The Ecological Restoration Alliance invites you to its next online discussion: ‘Spontaneity in Nature and Urban Ecologies’. Featuring a conversation between Nirjesh Gautam and Suprabha Seshan, it explores novel ecosystems emerging across our cityscapes, and calls for greater attention to these in research, conservation, and urban planning.
You can register on this link, or scan the QR code on the poster below.
Date: July 30, 2026
Time: 6 PM
Venue: Zoom meeting
More about the talk:
Over 3 decades, while hundreds of acres of a government land parcel in Delhi awaited urban development, the dense Dwarka forest emerged in its place, providing direct climatic relief to people and becoming a refuge for wildlife.
Drawing on this example, Nirjesh examines how these spontaneous and emergent ecosystems are often understood and valued differently from their protected counterparts, even as they continue to provide valuable ecosystem services to citizens.
Nirjesh argues that this causes a persistent separation of nature from urban planning and imagination, and concludes by highlighting why such ecosystems deserve greater attention in research, conservation, and urban planning.
About the Speakers:
Nirjesh Gautam is an independent researcher and writer based in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. His work explores human-nature interactions, urban biodiversity, and the emergence of novel ecosystems in cities. He seeks to make ecological thinking and solutions more accessible to audiences through science communication.
Suprabha Seshan is a rainforest conservationist. She heads the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, a collectively owned reserve devoted to plant conservation, habitat restoration, nature education and ecological advocacy. She explores how decisions arise out of social, ecological and political frameworks and out of particular values of individuals and groups, with enormous consequences for the land.