Sparrows in Hosur - a new beginning – runs a post on the FB page of The People’s Society of Hosur (TPSOH) and it has become a hit among nature lovers.
A collective initiative of the women’s empowerment wing of the forum, the ‘House Sparrow’ campaign – seeking out a home for the house sparrow in every home - has found a rousing reception.
A casual visit to Coimbatore and a chance visit to NEST-a sparrow conservation organisation spurred the seed of the idea, says Jeyapriya Sivaraman, a member of TPSOH. She had learnt about the NEST’s sparrow conservation project by setting up sparrow nests made of ply in every home along with sapling donations.
It was easier to emulate this conservation in Hosur because of the cool climate. “Lakes are being restored, and intensive sapling plantation is already being carried out. It is only natural that birds will flock wherever there are trees,” says Ms.Jeyapriya Sivaraman.
Nest
The sparrow nest is made of laminated plywood, salvaged from interior décor wastes from Ms.Jeyapriya’s interior designing unit in Chennai. With no material cost, and only labour cost and the transport cost, TPSOH’s women’s wing has now proposed to given away nests free through sponsors.
The sparrow nests are machined assembled, to ensure there are no rough edges that could hurt the birds.
The women’s wing has also collected 60 kg of rice, donated by the group members. The ground rice will be distributed as feed to the installed houses.
The FB page of TPSOH is buzzing with queries from people keen on giving a corner of their porch or a shade for sparrows.
Organisations and institutions are welcome to take part in the project.
A dedicated Facebook page is proposed to be created to upload photos and videos on the behaviour of sparrows, once the nests are installed. On August 15, Ashok Leyland School will have three nests installed on its campus, and 8 others will be distributed to individuals. Shishya School, Hosur, has also come on board the project.
(Interested persons may contact Geetha-(Coordinator) -9443377185; Sivaraaman on 9842784234.)