Naturalist Archives - Ghoomophiro

Do what you love doing by your heart – Sachin Sharma

Team Ghoomophiro was lucky to get some time to chat with Sachin Sharma, Senior Naturalist at Singinawa Jungle Lodge, Kanha. Sharing some excerpts from his exciting journey.

Ghoomophiro: Plz let our readers know about you?

SS: I am Sachin Sharma, working as a Senior Naturalist at Singinawa Jungle Lodge. I am from Jodhpur (Rajasthan) where I had done my studies (B.Com and MBA in Finance) and also have started working as an Operations Assistant. After working for almost 8 years, I decided to join the Hospitality industry and worked as an Executive Operation in a Company where we would provide Audio Guide to the tourist visiting the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur. This was the place where I came to know about the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park and this was the place where I had started my career as a Naturalist.
Ghoomiphiro : Why did you choose to be a naturalist?

SS: Since my childhood, I used to get fascinated by naturalists working in the National Geographic and Discovery Channels and would think that interesting work these guys do. This is what made me have a dream to become a Naturalist.

Ghoomiphiro: Who is your inspiration?

SS: Truly speaking, nobody was aware of being a Naturalist. Jodhpur didn’t have much awareness about the Naturalist profile. So all the Naturalist on the TV were my inspiration.
Ghoomiphiro: Did you face pushback from your family on choosing this out of box profession?

SS: Yes. As I had done my studies in Finance sector, everyone at home thought that I should be in this field. All family members, friends, everyone opposed this and they thought that there is no such thing (Naturalist). But slowly when they saw reviews about me posted on Facebook, TripAdvisor, etc. they realized that I am doing something and now they are happy that I had chosen being a Naturalist.

Ghoomiphiro: What are the most common challenges you thing every naturalist’s face?

SS: There is no particular course for being a Naturalist or else it’s very much restricted to some particular regions of the country only. Most of the Naturalist which you will meet are either MBA, BE, MSc. or something else.
Ghoomiphiro: How does your regular day look like?

SS: For most of the people working as a Naturalist, our working months are from October to June, as this is the time when most of the National Parks are opened. So during this period our morning starts at around 4-4.30, as we have to get up early for the morning drives which last from 3-5 hours. Then we get a break for around 1-2 hours where we have to freshen up, have lunch and again get ready for the afternoon safaris which lasts for around 3 hours and then we are back to the lodge. After this, we sit with the guest for some chitchat about the jungles and also discussion about the next day morning.
This a normal schedule of a Naturalist. Apart from this when we don’t have safaris, we would be busy with writing Blogs, taking Pictures, reading or doing some official work. When we are off to home after 9 months, we would plan for some excursion to other areas to explore the wildlife in different parts of the country/world.

Ghoomiphiro: Share 1-2 most memorable experiences during this journey?

SS: That’s a tough question, as being in the Natural World is always memorable and every moment will give you something or the other experience. But to share with you here, before entering in the World of Natural History, I was extremely scared of Lizards and would run away from those areas, as I thought that it would bite me and I will die. 🙂 But after coming to this field, I now am 100% comfortable with most of the things.
Apart from this, there have been some close encounters with the Natural World where it could be a Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dogs, Deer, Birds, Snakes, Spider, etc.
Ghoomiphiro: Any piece of advice to the ghoomophiro readers who are interested in pursuing Naturalist as career :

SS: Friends, if you want to be a Naturalist, there are nowadays some Organizations that are providing training for being a Naturalist. This is a very big help. Apart from this, being a Naturalist is 100% dependent on your interest in working in the Natural World. If you are not interested in this, after a few times it will become a burden and you will turn into a totally different thing. And also keep yourselves involved in the Natural World reads, videos, etc, which would help you develop your interest in this field.

Apart from this, one very important thing is that “Do what you love doing by your heart, which will give you 100% satisfaction”. Till that be happy and be safe.

Naturalist- The New Scope to your Travel Career

Looking for some career options in travel industry? The first thing that may strike you will be a travel agent or an approved tour guide. To your surprise a lot of unconventional choices are becoming popular nowadays. One of them is a naturalist.

Read further to know more about it
Who is a Naturalist?
It is a stream of those people who share a common interest in nature and understand the world of plants, birds and animals and their interdependence. They travel to a region of rich flora and fauna, for example, National Parks or Sunderbans, study about them and introduce the naive to this world.

What do they do?
Though the core job of a naturalist may remain same, with experience and tenure their role keeps changing. Some of them are:

Taking students and tourists on nature trails.
Teaching others about the environment- its importance and steps how to protect it through seminars, discussions, and workshops.
Provide consulting services to government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Studying and teaching about the climate change and weather patterns.
They take up projects that aim at protecting and preserving geographical areas such as forests, parks, rivers, and wetlands.

What are the Skills required to be a Naturalist?
There are a certain set of skills that are required to be a Naturalist. Some of the most important ones are:

Passion towards nature.
Ability to work long hours and stay in isolated locations.
A multilingual- especially if you know the local language.
A keen observant.
Some of the added advantage goes to those who know driving, storytelling, writing & photography.
Physically fit and active to explore the jungle.
Flexible to work with people from around the world.

How much do they earn?
The starting salary of a naturalist may vary between Rs 20,000 – 25,000, excluding accommodation and food. As compared to the corporate world, the growth and perks here are much less, but still, people opt for it. It is because not money but passion drives people towards this career. Aiming a life towards the betterment of environment and mankind is not a cup of tea for everyone. Those who do something exceptional or go out of their league in their field are accorded with TOFT Awards, as the Naturalist of the year.

Where all can they work?
A lot of resorts and lodges in jungles have their well-experienced team of naturalists. Wildlife agencies like WWF hire nature specialists on their different projects. Apart from that you can work with National Parks, forest departments and be a nature entrepreneur.

After a few years of learning and experience, you can even set up your own NGO and start training those who are new to this field.

Educational Requirements and Courses in India
To be a naturalist, one must pursue bachelor or master’s degree in any of the following field- environmental science, forestry, botany, outdoor recreation or similar fields. You can even opt for subjects like ornithology, plant taxonomy, and urban planning.
There is no specific course as a Naturalist, but some of the ones that can be beneficial are

Bombay Natural History Society
Nature Conservation Foundation
Nature Foundation India
Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History

So if you feel that nature inspires you, and travel is all that you aspire then this is something you can go for.