Pune: Vibrant science events for citizens and community-driven nature engagement will mark Sept as the Big Butterfly Month.Enthusiasts will participate in guided butterfly walks across local ecosystems like Vetal tekdi, Sinhagad valley and Saswad taluka. They will observe and document the diverse array of species — from Common Pierrot and Lemon Pansy to Blue Mormon and Peacock Pansy.Aundh resident Manisha Kamdar said, “Sept and Oct are the best months for butterfly sightings. We are excited to participate in the different activities planned for the month. We took part in some activities last year at the same time.”Volunteers will also conduct educational initiatives and programmes like butterfly monitoring activities, morning walks and web seminars — where enthusiasts from all over the country can participate.Amol Nargolkar runs Sipna Farms which is a 21-acre private sanctuary located 22 km from Pune. He told TOI: “A few butterfly walks will be conducted at the farm next month. Sightings are better late afternoon these days because of rain in the mornings. We will also cultivate some host plants to attract more butterflies to the farm.”Environmentalist Rajat Joshi said observations of butterflies will pick up in the second half of Sept because of the ongoing monsoon. “We plan to conduct educational and outreach activities as well as workshops for enthusiasts. There are activities planned in schools and colleges too. Areas like Tamhini ghat, ARAI hills and Saswad are good places to sight butterflies,” he added.Shalini Gulati of Kondhwa plans to participate in butterfly photography workshops next month. “I have bought a special lens to capture its minute movements. I will attend the workshops with a group of photographer friends,” she said.Sachin Rane, founder of Naturalist Foundation and Naturalist Explorers, said they will conduct workshops to make butterfly gardens and trails, and even a butterfly race. The butterfly race will cover Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar and Raigad district. “Participants will have to photograph various stages of a butterfly life cycle and submit observations as part of the competition,” said Rane.Dr Ankur Patwardhan, head of research at RANWA — a Pune-based NGO active in biodiversity assessment, conservation and environmental awareness — said they will monitor flowers visited by butterflies over the next month. “We will also assess the male to female ratio of butterflies in their natural habitat. We have recorded 125 species of butterflies in Pune urban areas,” he added.
