Episode Details

What if the wild isn't somewhere far away—but right outside your front door? In this episode of Wild by Nature, Dr. Vian Sharif is joined by conservation biologist, nature writer, and WWF India conservation leader Neha Sinha.

Together they explore how cities are living ecosystems filled with birds, insects, native plants, and hidden stories that most of us simply overlook. Drawing from her book My Wild City, Neha explains why paying attention to the natural world isn't just good for conservation—it can transform our mental wellbeing, restore patience, deepen our sense of belonging, and reconnect us with the wonder we often lose as adults.

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, notice more, and rediscover the extraordinary wildlife woven into everyday urban life.

In This Episode

• Why the wild exists in every city—even if we no longer notice it

• How childhood experiences in nature shaped Neha's life and career

• Why storytelling can inspire conservation more effectively than facts alone

• The disappearance of vultures and sparrows—and what "shifting baselines" mean

• How COVID changed the way many people experienced urban nature

• Why the smallest plants and insects may hold the biggest lessons about resilience

• Patience as a superpower learned through birdwatching

• The connection between attention, care, and conservation

• Can humans "rewild" themselves? Creating wildlife habitat with native plants—even on a balcony

• The challenges women face working in conservation

• How inclusive communities make nature more accessible for everyone

• Practical ways anyone can begin reconnecting with nature today

Resources Mentioned

Learn More :

• About Neha Sinha Official Website: https://nehasinha.in

• WWF India Profile: https://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/our_team/

• Books My Wild City by Neha Sinha https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/my-wild-city/

• Wild and Wilful by Neha Sinha https://harpercollins.co.in/product/wild-and-wilful/

• Feral by George Monbiot https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo19341756.html B

• raiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass

• Robert Macfarlane's Books https://www.robertmacfarlane.com/books/

• Nature Identification Apps : These free apps make it easy to begin identifying birds, plants, insects, and other wildlife wherever you are.

• Merlin Bird ID https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org eBird https://ebird.org

• iNaturalist https://www.inaturalist.org Organizations

• WWF India https://www.wwfindia.org Cornell Lab of Ornithology https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/

Featured Conservation Destination

Okonjima Nature Reserve (Namibia), mentioned by Dr. Vian Sharif during the