14 August,2021 08:06 AM IST | Mumbai | Gayathri Chandran
The Salticidae jumping spider. Pic/Atul Vartak
Over a phone call, from his base in Washington DC, researcher and PhD candidate Siddharth Kulkarni explains why spiders must not be feared, but understood. "Fear of spiders is a great incentive to photograph them, at least that way you can make a catalogue of things you don't like. Many people don't like spiders, but without them, insects would have taken over the world and endangered human life," he says.
Kulkarni is the coordinator of Spider India, a citizen science community created in 2005, that is now hosting the second edition of Spider Week along with India Biodiversity Portal, calling enthusiasts and sceptics alike to join a week-long observation activity. In this timeframe, keen participants are invited to send in or upload photographs of spiders they've spotted, as a way to raise awareness and understanding about the different species. "The main idea is to observe. The basic act of taking photographs will initiate these discussions. This is done to map the biodiversity of spiders in the country and bridge the gap between researchers and common people," he states.
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