Mumbai: NatureRe launches Wings & Roots biodiversity mapping project

At The Nest in Malabar Hill, NatureRe has launched Wings & Roots, a biodiversity-mapping initiative that asks Mumbai residents to record the species they spot in their neighbourhoods.

NatureRe said the initiative is supported by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Through the Wings & Roots app, residents can photograph and log trees, birds, insects and other species, and add existing greenery and native plantings to a shared map.

The programme has two tracks: “Wings” for biodiversity sightings, and “Roots” for creating, maintaining and monitoring native habitats. NatureRe said the records could supplement formal environmental surveys by documenting gardens, courtyards and rooftops.

The Nest is intended to be the first of several “stepping-stone” habitats. NatureRe said it is partnering with the BMC on urban forests at The Nest and Captain Namdeo Lotankar Park in Mahalaxmi.

NatureRe estimates that Mumbai has lost nearly 40% of its green cover since 1991, and says much of the remaining greenery is fragmented or dominated by non-native species. The group said its longer-term plan is to create green links supporting biodiversity movement from Sanjay Gandhi National Park through the city.