors’. We will explore the adjoining mangroves, inter-tidal zone and rainforests, examining the ecological dynamics that are at play in each of these unique but interdependent habitats.

The workshop will encompass a lot of learning skills, experiencing new ecosystems and getting numerous photo opportunities. We’ll see many species that are unique to the islands and some that are adapted specifically to life in island habitats.

There is also a good chance that we will get to go snorkeling. However, given that this is the monsoon season, this will depend on the weather. Fingers crossed. We will spend some time by the reefs but what remains to be seen is how much we’ll see!

ACTIVITIES:

· Understanding Island Ecologies

· Mangrove walks- Searching for specialized animals

· Intertidal Zone- Understanding this unique niche

· Visits to the reef

· Looking for crocodiles

· Herpetofaunal surveys

· Photography sessions

· Ecology presentations

· Canopy access (weather dependent)

· Snorkeling for marine life

· Loads of hands on experience

· Night surveys

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team (ANET)
The Andaman and Nicobar islands are a chain of some 300 little known archipelagic islands situated on the eastern rim of the Bay of Bengal. Closely guarded by the Indian Government, they remain a pristine tropical island paradise, complete with stunning coral reefs, crystal blue waters and unspoiled equatorial rainforest. Most extraordinary, many of the islands are a bastion for some of the last remaining aboriginal tribes on earth that continue to shun all contact with the outside world. The Andamanese, as these tribes are collectively known as, inhabit a significant percentage of the islands in fully protected areas that remain completely off limits to the general public.Shortly after setting up the Croc Bank in the 1970s, the Whitakers realize there were needs for basic herpetological and other ecological work in the then much neglected islands. Over the next several years Rom, together with Satish Bhaskar and Alok Mallick, set about crafting a strategy to effectively address these issues. The Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team (ANET) was conceived in 1989 and shortly thereafter five acres of land was purchase and a base station constructed in Wandoor, on the southern tip of South Andaman island.
ANET has since carried out extensive work on marine turtles, herpetofaunal biogeography and a host of other biological studies. In addition, ANET has been actively involved in the broader ecological and social spheres including work on natural resource utilization, socioeconomics and the management of protected areas. As one of the most capable NGOs in the region, ANET played a pivotal humanitarian and disaster relief role in the Nicobar Islands after the infamous 2004 tsunami devastated the region. Today, although still very active in the reptile arena (with a recently described genus of Agamid named at the base to prove it!) ANET has a very broad curriculum of environmental development work, including marine and terrestrial components. ANET is the only environmental research base in the islands and remains one of the Croc Banks most exotic and luxurious projects – our very own Treasure Island!

For further details or to register please get in touch with Chaitanya on 9886285988 (chaitanya@gerrymartin.in)