Qualifications:

• Bachelors in Zoology, Madras Christian College, Chennai, 2022
• Masters in Environmental Studies in Conservation Practice, ATREE, Bengaluru, 2024

Email: ayiswarya@dakshin.org

Profile: Ayiswarya is an early-career conservation practitioner and a nature lover at heart, who enjoys exploring and understanding the intricate relationships and behaviors in nature as they evolve over time.

During her Master’s at ATREE, she explored the importance of interdisciplinarity in conservation and developed a strong interest in working at the interface of ecology and sociology. Her interests continue to evolve through the experiences she gathers.

She briefly worked on plant-gall parasitoid interactions, which aligned with her interest in animal behaviour. Over time, she became particularly interested in working with communities – understanding their traditional knowledge systems and practices, and exploring how these can be integrated across disciplines to address broader conservation challenges.

For her Master’s thesis, she collaborated with Dakshin to explore the potential for co-management in Blue Swimming Crab fisheries in Palk Bay. Passionate about continuing in this field, she has now joined Dakshin’s Sustainable Fisheries Programme.

Publications: 

Ranjith, A. P., Ayiswarya, S. V., Niveditha, B., & Priyadarsanan, D. R. (2023). A new species of Aphanogmus Thomson (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronidae) parasitising predatory cecidomyiids in mite-induced galls of Pongamia pinnata in India. Journal of Natural History, 57(41–44), 1963–1971.