Akshay Gawade started working with AERF in 2017 as a field researcher after completing his M.Sc. in Biodiversity, Wildlife Conservation and Management. Due to his interest in smaller organisms he received an opportunity to conduct an extensive study on ants (Hymenoptera) and moths (Lepidoptera) from Sangameshwar. Currently, he has recorded 150+ species of moths and 25 species of ants from Sangameshwar. He also was given the opportunity to study other taxa like Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals etc. while working in AERF. After a successful record of Indian ground pangolin in the proposed Prachitgad Community Reserve, Akshay started working on the food preference through scat analysis of Indian ground pangolin in the region. He also participates in conducting carbon stock estimation, herbaceous flora, amphibian and reptile, and general biodiversity surveys in the community forests in the Prachitgad Community Reserve.