Phoenix Club Outing

Phoenix Club is the school’s book-tasting club, made up of students with a keen interest in literature and discussion. When we were asked if we wanted to attend a book talk by the acclaimed ecologist Dr. Madhav Gadgil, we did what any group of enthusiastic readers would do: we said yes. The venue for the event was the Rupa Rahul Bajaj Centre for Environment and Art located within the Empress Gardens. The seven of us - Naina, Aadya, Minza, Aarav, Amrit, Rohit, and I were buzzing with excitement as small groups, let alone clubs, seldom get the opportunity to go off campus for events like this. We were ready to make this trip worthwhile.

On the 30th of November we packed our bags and started the morning with dosa before piling into the vehicle with Pradnaya akka, Nimesh sir, Reena akka, Eesha akka, and Amruta akka. We set off for Pune and the vehicle soon filled with laughter and banter. The drive was long and tiring, but a quick chai break made it far more bearable. Finally, we reached Empress Gardens with an hour on hand, so we walked around the premises to see the amazing flora and fauna of the botanical garden. We saw hornbills, parakeets, and even a paradise flycatcher!

Once the hour was up, we proceeded for the book talk by Dr. Madhav Gadgil. Dr. Gadgil was a field ecologist and an anthropologist. He studied at Harvard and was associated with the Indian Institute of Science for 30 years. His book, A Walk Up the Hill, traces his life and work, and we were eager to hear him speak about the experiences that shaped it.

He talked about his life and his experience as an ecologist, and about how the book came up. He had also kept up with trends, quoting the K-pop band BTS. Overall, the opportunity to hear him was an invaluable experience. Once the talk was over, we had a small interaction with him.