Nirmal Ulhas Kulkarni

Conservation for the sake of conserving not only wildlife habitats, but also forest community dominated landscapes near such ecological habitats, providing alternative and yet low-impact livelihoods has always been a long-term goal for Nirmal and has been achieved in many areas. While working with communities his team has supported young sparks and trained them to become entrepreneurs, skilled employment and eco-warriors in field. He has inspired volunteers, students and professionals to join in various capacities for field conservation by sacrificing time and toiling hard to collate data, conduct outreach programs and influence policy. His work has inspired and motivated many to choose conservation as full-time careers, while others have supported with resources and guidance.

As part of his scientific pursuit - • He has headed and contributed to several research projects:

• National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan – studying man-reptile relationship in Sattari Taluka
• Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area – documenting and compiling reptile species
• Indian Herpetological Society – creating a detailed database of snakes in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra for an e-guide
• Goa Forest Department – participation in three wildlife census
• Habitat monitoring and impact on the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles at Morjim beach, which ultimately led to the conservation of their nesting areas
• Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan – independent study on the impact the Mahdei river diversion will have on the Herpetofauna
• Compilation of basic biodiversity checklists of sacred groves in Sattari Taluka
• Archeological Society of India – documentation of heritage iconography in Sattari

He has significant discoveries to his credit -

• Goan caecilian (Gegeneophis goaensis) – Sattari District, Keri Village, Goa
• Mahdei caecilian (Gegeneophis mhadeiensis) – Chorla Village, Khanapur Taluka, Karnataka
• Chorla Giant striped Ichthyophis (Ichthyophis davidi) from Chorla and Castle Rock in Karnataka
• Range extension of sub-species of the Pit Viper (Protobothrops jerdonii xanthomelas) – the Jerdon's Red Spotted Pit Viper – Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh

In addition, he has worked as a volunteer with the Wildlife Conservation Society for estimating prey for tigers in the Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, and as a group team leader on a Conservation Programme at the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh. He is also involved in data collection and consultancy services on eco-tourism and wildlife research projects in six states, including Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. His experience in setting up and running Wildernest Nature Resort, an eco-tel in the heart of Chorla Ghats, holds him in good stead.

Nirmal's growing role as an activist can be seen in the successful ‘Save the Frogs’ campaign against the local consumption of Indian Bullfrogs, which he led along with co-campaigner Clinton Vaz and the Goa Forest Department. The campaign included awareness-cum-law enforcement activities. He was also part of a team that worked on conserving the Bhimgad Forests in Karnataka. Their efforts ultimately led to the creation of the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary. The efforts by his team under Nirmal's leadership also have helped declare the Mahdei Wildlife Sanctuary as a Proposed Tiger Reserve and bring attention to the Mahdei Dam Project that is slated to irreversibly damage prime Western Ghats habitat.

He is associated with and connected to multiple state and national-level organizations which focus on ecological and wildlife conservation. Most notably, he is affiliated to:

• Goa State Wildlife Advisory Board
• Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology
• Goa Heritage Action Group
• Indian Bird Conservation Network and Goa State Bird Conservation Network
• Western Ghats Core Group – Goa State
• Bombay Natural History Society
• Mahdei Bachao Abhiyan
• Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area (SESA) Committee
• Katraj Snake Park and Uttara's Ark, a Wildlife rehabilitation center cum snake park at Katraj, Pune
• TigerLink network, a national network formed to conserve the tiger and its habitat
• Conservation and Livelihoods network, a network formed to protect community rights as well as natural habitats in the country
• Indian Herpetological Society, a body working in the field of reptile conservation in the country
• Vivekanand Environment Awareness Brigade, an NGO involved in spreading conservation awareness in the state

He was assisted, and mentored by stalwarts in the field of biodiversity research and documentation, most notably Dr. Claude Alvares, Dr. Manoj Borkar, Dr. G K Bhatt and Dr. M. K. Janarthanan.

Nirmal and his team work with communities, both urban and rural, with youth and children, with professionals and tourists and in all these target groups the approaches are different and depend on issues as well as needs. The confidence building measures include providing sustainable livelihoods to over 200 families directly or indirectly, reviving age old green traditions, documenting intellectual property issues and providing platforms for communities as well as individuals to rise. The Children's Outreach Programme is the backbone of their initiatives and touches 30 schools across 3 states, which has been acknowledged on a national level by wildlife conservation groups as well as by the media.

Nirmal Kulkarni was invited to the Philippines in August 2013 on a series of lectures and talks. He was invited to speak on ‘Engaging youth for conservation through field research training in India’ by the University of Cebu and the KAS Environmental Law Talks committee. He was also a speaker at "Nurturing Biodiversity Protection among Children" that was organized by the Philippines Earth Justice Center and Dept of Education, City of Cebu Province. Nirmal also engaged with Forest stewards of the Tabunan forests and with Councilor archival at the Eco House on issues ranging from conservation and recycling to wildlife documentation. He was also a speaker at the Forum on Eco Tourism that was organized by Cebu City government and Grassroots Travel. Nirmal was also interviewed on a local television channel by the Cebu lady lawyer's association and his work was covered in local newspapers.

His efforts in the Goa State have been covered by CNN-IBN, BBC Open Country, NDTV, Zee News, Sahara News, ETV Marathi, Star News and other local media. Also, his personal databank of professional images of Goa's hinterland and diversity is used by various NGOs, individuals, and institutions in the state as well as nationally for education and creating awareness.

Nirmal has authored The Goan Jungle Book which is aimed at educating students in particular and the Goan populace in general about Goa's lesser known wildlife.^[3]