Delhi-NCR monsoon walks: fireflies, fungi and night wildlife

Fireflies can be seen at Hauz Khas for a short period during the monsoon. The New Delhi Nature Society is running evening walks there from July to September, with sessions on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Registration is available at ndns.in/events, and tickets cost ₹350 per person.

Verhaen Khanna, the society’s president, said he has conducted the walks for 15 years. He said firefly numbers have declined over time because of light pollution.

Fungi after the rain

In Sanjay Van and Jahanpanah Forest, foraging expert Malavika Bhatia and Gurugram-based gourmet mushroom farm Shroomery are leading weekend fungi walks during the monsoon. The sessions focus on fungi that emerge after rain, including Termitomyces species, and the conditions around them: damp soil, trees, leaf litter, insects and other parts of the forest ecosystem.

The walks run until September, on Saturday mornings from 9.30am to 11.30am or Sunday evenings from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. Tickets cost ₹1,199 for adults and ₹599 for children under 12. Shroomery announces upcoming sessions on Instagram at @shroomery.in and @mycodyke.

After-dark trails near Najafgarh

Earth Walks by Asian Adventures is hosting nocturnal trails at Nehar Sahibi Farm on Najafgarh-Kapashera Road. Led by ecologist Dr Robin Suyesh, the walks look for frogs, bats, geckos, snakes and other wildlife active after sunset.

Founder Mohit Aggarwal said the group has held a Sunday walk each week since it began two years ago. He said the humid monsoon period can make species including the Common Wolf Snake, Aravalli Gecko and insectivorous bats easier to spot. Earth Walks schedules its trails on Sundays.