Monica

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA under Project 560, will research the native and exotic vegetation in parks of Bangalore, while exploring the dynamics of public access by engaging citizens through art and surveys and promoting awareness of biodiversity conservation and inclusive natural spaces in the city. Monica is the Project Coordinator for this project. 

Monica aka Monica Kaushik is an Assistant Professor at Azim Premji University, Bangalore, specialising in ecology and conservation biology. She has held key research and teaching roles, including her tenure as a Visiting Professor at Ambedkar University Delhi. Monica's recent research focuses on the impact of anthropogenic activities on urban bird communities and avian conservation in rapidly urbanising regions like Dehradun. She has received multiple awards, including the prestigious Future Conservationist Award and Rufford Small Grants, for her projects on bird biodiversity and urban green spaces. Monica has also been a Fulbright Fellow at Colorado State University, where she worked on seed-dispersal dynamics. Her academic background includes a PhD from the Wildlife Institute of India, with earlier degrees in Botany and Environmental Biology from the University of Delhi. She continues to mentor students and contribute to ecological research through workshops. Given her experience, Monica is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA. 

This project will aim to survey urban parks in Bangalore to research the distribution of both native and exotic plants while exploring how the socio-economic dynamics of access shape public engagement with these green spaces. The project will bring in reflexivity about how the rapid urbanisation of Bangalore has led to significant ecological changes, impacting native vegetation and access to public green spaces. As Bangalore expands, biodiversity faces threats from invasive plant species, which replace native flora and disrupt mutualistic ecological functions. The research will seek to address this ecological decline by involving citizens in discussions about biodiversity conservation while highlighting the often-overlooked socio-political barriers to accessing urban commons.

The artistic research involves a mix of scientific data collection and community art engagement, and the project will emphasise the importance of both ecological preservation and equitable access. Artistic collaborators, including students, field assistants, and artist Richa Kedia, will collect vegetation data across multiple parks in Bangalore and transform these insights into digital botanical art. The citizen surveys, accompanied by artistic contributions from the public, will highlight personal experiences of Bangalore’s green spaces. This community-centric approach is intended to foster awareness about the environmental and social importance of native vegetation. The project will not only showcase the diversity of plants but also provide an artistic platform for citizens to share their perspectives on access and inclusivity.

The fieldwork will involve creating a digital, open-access database on local vegetation to serve as an ongoing resource for citizens, urban planners, and researchers. Interviews will be conducted to capture narratives from individuals connected to these spaces, such as security guards, park visitors, and urban planners, to document how they visualise and experience these parks in Bangalore. This survey will also invite participants to sketch their perception of the parks, emphasising their connection with nature. These sketches will inform a larger art piece, collaboratively developed by volunteers and the artist, reflecting community ownership and shared environmental responsibility.

The culmination of the project will be a public exhibition hosted in a central location, such as Cubbon Park or the Metro Art Gallery. This exhibition will feature a collage of citizen sketches and a large-scale collaborative painting. By engaging children, parents, educators, and local communities, the project aims to promote dialogue on biodiversity and public access to green spaces in Bangalore. In the final phase, a manuscript documenting the vegetation survey and a popular media article will be produced to disseminate the findings. This initiative aims to spark conversations about the need for inclusive urban spaces and the ecological value of native plants in Bangalore’s ever-changing urban landscape. 

The outcomes of the project will be a community art project, a survey-based database of vegetation from select parks in Bangalore, in the form of a manuscript, a website, and an exhibition. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be the manuscript, an offline version of the website, and the audio-visual and photographic documentation of the exhibition.

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Project 560 programme in the manner in which it attempts to bridge ecological research and participatory urban arts, fostering public participation through collaborative art, and addressing socio-political barriers to park access, ultimately promoting biodiversity conservation and inclusivity in the urban landscape of Bangalore. 

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.

This project is made possible with support from BNP Paribas India Foundation.