Abhisheka Krishnagopal

Programme Manager, Education and Public Engagement

MPhil Conservation Leadership - University of Cambridge, UK ; Masters in Ecology and Environment - Sikkim Manipal University, India; Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) – College of Fine Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore University, India

I grew up in Bangalore but spending vacations at my grandparents' place in Sakaleshpur, Western Ghats of Karnataka, naturally helped me develop a deep interest in nature at an early age. My entry into the world of conservation was through rescue and rehabilitation of displaced urban wildlife. Though my initial training was in Fine Arts, living in close proximity to wild animals, nursing and caring for the injured wildlife influenced me to study Ecology as I was keen to continue in the field of nature conservation. After a short corporate stint, I forayed into ecological research work focused on birds.

At ATREE I was part of a research project that looked at water use in agriculture and it’s impact on diversity and local migration patterns of wetland birds in the buffer zone of KMTR, Tamil Nadu. At BNHS I worked in the Bird migration studies team monitoring and ringing migratory birds in Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Himachal Pradesh. Eventually, realizing that involvement of people is integral to address conservation challenges I began involving myself in nature awareness programmes, where I wove art into education workshops which I conducted across India and developed innovative pedagogies. I am currently part of the Education and Public Engagement team of NCF with the Early Bird Programme.

While I feel more at home in the wilderness and often look for opportunities to escape from the city, I also love to explore and document rural life, local traditions and culture, as well as folk art forms. I also enjoy working with my hands - whether it is trying my hands at natural building, experimenting with permaculture, repairing or refurbishing clothes and furniture or creating art out of discarded and natural materials.