Editor’s Note

We’ve had a long pause between this issue and our previous one which has given us time to ask ourselves – do the stories we tell here in the post-pandemic world dilute in relevance? Considering how the SARS-COV2 virus spread, a critical examination of our interaction with and in the natural world has never been more crucial. To support this, we have Romulus Whitaker returning to tell us stories about his dextrous Irula friends, highlighting once again, the immeasurable value of communities most vulnerable to global health emergencies. Melissa Marselle and Agathe Colléony bring us a summary of their research in bees and behavioural science. To shoo away our lockdown blues, Priya Ranganathan and Dincy Mariyam carry us to the avian paradise, Ranganathittu. Abhijit Dey takes us down a thrilling afternoon tale of langur adventures in the Himalayas while Amiya Hisham makes a case for co-existing with slimy slugs under our sinks. The Kartel Shockington column returns with trademark cheek and reflections on planthood. We’d also like to introduce a Special Section in this issue dedicated to freshwater conservation. We had the honour of having Ferenc Jordán, the Director of the Balaton Limnological Institute in Tihany, Hungary, curate and edit this section.

-Shruti Sunderraman