Connecting people to Nature through the lens of photography is a great passion of Rucha Chitnis, as well as raising awareness about the value of urban biodiversity.

Rucha wrote to tell us of "the opening of my photo exhibit at the Thoreau Center for Sustainability in San Francisco.  The exhibit is called Winged Neighbors: Birds of Crissy Field and the San Francisco Marina. It's an homage to the rich diversity of life that flourishes in our urban landscapes and green corridors."

 Opening reception: 5 PM to 7 PM at the Thoreau Center for Sustainability in the Presidio of San Francisco on Thursday, Jan 20th. 
The photos will remain at the Seed Gallery of Photographic Art from January 20, 2011 to March 18, 2011. 

She supports Nature in the City <http://natureinthecity.org/> , a local organization that promotes awareness about San Francisco's rich biodiversity, connects people with Nature where they live and restores wild habitats.

Rucha writes,"I am a big advocate of promoting urban biodiversity—flora and wildlife that abounds in our city spaces. Modern cities of our world are home to more humans today than any other time in the history of our planet. As more people get increasingly disconnected from Nature, they often become oblivious to life that thrives in their backyards, parks, trails and other green city spaces.
 
The Presidio of San Francisco provides a rich habitat for birds and nearly 200 species have been spotted here. The Presidio lies in a migratory path of birds and offers a refuge for traveling birds that take a pause to feed and rest here on their long journeys to the Canadian Arctic or South America. 

Birding to me is a mindfulness practice that allows me to connect deeply with Nature and well being. My photography is an attempt to showcase the majestic beauty and diversity of birds in the Crissy Field area and the surrounding marina. You'll gaze into the emerald-green eyes of the Double Crested Cormorant and find Brown Pelicans diving and striving for food in the bay.

You'll notice a Willet gazing contemplatively at the waves near the Wave Organ and you'll see a Great Blue Heron walking serenely on Marina Boulevard, unperturbed by the morning rush-hour traffic. 
 
Mostly, I am hoping that people will recognize the blessing that is the biodiversity of life in San Francisco. Birds are a window to a larger world—our fragile web of life that is hanging on tenuously. At the end of the day, humans need biodiversity; a healthy bird population is crucial for our own long-term health. Birds are also wonderful for our emotional well being—their melodious calls, their long flights into seemingly pathless journeys and their dives into the waters of the San Francisco bay that reveal other treasures that are buried deep within.  All of these sights are everyday joys and pleasures that Nature offers to us at no cost.