Sparrow Conservationfor a Healthy Ecological

Balance

GOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOL, MELAKONDAIYAR VILLAGETIRUVALLUR, TAMILNADU

Problem

• Imbalanced ecological conditions decrease house sparrow population

• Even rural areas are affected

Major Factors • Eradication of small insects and worms due to heavy usage of

synthetic materials in agriculture

• Shrinking green cover

• Unfriendly house structure that does not allow birds to build nests

• Modernized life style- using wash basins instead of cleaning utensils in the backyard where there is chance to eat leftouts

• Use of packages food instead of sparrow friendly gunny bags

• Forgotten culture of hanging grains in front of houses

• More usage of mobile telephone emitting high frequency radiations

• Busy lifestyles that ignore these little birds

Can we improve the condition of these tiny creatures that adds the

chirp to our lives?

After brain storming with team members and talking to experts, the following measures were arrived at to review the population and to reset the conditions:

• Providing safe space for building nest

• Providing food and protecting and generating prey

• Creating awareness on importance of ecological balance for healthy world

How we acted!

For providing safe space for building nest

• Mobilized 130 small carton boxes from local shopkeepers for nest

• Distributed fruit bearing tree saplings to meet the dual requirement of food as well as space to live - identified interested residents to plant in their premises - placed order for 550 saplings-yet to receive and distribute

• Requested the residents not to disturb already built nest

For providing food and protecting the sparrows’ prey

• Taught how to make organic pest repellent to 12 farmers in Melakondaiyar to replace the synthetic pesticides-prepared 30litres of Panchakavyam at the time of demonstration-it helps the worms keep away from main field - at the same time it is prey for the sparrows

• Mobilized 40kg paddy and 5 kg Jovar bunches and hung boxes to attract the sparrow

• Distributed Gourd variety vegetable seeds for creating kitchen garden which will have small protein rich worms and insects that sparrows feed on

For creating awareness

• Conducted rallies with placards to save the dwindling species

• Requested the interested residents to look after the needs of the small birds

Some slogans used in rally:

• Let’s provide small space in our big house

• Every species have equal rights to a balanced ecosystem

• Let’s save the dwindling species to have prosperous agriculture

Feedback from our participants

Mrs. Puspa chinnaian, resident of Melakondaiyar village fixed a box 3 months back and now she started receiving couple of sparrows in her house and built nest.

“Wakes me in the morning, safe gourd the home by making noise when others’ cattle enter into premises and even at the time of water supply in panchayat tap! ”

“They come home in time for taking food”

“Punctuality in return home by sun set”

“We consider them as our family member”

A few glimpses..

Knowledge sharing by expert Demonstrating how to prepare Organic pest repellent

Grain collection from harvested field

Nest boxes and food to attract the sparrow

Requesting the residents to participate in sparrow conservation

Fixed nest box in a interested resident along with grain

Nest have been built in a resident’s hall

Seeds for kitchen garden

Changes• Residents of two areas coming to around 265 households realized the importance of sparrow conservation.

• 130 households provided space to the sparrows’ to built nest• 6 farmers started to practice organic farming as beginning

Link to view video about our activitieshttp://youtu.be/K2zM1uLvqyc

Acknowledgements

• We are thankful to following people for their wonderful contribution

• Mr. Rajagopal, Environmentalist for knowledge sharing

• Local shopkeepers for carton boxes

• Mr. Sundararaman, Organic farmer

• SST, TVSM for knowledge sharing

• Govt. High School, Veppampattu for joining hands in conducting rally

The Road Ahead

• Our team realised the importance of sparrow conservation and will continue the work even after completion of DFC, 2012

• Tree saplings distribution is in pending-will complete in a week time