Kulesh Bhandari - Conferences & Recognition

1. Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) 2026 — Xishuangbanna, China
Oral Presentation: "Thermal Refugia and Faunal Assemblages of Tropical Granite Outcrops in Eastern India's Rock–Forest Ecotones"

2. International Conference on Nipah and Other Zoonotic Spillovers 2025, Institute of Advanced Virology — Kerala
Oral Presentation — Young Scientist Trophy: "Zoonotic Spillovers: Lessons from Kathikund Tribal Forests, India." Integrated field data on faunal exposure, pollinator patterns, and forest-edge interfaces to assess spillover risk in Dumka. Awarded a DBT (Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India) travel grant under the Young Scientist category. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15872028

3. Global Symposium on Soil Compaction (GSSCOM'26) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) & Aarhus University | Aarhus, Denmark | Accepted, September 2026
Poster Presentation: "Indigenous Agroforestry Pathways for Mitigating Soil Compaction in the Tribal Uplands of Eastern India"

4. NCAF 2025, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) — Kolkata
Poster Presentation: "Invasive Alien Fauna and Their Impact on Native Ecosystems" — ecological threats of invasive fauna in Santhal Pargana through field case studies and photographic evidence.

5. India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025 — Young Scientist Conclave — Chandigarh
Poster Presentation: "Wild Food Forests in Tribal Jharkhand: A Community-Led Model for Biodiversity & Resilience." Selected under the Young Scientist Conclave; recognized for community-based biodiversity conservation and wild edible plant revival.

6. 9th International Congress on Zoology and Technology (ICZAT) 2025 — Ankara, Turkey (virtual)
Oral Presentation: "Geo-Ecological Zonation and Biodiversity Gradient Mapping" — GIS-based analysis of species-richness transitions and ecological fragmentation across upland tribal belts.

7. International Conference on Vector-Borne and Parasitic Diseases (ICVBDPHR) 2025 — Alexandria, Egypt (virtual)
Poster Presentation: "Fighting Malaria from the Ground Up" — field insights on disease landscapes in Jharkhand's forest–village interface.

Awards & Grants

1. ATBC 2026 Travel Grant — Global Vistas Foundation (GVF), 2026. Supported participation and oral presentation at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), Xishuangbanna, China (June 28–July 3, 2026).
2. Pollination Project Seed Grant (2025) – Awarded international seed funding to lead the community-driven conservation initiative “Wild Food Forests in Tribal Jharkhand”, focused on revival of wild edible plants, traditional agroforestry, and biodiversity-linked tribal livelihoods.
3. Young Scientist Travel Grant – IISF 2025 (Government of India) – Awarded for selection under the Young Scientist Conclave, India International Science Festival (IISF-2025) to present the national-level scientific poster on Wild Food Forests in Tribal Jharkhand.
4. Young Scientist Travel Grant – IAV Kerala (2025) – Awarded for podium presentation on Zoonotic Spillovers at the Human–Langur Interface at the International Conference on Nipah & Other Zoonotic Spillovers.
5. ICZAT 2025 – International Oral Presentation Selection (Turkey) – Selected to present GIS-based biodiversity zonation and species gradient research at the 9th International Congress on Zoology and Technology.

Membership and Recognitions:

Scientific Roles & Peer Recognition

Peer Reviewer — Reptiles & Amphibians (University of Kansas)

Peer Reviewer — Open Veterinary Journal (2026)
Contributed to peer review of research manuscripts in wildlife ecology, biodiversity science, and interdisciplinary environmental research.

Global Scientific Memberships

Member — IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (2026–2029)

Member — Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)

Member — Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation

Student Member — Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)

International Recognition & Engagements

Invited Participant — IUCN Global Webinar on Animal Culture & Conservation (2026)

Invited Delegate — Yale Tropical Forest Leadership Summit (2026)

Invited Delegate — EarthEcho Youth Leadership Summit (2026)

Global Policy & Climate Engagement

Contributor — International Call for Action on Ocean Prediction
(UN Ocean Decade & Mercator Ocean International, 2025)

### Contributions to IUCN – Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM)

Contributed to the Asahi Glass Foundation Global Environmental Questionnaire (2026), providing field-based insights on biodiversity, environmental challenges, and human–nature interactions.

Contributed to the IUCN Global Consultation on Invasive Alien Species Strategy (2025) as an official CEM member.

Provided field-based insights from Santhal Pargana on invasive fauna risks, ecological impacts, and community-linked mitigation strategies.

Submitted expert feedback for the IUCN Contributions for Nature Platform, integrating grassroots biodiversity data from tribal landscapes.

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Kulesh Bhandari | Biodiversity Researcher | Forest Ecology • Tribal Landscapes • Conservation Science