Your quick guide to eco-events this week in Bengaluru

Sessions on rivers, forests, climate anxiety and civic innovation are lined up

Nature in Kuvempu’s world

The week-long Environment Day series has already begun at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC), Domlur. On June 4, ‘The Living Cauvery’ will open with a skit on Bengaluru’s water challenges, followed by a talk by conservation biologist Naren Sreenivasan on the Cauvery, which is home to wildlife such as the critically endangered humpback mahseer.

On June 5, the ‘Planting Forests in Small Spaces’ session will highlight
the growing movement to restore microforests using the Miyawaki method, and create green walls in industrial spaces. On June 6, ‘Conservation and Conflict’ will focus on human-wildlife conflict in agricultural settings, drawing from Susheel Gyanchand’s book ‘Rogues: Elephants, Maneaters and Poachers, 1973-2023’.

The series will conclude on June 7 with a full-day programme featuring an environment quiz open to all ages, a children’s session on the origins of food, a talk on foraging, and a nature walk to observe urban wildlife. Kuvempu’s literary works, which explore nature as a force shaping human life, will also be discussed.

Visit bangaloreinternationalcentre.org for details.

Cultural change

Innovation for a sustainable future is the aim of the Bengaluru Climate Summit, scheduled for June 4 and 5 at the CMRIT campus in Whitefield. Solutions for water security, renewable energy, waste management, sustainable mobility and related areas will be the focus of exhibitions and roundtable discussions.

Top performers of the ‘#AI4BetterBLR’ hackathon will demonstrate AI-driven tools and dashboards they have developed to make Bengaluru more walkable, resolve its garbage issues, and improve civic grievance reporting.

‘Art for Climate’ will invite visitors to reflect on pressing issues such as water scarcity and biodiversity loss through artistic expression. As a closing event, ‘Culture for Climate’ will ask whether art can inspire citizens to take meaningful climate action.

Entry free. Register on bengaluruclimatesummit.com

Coping with
climate anxiety

Mental health professional Mani will host a ‘Climate Anxiety & Art’ workshop on June 6, 6.30 pm, at Atta Galatta, Indiranagar. Through self-reflection and art, the session will help participants explore the emotional impact of climate change, including helplessness, grief, guilt and fear, linked to Bengaluru’s changing environment. It aims to build resilience in uncertain times.

For tickets and details, visit @attagalatta on Instagram.

Lessons from Luni

BLR Design Centre, Church Street, will host a talk on June 5, followed by a workshop on June 6. The talk, ‘Stories From a Desert River’, will explore the history, shifting course and evolution of Rajasthan’s Luni river. Saurav Vaishnav, one of the speakers, will discuss the river’s cultural and social significance, touching on subjects such as migration, caste dynamics and gender roles. The ‘Dialogic Method Workshop’ is designed for practitioners in the social and development sectors. It will help them turn insights gathered at the grassroots level into research data.

Entry free. For details, visit blrdesigncentre.com

Exploring forests

A nature walk at Dorensanipalya, a reserve forest within the Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute campus in J P Nagar, is scheduled for June 7 at 8 am. The two-hour walk will introduce participants to local trees, birds and insects, as well as the history of the forest and its soil ecology. Anjali Lakra, organiser of Sustainable Sundays, which is behind the walk, says, “Unless people connect with nature, they won’t protect it.”

Entry free. To register, visit @sustainable_sundays_blr on Instagram.