Sparrow man
“When you have sparrows building nests in your homes, it means that your home is eco-friendly,” says N. Dhanasekar. Called the ‘Sparrow Man’ amongst his friends, he works tirelessly to bring the house sparrows back home. His three-year-old organisation, Chittukuruvigal Paadhukaapu Arakkatalai, talks about sparrows to school students. “We spoke to school students at a Government School in Keernatham. We gave them sparrow feeders made from used plastic bottles that can be placed at the campus and their homes to invite the birds,” says Dhanasekar.
The house sparrows that once chirruped around in large numbers are now rare. Development has shooed the little birds away from our neighbourhood. High-rise buildings, lack of greenery, and radiation from cell phone towers have also contributed to their decline. “In my childhood, there were sparrows visiting our homes looking for grains and water. Now, I see them only in the foothills of the Nilgiris and in outskirts. Bird watching with me was always a hobby. Later, it became a passion and now a habit. I regularly interact with environmental organisations like Osai, Maasu Vizhipunarvu Iyakkam, Siruthuli and RAAC. And, I decided to do a specific activity to conserve sparrows,” he explains.
He read up on the sparrows at SACON. “We conducted drawing and painting competition at schools. The response was overwhelming. I have more than 200 drawings done by students,” he says. To create awareness, he has a poster on his car that says “Wanted”. Below it is the picture of a house sparrow. “When people see the poster, they call me and tell me that they have sparrows at their homes. I talk to them about conservation.”
On March 20, the World Sparrow Day, Dhanasekar plans to distribute 100 sparrow nests to the public. “Made of pinewood, it is designed to provide comfortable nesting. It can be kept on terraces, windows and compound walls. When you have more sparrows in your home, it indicates that you live in a healthy environment surrounded by agricultural lands and a water source. Everything is inter-connected. The excreta of the birds serves as manure.”
Next year, Dhanasekar plans to pick eight locations in the city and place nests that he will maintain and monitor. “This will help us know how many sparrows visit the nests and we can tell about their breeding pattern too.”
To know more, visit Chittukuruvigal Paathukaapu Arakkattalai page on Facebook
Birds in your backyard
Tribal students in Chinkona and Sirukunra hamlet near Valparai will now step out with a pair of binoculars and record every single bird they spot in their backyard. “The habitat is close to a perfect shola forest and the students can easily see the Great-pied Hornbill, Malabar Whistling thrust, Malabar Trogon… about 100 species of birds in a month,” says Saravanan Chandrasekar of Wild Wing Trust.
The organisation that works for wildlife conservation in the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve area will now train students in schools around Valparai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve to identify, observe and document birds around them in the eBird portal.
This is a part of the nature education programme for students of tribal schools. “For over five years, our focus has been on tribal education where we empower students and get them an alternative livelihood. We hold motivation programmes. Now, we will set up environmental forums in six schools in Valparai and encourage bird watching. Birder Selva Ganesh K who teaches at the Government school will anchor this initiative.”
Group accounts will be created on the ebird portal allows the students to update information. “We will provide binoculars, a field guide, and the students can take the help of a teacher to start bird watching. Once a month, an expert will visit the schools to review and share tips too. The students have to look for birds in their school and at home near their homes…We want them to appreciate Nature. Once they develop an interest, there is awareness too.”
The Wild Wing Trust runs multiple e-tuition centres that connect students with teachers from across the world. “Though we have technical snags and connectivity issues, everyday kids are taught through Skype,” says Saravanan. Recently, they generated funds through a marathon to sponsor higher education for 25 students.
White boards in the schools will carry the name of student and the description of the bird he spots. will be updated. The birder who tops the list will be awarded every week. “This will keep other kids motivated too,” says Saravanan.
He says Nature education is relevant for students who live in the tribal belt. in tune with Nature.“Especially in the context of man-animal conflict, the students should develop a culture to appreciate the animals and co-exist with them in their environment. Kids who live inside forest areas and very close to Nature tend to take it for granted. They have to enjoy, appreciate and develop the culture of conservation. We are taking a small step towards achieving this.”
To know more, visit Wild Wing Trust on Facebook
