# Small Wings, Big Impacts: Citizen Scientists Light Up the Banni Nights

**URL:** https://grove.rainmatter.org/t/small-wings-big-impacts-citizen-scientists-light-up-the-banni-nights/4167
**Category:** Articles and Blogs
**Created:** [August 5, 2025, 9:38am UTC](https://grove.rainmatter.org/t/small-wings-big-impacts-citizen-scientists-light-up-the-banni-nights/4167 "2025-08-05T09:38:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![Sahjeevan](https://grove.rainmatter.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sahjeevan](https://grove.rainmatter.org/u/Sahjeevan)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2025, 9:38am UTC](https://grove.rainmatter.org/t/small-wings-big-impacts-citizen-scientists-light-up-the-banni-nights/4167/1 "2025-08-05T09:38:42Z")

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**Banni Grasslands, Gujarat | July 2025**  
Last week, as the desert sun dipped below the horizon and stars blinked awake, a new kind of spotlight illuminated the Banni Grasslands. From **July 24th to 26th** , the **RAMBLE Field Station** became a vibrant hub of life—not from any machines or neon signs, but from moths, beetles, and the quiet excitement of curious people eager to meet them.

 ![DSC_0073](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/2/240aeb991d0e39c54c95a47aa540003f02bc1ba0.jpeg)

**A Gathering of Curious Minds**  
The occasion was a **three-day, hands-on workshop** on insect identification and citizen science, organized by **Sahjeevan** , the grassroots conservation group based in Bhuj. Timed to coincide with **National Moth Week (July 19–27)**, the event brought together **35 keen participants** —many of them local youth from the Kachchh and Saurashtra regions, alumni of the **“Salim Node Certificate Course on Pastoral Ecology”**. Armed with torches and budding curiosity, they stepped into the world of insects.

 ![DSC_0051](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/0/0f576a2054da6190da0ccece44abfbe44850cca1.jpeg)

**Observing Across Landscapes**  
Insects were documented across three distinct locations during the workshop:

1. The **RAMBLE Field Station** campus,

 ![DSC_0094](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/4/47d9072b022b547c6b3ce84c41d5303815405231.jpeg)

1. A nearby **Virda** (a traditional water harvesting site), and

 ![DSC_0064](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/5/513d64ded56194774a41d162cb486bc3481cbd8c.jpeg)

1. Surrounding **seasonal wetlands** within the Banni landscape.

 ![DSC_0121](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/a/a9e1b38912ae9c3d364f695d4d1b13323eba1599.jpeg)

Participants engaged in **non-invasive sampling methods** , including **light trapping** , **umbrella trapping** , and **transect surveys**. These approaches allowed them to observe insects respectfully—minimizing harm while maximizing learning.

 ![DSC_0095](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/8/81115288a32f90d0028545661382814d23667c45.jpeg)

**Guides Through the Microscopic World**  
Two of India’s leading insect scientists— **Dr. Tanvi Deora** from Shiv Nadar University and **Dr. Pritha Dey** from NCBS Bangalore—served as guides on this journey through Banni’s rich, often overlooked insect life. Their quiet authority and infectious enthusiasm opened up new worlds: taxonomy, the vital roles insects play in ecosystems, and the ways citizen science links local observations to global knowledge.

 ![DSC_0025](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/b/ba5767b7fb0aca60d560b1e4811e81f49fc5b1e4.jpeg)

Insects, often dismissed as pests or mere background noise, took center stage—as **pollinators, decomposers** , and **the unsung heroes** sustaining biodiversity. The group learned how to classify insects up to the family level, scrutinizing delicate wing patterns, feathery antennae, and body segments, set against the distinctive Banni flora.

**Discovery, Done Gently**  
A cornerstone of the workshop was its gentle approach. Participants used non-invasive methods—especially light trapping—to observe nocturnal insects without harm. As dusk faded into night, **white sheets lit by UV lamp** s drew in nature’s smallest stars. Notebooks and smartphones in hand, the participants identified, discussed, and photographed each new discovery.

 ![DSC_0099](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/4/44dff859c8460c46a87e4c6e39c84524462901cd.jpeg)

Technology played an important role, too. Under their mentors’ guidance, everyone learned to use **iNaturalist** : uploading observations, contributing to global species databases, and connecting their rural corner of Gujarat to a worldwide community of citizen scientists.

 ![DSC_0019](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/f/fc28a81671e89bbc8256fae7edbdd9b4c7313b3a.jpeg)

**A Grassland’s Hidden Riches, Revealed**  
By workshop’s end, the team had made more than **200 observations** , documenting over 1 **00 species** —moths, beetles, katydids, and myriad lesser-known bugs. These records now enrich global biodiversity data, and serve as a baseline for long-term insect monitoring in Banni.

But the most lasting impact was far less tangible.

After the training, local youth expressed a newfound passion for observing insects in **their own landscapes**. Many began photographing insects around their homes and uploading them to iNaturalist. It was inspiring to watch their wonder grow—especially when they discovered that **over 100 species** of insects had been living quietly around them all along.

 ![DSC_0061](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/3/337524dc72bc1ef8002745a975a19743a505e41c.jpeg)

**A Movement Takes Root**  
This wasn’t just training—it was the start of something bigger. A first step for local youth to become citizen scientists. A first chapter in Banni’s insects being recognized, celebrated, and studied. And proof that conservation can begin with nothing more than **curiosity** , a **smartphone** , and a **patch of light in the night**.  
With continued support from Sahjeevan and its partners, this movement is set to grow—drawing in more observations, inspiring more local champions. The **Banni Grasslands** , long famous for their pastoral culture and unique ecology, are quickly earning a new distinction as a **citizen science hotspot** —where every moth is noticed, every observation matters, and curiosity can make conservation happen.

 ![DSC_0115](https://groveassets.rainmatter.org/original/2X/f/f3dd762f79f6d656092ec98e4e7a3ece9e399371.jpeg)