PECHAKUCHA GOA VOL.41 CELEBRATING MHADEI NORTH GOA EDITION
1. CHANDRAKANT SHINDER – Teacher
Chandrakant Shinde is currently serving as a Teacher at Shree Damodar Higher secondary school of Science Margao. He served as Officer on Special Duty to Hon’ble Dy Chief Minister of Goa from 2019 to 2022.
He is the president of the Vivekanand Environment Awareness Brigade (VEAB) based in Sattari.
Mr Shinde holds a Master of Arts in Geography from the University of Mumbai.
He started his teaching career at Mumbai University for one year before joining as a Research Assistant at UNICEF- Mumbai.
So far, Mr Shinde has presented 1 Research paper at International Conference & 6 Research papers at National Conference. He also holds one Publication in an International Journal.
He was introduced to the Environment at the young age of 19 by Shri. Rajendra Kerkar. Since then, he has been actively involved in Environment Conservation initiatives.
He was a part of the National Tiger census in the year 2010. He has rescued and released over 1000 wild animals like snakes, leopards, crocodiles, Deer, Etc.
Mr Shinde has delivered over 400 talks and presentations in schools, colleges and other forums on various topics like Damming and Diversion of Mhadei, Forest, Man & Wildlife, Snake Bites and First aid measures, Biodiversity of Goa, Engaging youths in Conservation science, etc. to create awareness about the same.
As a president of VEAB and a member of Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan, he joined the Save Mhadei movement in 2004; since then, he has been constantly involved in the initiatives to save Mhadei from diversion.
Recently his NGO’s work towards environmental protection has been recognised by the state “Paryavaran Rakshak Puraskar”.
2. DHRUV GOSWAMI – Maker, Social Entrepreneur, Strategist for Sustainable Businesses, and Co-founder of Earthivist Collective
Dhruv started his journey in the enchanted forests of Northeast India for research and conservation. He continued visiting the remote hills in the region to further his understanding of the indigenous tribes living with nature.
Though his career meandered through different bends – as a social entrepreneur and a strategist for sustainable businesses – the freedom of the forests informed his work all along.
As an artist and a maker, too, he explores the deep interconnectedness in nature, and his recent exhibition called the ‘Tree of Life’ is only natural.
Here in Goa, he is committed to fighting for environmental issues, for the freedom of the mangroves and the flowing waters of the Mhadei.
3. ELSA FERNANDE – Architect
Works as Lecturer at Government Polytechnic Panaji, Goa. Holds a Master’s in Environmental Architecture and a Law Degree. Founder President of the Khazan Society of Goa. Member of Santa Cruz Biodiversity Committee. State Resource person empanelled by NIRD and GIPARD. Awarded by the Goa State Biodiversity Board for her efforts on Khazan conservations. An Environmentalist is evolving with Goa and its need for the climate crisis. Being the daughter of Goan Khazan farmers owes her achievements to Khazan heritage Eco-systems as the geo-morphology of its land and flow of fresh, estuarine and saline waters make Goa unique and blessed. Loves music and challenges.
4. GAUTAM / PUSHPANJALI – Artists / Educators
Gautam Nima is a Multidisciplinary Artist and an Educator with an M.F.A. degree in Dance from Hollins University, U.S.A.
He is a faculty at IIT Goa, where he teaches ‘Life Art Expressions’ a course on Self-Awareness, Creativity and Authentic Expression.
He teaches Dance to young children of Goa and serves in a Kindergarten school as a Creative Director.
Pushpanjali Sharma is a Multidisciplinary Artist, and a Wellbeing Educator who has studied arts as a healing and self-knowing practice. She acquired her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in Embodied Studies, from Lesley University, Cambridge, U.S.A.
She is a yogini who honors the sacred feminine, and a practitioner of eastern spiritual wisdom traditions.
She is the Wellbeing Educator at IIT, Goa where she is training students in self-knowing, self-love and self-care practices towards Transformative Embodied Leadership.
She also serves in a kindergarten school as a Creative Director.
5. HETA PAMDIT – Writer & Independent Researcher
Heta Pandit’s first “real job” was with famed ethologist Dr Jane Goodall on a chimpanzee research station in Tanzania, East Africa. On her return to India in 1983, Heta volunteered
with the Bombay Environmental Action Group and initiated several heritage preservation projects through the Indian Heritage Society, Bombay Chapter. Traumatised by the riots in 1993 in her beloved Bombay, she left the city for Munnar at first, and then Goa put all her energies into preserving Goan houses. Heta is a Homi Bhabha Fellow and a founder member of the Goa Heritage Action Group. She is working on Stories from Goan Houses and a book titled Objects and Memories from Goa. She lives in Saligao with her dog Goru and a cat named Ginger.
6. MIRIAM KOSHY – Artist & Holder, Earthivist Collective
Miriam has channelled nearly two decades of experience in curating, running residencies and community building in the area of art to form a Collective that collaboratively works with artistic interventions in areas of environmental concern. She believes communities are moved to act when they experience and feel their interconnectedness with nature.
7. PRAGYA BHAGAT – Poet, Essayist, Author
Pragya Bhagat is a spoken word poet, essayist, and author of two books. Bound chose her latest book, Swimming in Our Oceans, as one of the best nonfiction books of 2022. Her work explores the intersections between mental health, belonging, and the body. Pragya’s writing has been featured in the BBC, The Alipore Post, the Huffington Post, and The Wire, amongst others. She founded the Poetry Circle, a fortnightly community space based in North Goa.
8. PRAJAL SAKHARDANDE – Historian & Heritage Activist
Author of four books Goa Gold Goa Silver, Her History Her Heritage of Goa from earliest times to 2019. , The Quest for Goa History and Heritage of Goa from Ancient times to 2019, Muslim History and Heritage of Goa, Matanhy Saldanha, the legend
One of the founder members of Goa Heritage Action Group since 30 th September 2000.
Presently leading Save Mhadei Save Goa Front along with Mahesh Mhambrey and Adv Hrudaynath Shirodker.
9. FR. DR. BOLMAX PEREIRA – Ecologist & Priest
Dr. Bolmax Pereira is an Assistant professor of Botany, St Joseph Vaz College Cortalim-Goa,
Convenor, Diocesan Commission for Ecology, Archdiocese of Goa n Daman, Parish Priest, St Francis Xavier Church, Chicalim Goa and an Environmental activist always raising voice against Environmental injustice and destruction in Goa.
Dr. Bolmax has been awarded with:
Goa State Biodiversity Board appreciation award for biodiversity conservation.
Environmental activist n writer of the year award.
Eco achievers Award by CBCI Ecology commission
Dr. Bolmax, has been a Resource Faculty and Master Trainer for Wipro Earthian Orientation Workshops and sessions on Sustainability under CPR Environmental Education Centre, Chennai, under the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change GoI. From 2015 to 2020.
10. RAJENDRA KERKAR – Environmentalist
