Embedded Files
What is it?
What is it?
A Campus Biodiversity Register is a lasting record of the plants, animals, fungi and other life that share our campus. It is part of a nationwide, year-long effort to document biodiversity on college and university campuses. For more information, visit the official website.
At HRI, we will record biodiversity throughout the year through individual observations and guided and self-guided nature walks. Every observation helps us discover what lives here and how it changes with the seasons. Self-guided walks must stay in the common areas; the wooded regions remain off limits.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Start with iNaturalist
Start with iNaturalist
Install the iNaturalist app and create an account.
In Projects, search for “Harish Chandra Research Institute” and join the HRI project.
Photograph a plant, animal, insect or fungus from a safe distance. Create an observation, then upload it.
Observations made within HRI's boundary appear in the register automatically.
You do not need to know the species name to start. Record what you see, and the iNaturalist community can help identify it.
Other ways to record
Other ways to record
eBird — for bird sightings and birdwatching checklists. Join the Campus Biodiversity Register project.
SeasonWatch — for following individual trees over time and recording seasonal changes in leaves, flowers and fruits.
How to be involved?
How to be involved?
1. For the extreme introvert
1. For the extreme introvert
Install iNaturalist, join the HRI project and start making observations at your own pace. Birds, insects, animals, plants, trees and fungi all count—however small, common or easy to overlook. Check this page for updates and announcements.
2. For the curious explorer
2. For the curious explorer
Join our inaugural meeting on Sunday, 13 September 2026, at 8:30 am sharp in Higgs Lecture Hall, above the HRI auditorium. We will introduce the project, demonstrate iNaturalist and head out for our first nature walk.
Join the WhatsApp group for discussions and announcements, and to share exciting nature pictures.
3. For the committed
3. For the committed
Help us organise nature walks, demonstrations and other events. Write to rithwikmr@hri.res.in
Warnings
Warnings
1. Look closely. Keep a safe distance.
1. Look closely. Keep a safe distance.
Nature can bite, sting or be poisonous. Do not touch, handle or disturb plants or animals. Take pictures from a safe distance and leave nature as you find it. Watch where you step—a reptile may be resting near your feet while you frame your photograph.
2. Photograph nature only.
2. Photograph nature only.
HRI is a Department of Atomic Energy institute with strict rules about posting photographs. Share only pictures of the nature subject. Keep buildings, facilities and other HRI infrastructure out of the frame.
3. Stay out of the wooded regions.
3. Stay out of the wooded regions.
The leopard protocol remains in effect. Strictly no entering the wooded regions; keep to the common areas. There is plenty of biodiversity to discover right in front of us. Guided walks in the woods may be organised only with the institute’s help and permission. Stay tuned.
Announcements
Announcements
Guided nature walk by Dr. Urmi Niyogi, 19 September 2026
Check back here for more informationInaugural meeting · Sunday, 13 September 2026
8:30 am sharp · Higgs Lecture Hall, above the HRI auditorium.
Join us for a project overview, an iNaturalist demonstration and our first nature walk.
Please be on time as the butterflies are active only for a brief window.September is Butterfly Month
Look out for butterflies and photograph them from a safe distance. On iNaturalist, search for and join “Big Butterfly Month 2026: India”. Event information is available on the Butterfly Collective India website.
Resources
Resources
campusbiodiversity.in
See their getting started page for guides on how to use the iNaturalist, eBird and Season Watch apps among other various useful resources.www.inaturalist.org, ebird.org, www.seasonwatch.in
Apps available on standard app marketplaces.
Questions? contact rithwikmr@hri.res.in
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse