Atithi, tum kab jaoge?

Not all guests are welcome especially those who overstay their welcome Perhaps the same can be said about plantsA recent illustration series by scientist and natural history artist Ravi Jambhekar commissioned by Biodiversity Collaborative a Bengalurubased network that promotes biodiversity research and conservation puts the spotlight on some of invasive plants that have made India their home Among them is the now popular Lantana Camara aptly called ghaneri in Marathi A dense plant which grows to six feet and spreads up to eight feet it has beautiful pink and yellow tiny floors that is often seen in balconies lining highways and even at tourist destinations like Matheran and PanchganiA collage of leaves from the Western Ghats Jambhekar began his journey as an illustrator by painting leaves in his free hours during his PhD field workldquoComing to India from Central and South America for ornamental purposes the Lantana has managed to escape and find its way everywhere whether farmlands or forestsrdquo says Jambhekar adding ldquoPlants compete for light and water and because this species grows densely it doesnrsquot allow light to reach other smaller plants that grow beneath It also releases a chemical which is allelopathic in nature and thus suppresses the growth of surrounding species affecting insects that feed on themrdquoJambhekar a resident of Vile Parle has long been interested in flora and fauna But it was during his PhD research that he ended up spending time in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra and Goa studying butterflies and their behaviour Itrsquos here that he took to illustrating ldquoOnce it would get dark there wasnrsquot much work to do and there was barely any mobile network so I thought why not use the time to make illustrations Every day I would bring a leaf from the field and sketch itrdquo says Jambhekar 33 an alumna of Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru As he started to share his sketches on social media he began to get noticed by scientists and researchers who started reaching out to him for work ldquoThese were mainly sciencebacked illustrations for social science outreach projects in the space of environment and ecologyrdquoJhambekarrsquos sketch discusses the Lantana Camara a dense plant thatrsquos found in gardens along highways and across Indiarsquos hill stations It came to India from Central and South America Pics courtesyBiodiversity CollaborativeAmong these projects is the ongoing series which features 26 invasive plants including Prosopis Juliflora known popularly as junglee kikar or vilayati babul Parthenium Hysterophorus Congress grass and Pontederia Crassipes water hyacinthwhich sports beautiful purple flowers ldquoAn aquatic plant native to South America Pontederia is seen everywhere around rivers lakes and ponds and is not limited to any one region of India The problem with this plant is that it makes fishing difficult entangling the net Besides it also blocks water canals and is a breeding ground for mosquitoesrdquo Jhambekar explains about the freshwater weed The Parthenium which is believed to have arrived in India alongside wheat from America during the 1950s can affect crop germination ldquoWhile contact with the plant can cause allergies its pollen causes respiratory diseases Moreover it takes over grasslands leading to the loss of the fodder for cattlerdquoParthenium Hysterophorus popularly known as Congress grass takes over grasslands leading to loss of fodder for cattleJhambekarrsquos last project was for Delhibased nonprofit ICLEI South Asia which works towards sustainable urban development For them he illustrated 10 common native Indian trees and their cultural and ecological significance ldquoThe leaves of the golden shower tree are used in Kerala during the festival of Vishu the cluster fig tree has antidiabetic and antiinflammatory properties the jackfruit is an important nesting tree for heronry birds among othersrdquo he shares Jambhekar has also created illustrations for wildlife scientist Panchapakesan Jeganathanrsquos Birds That Sing Their Name an ebook for children that looks at how ornithologists name birdsFlame of the forest or the Palash tree is found commonly in dry deciduous forests in India Parakeets mynas drongos and bulbuls are known to feed on the nectar of the radiant flowers The bark and seeds are considered sacred to Hinduism and Buddhism and used in traditional medicine Pic CourtesyICLEIldquoI always wanted to use art and science together to help create awareness The research work that we do includes a lot of statistics graphs and analyses which people at large even government bodies find difficult to comprehend But the awareness about the biodiversity that thrives in our own backyard is easier with pictures documentaries and illustrationsrdquo observes Jambhekar What started as outreach at a personal level the sketching has now become a parallel professionHowever finding a job that allows him to do both is still a challenge ldquoI like bothmdashresearching in the field doing statistical analysis and creating illustrationsmdashbut they both demand time and attention I worked on these projects including the one on native trees during the pandemic when I took a gap year My goal is to straddle both but outreach art in India is in a nascent stage we have only a few botanical artists Currently I make illustrations over the weekendrdquo concludes Jambhekar who took a fulltime position at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements earlier this year where he is studying how urbanisation is affecting the bird population of Bengaluru Perhaps its findings will be fodder for another lot of eye catching art