Naturalist · Nature Educator
Specialty: Butterflies · Forest Ecology · General Biodiversity
Most people assume Mansi Nanarkar is shy, because she’s quiet at first. But the moment the topic turns to wildlife, she becomes surprisingly confident and interactive — and that transformation is the heart of who she is as a naturalist and nature educator.
Exploring Biodiversity with Mansi Nanarkar
Her most memorable encounter was her first wild sighting of an Indian spectacled cobra. It appeared dehydrated and barely moving; she almost thought it was dead. Then the rain began, and the snake seemed to regain its strength, raised its hood, and gracefully slithered away — a small resurrection she’ll never forget.
With an M.Sc. in Animal Physiology and 3,000+ hours across the tropical forests and urban green spaces of the Western Ghats, Mansi specialises in butterflies, forest ecology and general biodiversity. Her field bag always holds a macro lens, her cap and a basic first-aid kit — the toolkit of someone who works with mixed and all-age groups, playful and curious as an otter. Her guiding thought is one she returns to often: most things seem frightening until we learn about them.
“The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. — Jane Goodall”
