Growing up with books and running wild amidst the trees and streams of Uttarakhand helped me develop a keen relationship with nature. I did my Master’s dissertation on the association of endophytic fungi with Ficus seeds in a tropical forest, which formally carved a path for me into ecology. How different entities interact in nature and determine the ecology of a place fascinates me. I enjoy travelling and making art. One might come across verses of poetry in my academic papers.