Who Can Apply?

This course is designed for anyone interested in learning how to connect with nature—ecologically, physically, and geographically—through the framework of Bioregionalism. Participants interested in place-based learning will explore the Sundarbans as a living bioregion—a globally significant mangrove delta facing rapid ecological change. Shaped by tides, sediment flows, livelihoods, and climate uncertainty, the region offers critical insights into how ecological systems, human communities, and governance intersect, making it an ideal landscape for understanding bioregional thinking in practice.

What You Will Learn

• Understand the Sundarbans as a unique bioregion, integrating its ecology, culture, and human communities.

• Explore the evolution and dynamics of the delta, and its ecological and social significance.
• Examine the future of ecological governance through an interdisciplinary lens, including Rights of Nature approaches to climate, biodiversity, and sustainability.

Who will you learn with?

1. ATREE: Eapsa Berry
   Fellow-in-Residence, ATREE; a botanist and evolutionary biologist working on plant diversity, ecological relationships, and phylogenetic thinking.
2. ATREE: Pallavi Varma Patil
   Lead, Collaborations and Partnerships, ATREE; works on community focused alternatives to development and its place-based , bioregional environment education.
3. Botanical Survey of India, Central National Herbarium, Howrah : K. Karthigeyan:
   Noted expert in plant taxonomy, floristic studies, and mangrove ecosystem. (Guest Lecture)
4. DRCSC: Surjakanta Das and Souvik Kumar
   Environmental practitioners engaged with community led mangrove restoration programmes in Sundarban and West Bengal.
5. Jadavpur University: Tuhin Ghosh (Inaugural Lecture) 
   Professor and Director of the School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University. Lead Author of IPCC Special Report on Ocean and Cryosphere Chapter 4: Sea Level Rise and Implications for Low Lying Islands, Coasts and Communities.
6. Jadavpur University: Spriha Roy
   Interdisciplinary environmental researcher of bioregional thinking, climate change ethics, human migration, and sustainability. 
7. Kazi Nazrul University, Sujay Bandyopadhyay
   Geomorphologist studying river dynamics, landscape evolution, and the formation of deltaic regions.
8. Independent : Atindriya Chakrabarty 
   Lawyer and legal aid worker working with the small-scale fishers and human-wildlife conflict  (HWC)-impacted families in the Indian Sundarbans. 

Day wise schedule (Tentative)

Day 1 – Foundations of Bioregional Thinking
Introduction to Bioregional thinking.  Exploring the concept of a bioregion from oceanographic, geomorphological, and bioresource perspectives, with interactive discussions, case studies, and ending with storytelling of local legends using theatre.

Day 2 – Immersive Field Experience
Full-day guided exploration of the Sundarbans, connecting theory to practice. Participants engage directly with local communities, restoration sites, and ecosystems, followed by reflective discussions and interactive learning sessions.

Day 3 – Governance, Conservation & Reflection
Focus on bioregional governance, conservation policies, and community livelihoods. Lectures, case studies, films, and group activities explore regenerative futures, and conservation practices related to but not limited to the Sundarbans bioregion. The course concludes with reflection and feedback sessions

*Reading list will be shared with all registered course participants