Madras Naturalists' Society

Description

Madras Naturalists’ Society, known as MNS, is a non-profit organisation based in Chennai, India, that promotes appreciation, education and conservation of nature.

It grew out of a shared interest among a group of bird watchers and was founded on 17 May 1978, with G. K. Bhat as its first president. Members include professional ornithologists and hobbyists, along with people interested in trees, insects and renewable energy. The society conducts nature walks, training camps, workshops and surveys, particularly around Chennai and its surrounding areas.

MNS has published a monthly bulletin since December 1978 and a quarterly journal called Blackbuck since January 1985, carrying semi-technical and popular articles on nature. The society’s logo is a blackbuck, and its journal takes its name from the same animal. Since 2012 it has presented the M. Krishnan Memorial Nature Writing Award each year for young wildlife writers. Notable members over the years have included Madhaviah Krishnan, S. Theodore Baskaran and V. Krishnamurthy.