India, July 20 -- The National Zoological Park (NZP) on Sunday launched its 'Sunday Spider and Insect Walk at NZP', a citizen science initiative aimed at encouraging public participation in documenting biodiversity and creating awareness about the ecological importance of spiders and insects. The inaugural walk, held from 7 to 10 am, drew 30 participants, including nature enthusiasts, students, wildlife photographers and biodiversity researchers, a statement said. The programme was led by naturalist and wildlife photographer Ashir Kumar, along with volunteers and zoo officials, it stated. During the walk, participants documented seven spider species and eight insect species, recording observations of more than 1,000 individual spiders and insects across the zoo campus, it said.
The activity also introduced participants to scientific methods of species identification and biodiversity documentation. Among the spider species recorded were the Twin-tailed Spider, Thin-Legged Wolf Spider, Heavy-Bodied Jumper, Two-Striped Jumper, Spotted Orb-Weaver, Pantropical Jumping Spider and Banded Phintella. Insects documented included the Stink Bug, Paper Wasp, Carpenter Bee, Hover Fly, Ladybird Beetle and Ghost Ant. Addressing participants, Kumar explained the ecological role of spiders and insects as natural pest controllers, pollinators and decomposers, while highlighting their contribution to maintaining healthy ecosystems. He also encouraged participants to contribute to biodiversity conservation through citizen science. The programme concluded with an interactive discussion, a feedback session and a group photograph. Zoo officials said the initiative aims to build environmental awareness while generating valuable biodiversity records through community participation. On the same day, the zoo also organised the sixth edition of its 'Sunday Bird Walk at NZP', during which participants recorded 46 bird species. Officials said participation in each Sunday walk is restricted to 20-25 people to ensure a better learning experience, it read.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.