When researcher Kiran Marathe decided to map the diversity of jumping spiders in the Eastern Ghats, he knew what he needed to start the research – funding for field equipment, transportation and accommodation in several areas along the ghats to the tune of Rs 12 lakh. Kiran is no stranger to field research having already discovered new species of cicadas in a similar combing operation in the Western Ghats in 2014. But this time around, to raise funds, he decided to try a new method – crowdfunding.
