Observing The Private World Of Spiders And Insects

Spiders : There are 45000 known species of spiders worldwide of which about 1400 species of spiders are recognised in India. Most naturalists and taxonomists believe that the number of species of spiders may be greater with the potential of many more species yet to be discovered. There is a general lack of expertise and understanding of spiders to many naturalists. We believe the spider workshop will help naturalists gain skills in understanding spiders so we can contribute to the vast knowledge of spiders and thus who knows probably discover a new species too. Guides : Divya Uma and Vena Kapoor are our guides for the workshop where you will gain an appreciation about the natural history of spiders and insects. Divya is currently researching on social spiders and mimicry in spiders and other insects. She brings knowledge on predator-prey interactions that would help us appreciate and understand the world of spiders and insects better. Vena has been studying and documenting spiders for more than 2 decades in the Western Ghats. She will help us gain knowledge on how to broadly identify different groups of spiders. Observing spiders in the Western Ghats will be a very educative experience. It will help us form a great foundation to understand spiders/insects much better and take in forward in all our future nature observations. Activities:

• Day and evening nature walks
• Identifying Spiders
• Understanding and observing Spider Behaviour
• Observing other insects too that we encounter while we watch spiders
• Presentation and knowledge sharing by experts
• Dipping in the forest stream

Ecoscape Madhuvana Estate:
It is located on a 176-acre estate that is jointly owned and run by the adivasi people of the region. The major portion of the estate is covered in tea, followed by coffee and surrounded by beautiful evergreen forests. These forests are home to a lot of wildlife and a high diversity of life.

Dates: April 20th Friday to April 22nd Sunday (2 nights 3 days)

Cost: Dormitory – 1900 / night
Standard Room - 2400 / night / person (Twin Sharing) (2 rooms)
Deluxe Room - 2600 / night / person (Twin Sharing) (1 room)

Please also note that the last 5 km from Devala to Ecoscape can either be walked into (1 hour) or by a pickup truck (Rs.800 each way) - which is shared equally with the number of participants on the pick up truck. Please share your preference with us for us to do the planning.

What the cost includes:

• Simple delicious food (20th lunch till 22nd break-fast)
• Activities

Maximum 13 participants.

• What to bring

1. Refillable Water Bottle
2. Flashlight (do not forget batteries)
3. A hat/cap
4. Light Sweatshirt / pullover for the evening
   5.Note Pad and Pen/Pencil
   6.Personal Toiletries
5. Personal Medication
6. Shoes for Forest Walk
7. Swimming clothes

• Important to know

• All travel costs are to be taken care by the participants.