Articles by Malaika Mathew Chawla

Mumbai resident Malaika Mathew Chawla is a field biologist, currently working in Surendranagar, Gujarat. She is interested in the conservation of grassland and coastal commons.

Do you remember the last time you took a closer look at your neighbourhood? During the last weekend of April, I strolled through my neighbourhood in Mumbai, my eyes attuned to the subtlest motions of nature - a butterfly fluttering in the distance, and birds and bats foraging on love apples in a roadside tree. A sea of golden-yellow copper pod blooms filled some roads while others, seemingly bare, had fig trees sprouting through concrete walls. I particularly made it a point to visit parts of Mumbai’s coastline, each of which was bustling with intertidal activity. As I peered eagerly…

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