Field Workshops & Immersive Learning Programs

At the Khandige Environment Research Foundation (KERF), our educational workshops and nature training modules offer participants a unique opportunity to stepping out of the classroom and onto the forest floor. Designed for students, educators, researchers, and wildlife enthusiasts, our workshops combine expert instruction, hands-on field protocols, and night-time bio-inventories within our living laboratory in the Sirumalai Reserve Forest landscape.

Why Attend a KERF Workshop?

Our workshops operate on a participant-funded / course fee model to sustain high-quality field instruction and preserve campus infrastructure. Every workshop provides:

• Field-Based Learning: Practical, real-world application of ecological concepts alongside seasoned field biologists and taxonomists.
• Specialized Field Gear & Facilities: Access to light-traps for nocturnal studies, botanical processing tools, camera traps, and field guides.
• On-Campus Stay & Logistics: Accommodation at the KERF field station surrounded by high biodiversity.
• Certificate of Participation: Official documentation highlighting training hours and skills acquired for academic or professional resumes.

Key Workshop Themes

We offer structured 2-day to 5-day intensive workshops across a range of ecological disciplines and more:

1. Nocturnal Biodiversity & Insect Taxonomy

• Focus: Moths, fireflies, arachnids, and nocturnal fauna tracking (e.g., Slender Loris, Flying Squirrels).
• Skills Learned: Light-screen setup, light-trap data collection, insect identification keys, photo-documentation, and nocturnal surveying techniques.

2. Botanical Documentation & Forest Restoration

• Focus: Western Ghats flora, dry evergreen/deciduous forest dynamics, and native tree conservation.
• Skills Learned: Plant specimen collection and herbarium techniques, vegetation profiling, seed collection/germination, and invasive species management.

3. Avian Ecology & Citizen Science Tools

• Focus: Bird taxonomy, vocalization recognition, and habitat mapping.
• Skills Learned: Transect and point-count survey methods, binocular/field-scope techniques, and utilizing platforms like eBird and iNaturalist for biodiversity monitoring.

4. Camera Trapping & Mammal Tracking

• Focus: Non-invasive wildlife monitoring techniques.
• Skills Learned: Camera trap deployment strategy, sign/track identification, spatial distribution analysis, and habitat use assessment.

Register here

kerf.conservation@gmail.com / 9940564585 / 9940563585

Contact above for more info