Field trips
The following field trips have been planned in conjunction with the Biology of Butterflies 2018 Bangalore conference:
PRE-CONFERENCE FIELD TRIP TO CAMP GEE DEE (10 June 2018): A good opportunity to catch up with old friends and colleagues and interact with local butterfly watchers and experts while observing some endemic butterflies in a beautiful hilly scrub forest. We will leave early in the morning for this field trip and return by early afternoon, well in time for a late lunch and the evening pre-conference social. The field trip fee is € 40 / $ 50 / ₹ 3,000, which includes local transportation, packaged meal and bottled water. It can be paid during registration. Programme of the field trip: Meet at NCBS main gate at 6:45-7am. A bus will take us to the field, with breakfast on the way. We will be on the nature trail approx. from 9am to 12:30pm. We will have lunch on the way, reaching NCBS around 3pm. It will be possible to drop off some people staying at conference hotels on the way to NCBS. The evening social will be at NCBS from 5:30 to 8pm. You can register during the social to avoid the crowds on the 11th morning. Note that only those people who have pre-registered for the field trip will be able to join. We are at full capacity for the field trip.
POST-CONFERENCE TRAINING WORKSHOP (19-21 June 2018, three days and two nights): A training workshop on butterfly biology will be held at Honey Valley Homestay, Kodagu (=Coorg), Karnataka. The workshop is meant for students and other young scientists interested in or working on butterflies. Butterflies are an exciting model system for a wide array of research problems in ecology and evolution. The workshop aims to introduce participants to the kinds of ecological and evolutionary questions that can be asked in butterflies, and the approaches that can be used for these kinds of studies especially in tropical forests and in the Oriental context. The workshop will be limited to 40 students. BOB participants and their families can join for field work and to watch butterflies in the famed Western Ghats, whether they want to participate in the training workshop or not. See further details on the workshop page.
POST-CONFERENCE FIELD TRIPS (16-18 June 2018, three days and two nights): These field trips should be especially attractive for family vacations. These are independently offered trips by outside companies, the BOB organisers and host institutions are not responsible for them. Reservations and payments should be made separately by contacting the companies offering the trips. Three field trip options are on offer:
1. Kabini River Lodge: Spend one or two days at the backwaters of Kabini, where you have a chance at encountering wild elephants, gaurs, leopards, tigers and Asiatic wild dogs, among other fascinating mammals and birds in the Nagarhole National Park, and visit temples and palaces in the historic, beautiful little town of Mysore on the way. Read more ...
2. Hampi-Daroji Wildlife Sanctuary: Visit Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of the poignant ruins of the historial Vijayanagara Empire, along with Daroji Wildlife Sanctuary, home of the sloth bear, saw-scaled viper, and a fascinating diversity of endemic and charismatic birds such as the Indian peafowl and yellow-throated bulbul. Read more ...
3. Karwar-Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary: Look for birdwings, tree nymphs, atlas moths, hornbills, trogons, flycatchers and other rich Lepidoptera and bird fauna in the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. This may also be an excellent opportunity to see an incredible endemic amphibian fauna of the Western Ghats. Visit the temples, forts and other historic sites along a charming coastline of northern Karnataka on the way. Read more ...
The above three trip options are offered by Jungle Lodges at discounted prices, and 25 rooms (10 rooms each at Kabini and Hampi, and five rooms at Old Magazine House) have been reserved for the BOB attendees at these wildlife resorts from June 16-18 (3 nights). These exclusive reserved rooms will be held until 10 March to give time for the delegates to plan and book their tours to these places. The unsold inventory will be released after 10 March, beyond which time you can still reserve rooms if they are available. Room reservations should be made directly with Jungle Lodges by contacting Ms. Shoba (email). Please mention in your email that you are attending the BOB conference to get the special discount (15% for the BOB delegates and accompanying persons). Ms. Shobha can suggest possible travel agents if required and the guests can get in touch with them directly for their travel arrangements.