Hareesha AS
Citizen Science Coordinator
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RESEARCH INTERESTS: I'm Hareesha A S, currently working as a Citizen Science Coordinator at IISER Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. My deep curiosity lies in understanding how birds, butterflies, and moths interact with plant communities. Nature has always been my passion, and I find great joy in bridging scientific knowledge with public engagement, helping communities connect more deeply with the natural world. The people I meet and work with constantly give me hope and inspiration. My love for nature has led me to spend over 110 days on solo bird surveys across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. I'm proud to say I'm the only person who has visited every district in these states for birdwatching! Solo travel and fieldwork fuel me, and I have my fair share of quirks—like a persistent struggle to remember names (yes, I’ve spent entire days with someone and still not known their name!). But I see it all as part of my journey, one filled with wonder, laughter, and a deep drive to keep learning and connecting people with nature. I am a YouCan Fellow 2024, part of the 4th cohort of the Youth Conservation Action Network. This fellowship has been instrumental in deepening my understanding of nature education and in connecting with a network of passionate educators and conservation practitioners from across India. I was also a core member in establishing the GKVK Nature Club at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. This initiative was born out of our shared passion for biodiversity and environmental stewardship. Today, the GKVK campus stands as one of the most extensively explored biodiversity hotspots in India, with over 25,000 bird checklists submitted. Projects involved: Citizen Science, Jerdon's Courser, Biogeography, Agro-ecology Personal and other interests I have also written Kannada literary articles such as "ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಕ್ಷರ ಮಾಲೆಯ ರಾಜ ರಾಣಿಯರು ಯಾರು?" published in Kannada Sahitya Parishat Patrike (2022), and "ಇಂದು ಬಿ.ಇ. ಹಾಗೂ ವೈದ್ಯಕೀಯ ಪದವಿದರರ ಕಾಲವೇ?" published in Sudha (2023). As a translator, I have translated the Telugu novel “Passion” by Aravind Joshuva into Kannada language, soon to be published by Bahurupi publishers. In addition, I have authored media articles including a Telugu piece on the Chatak bird for Sakshi and a Kannada science article published in Vijayavani. Since 2018, I have been actively blogging about science and reviewing books on hareeshaas.wordpress.com, while regularly contributing to Kannada and Telugu magazines like Kaanana, Sudha, Sakshi, and Karnataka Vijnana Parishat. PERSONAL AND OTHER INTERESTS:
My interests are wide-ranging and rooted in curiosity and creativity. I enjoy reading and writing poetry, stories, and novels in Kannada, Telugu, and English. I'm an active eBirder and love collecting feathers and dead insects. My nature-related hobbies include photography, video editing, and trekking. I also indulge in drawing, painting, and experimenting in the kitchen! especially with coffee and non-vegetarian dishes. Volunteering for biodiversity surveys and science outreach is close to my heart, as is exploring geologically significant places. I’m particularly fascinated by the intersections of science, literature, and history. On the adventurous side, I enjoy hiking and riding my X-Pulse bike to explore the world around me. 
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PUBLICATIONS:
- Ganeshaiah, K.N., Hareesha, A.S., Vasudeva, R., Radha, M.R, and Uma, Shaanker, R., 2025, Kin selection in seeds and sporophytes: Testing the role of inclusive fitness in seed development, dormancy and Sporophyte interactions. (In review Current Science)
- Ganeshaiah, K.N., Hareesha, A.S., & Punyakoti, G.V. (2025). "When did ‘Kannada’ script evolve?: Tracing the time of evolution of Bramhi lipi into the present Kannada script using image analysis" (in review Language and History).
- • Hareesha, A. S., Praveen, L, Bennur., Fasiha., Bhavishya, C. M., Ananya, Deshkar., Bhargava, C.N. et al., 2024, Citizen Science collective bird watching: Avian fauna of GKVK campus. Journal of Farm Science (in press).
- • Belavadi, V.V., Hareesha, A.S., Tharini, K.B. (2024). Pollination and Pollinators of Spice Crops. In: Ravindran, P.N., Sivaraman, K., Devasahayam, S., Babu, K.N. (eds) Handbook of Spices in India: 75 Years of Research and Development. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3728-6_13
- • Hareesha, A.S. Belavadi V.V. and Tharini, K.B. 2021, Pollination Biology of Sandalwood. Springer. Indian Sandalwood (pp.213-227).
- • Hareesha, A. S. and Nagarajaiah, C., 2020, Spatial and temporal variation in flowering phenology patterns of Ficus benghalensis and Ficus religiosa, Mysore journal of Agricultural Sciences.
- • Seethapathy, G. S., Santhosh Kumar, J. U., and Hareesha, A. S., India’s scientific publication in predatory journals: need for regulating quality of Indian science and education. Current Science, 2016, 111 (11), 1759-1764.
