In Light and Dark

In Light and Dark Diwali Panelists

Yakuta Poonawalla/Parks Conservancy

When: Thursday, October 30th, 2025; 5:30 - 7:30pm

• Doors will open to public at 5:30 pm for viewing of panelist’s art
• Panel will begin at 6 pm and conclude at 7:30 pm

Where: Crissy Field Center Gathering Room. This is a free, family-friendly event but registration is required.

Please join park staff for an evening of storytelling and a panel discussion at the Tunnel Tops to amplify South Asian community expert and leader’s voices, thus bringing awareness and attention to the role of members of this community in social and environmental justice movements. Using metaphors of light and dark (as Diwali is a festival of lights and a candle is lit as a metaphor for bringing light during darkness, good over evil etc.), the panelists will share about their work and what inspires them to create spaces of curiosity, community, access, welcome and belonging. This event will be moderated by park staff Yakuta Poonawalla with the support of Rebekah Berkov.

About panelist and artist Barnali Ghosh: In 2021, Berkeley-based designer Barnali Ghosh started a new pandemic project: taking photographs of herself dressed as California native flowers, centering the brown body and using South Asian fabrics and dance forms. The images took the native plant world by storm. Ghosh will share the backstory of these viral images, and how the project helped her find belonging in the native plant community and beyond.

Barnali Ghosh is an immigrant artist, landscape architect, and co-founder of the award-winning Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour. Her work attempts to bridge homes and homelands, and create spaces for belonging. A longtime transportation advocate, Ghosh was elected to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors last year, representing District 3, which runs from Berkeley to Richmond, and beyond.

You can see her work on instagram @berkeleywali and @berkeleysouthasian.

About panelist and artist Vishal Subramanyam: Vishal Subramanyan is an award-winning wildlife photographer, videographer, and National Geographic Young Explorer. As a freelance storyteller, he partners with leading conservation organizations in California and beyond to create stories that inspire deeper connections between people and nature. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 2024 with degrees in ecology and statistics.

His work has been featured by National Geographic, CNN, NPR, Smithsonian, and the LA Times, and has won prestigious awards, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Through his work, Vishal shares compelling wildlife stories that spark curiosity and drive conservation action.

This is a free, family-friendly event but registration is required. 

Covid Safety and Accessibility:

• Face coverings and social distancing are encouraged but not required. We will have masks available at the venue. We will also have an air filter running and will plan to leave the door open for ventilation. 
• Stay home and DO NOT attend if you:
  • Have any illness symptoms
  • Have tested positive for COVID-19
  • Suspect you have had contact with a COVID-19 positive case
• Transit
  • There are many ways to get to the venue (including Presidio Go Shuttle and Muni) that are outlined on the Presidio Tunnel Tops Access + Inclusion page.
  • There are also nearby parking lots. The two closest are paid lots. The East Beach parking lot is free, and about 7 minute walk.
• Arrival and access
  • There are two large metal gates to access the venue. (One gate on the West end across from the playground, and one gate on the East next to a small parking lot.) Ring the doorbell. When it answers, say you are here for the workshop.
  • Please use the ADA button to open the gate; that will auto open and close. If you manually open the gate, you need to pull the gate closed. It doesn't fully lock on its own. 
  • Enter the courtyard and then go to the Science Lab. 
• Physical Access and Accommodation
  • The entrance, class space, and restrooms are ground-level and ADA accessible. The restrooms are gender-neutral.
  • Seating will be plastic chairs without arms. There are also stools available.  
• Avoid scented products
  • Because many people have chemical sensitivities, refrain from scented lotions, perfumes, air fresheners, etc. Learn more here.
  • If you have any additional accessibility needs, please reach out to Yakuta Poonawalla: ypoonawalla@parksconservancy.org and Rebekah Berkov: rberkov@presidiotrust.gov

The Golden Gate National Parks Volunteer Program is a cooperative parkwide effort of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service, and the Presidio Trust.