Days in the quarter

22nd April, Earth Day

One Lakh Cloth Bag Campaign in Dehradun

Schools in Dehradun celebrated the Earth Day by participating in One Lakh Cloth Bag campaign. An initiative of ‘the Soldiers of the Earth programme’ the OLCB campaign took the
initiative of making one lakh cloth bags for the city of Dehradun, in an effort to reduce the use of plastic bags. About 600 children from 20 schools participated. Paper bags were made and donated to shop keepers for their use and students also made cloth bags for their use.

The DAV Public School, Dehradun won the OLCB competition, while Convent of Jesus and Mary and Doon Cambridge were the runners up having made hundreds of cloth bags. Many other school children participated in the environmental quiz, Kabaad Se Jugaad, poster making and paper bag making and won loads of prizes.

MSc students of the Environment and Ecology Dept of the Forest Research Institute also participated to conduct environmental quiz with the students.
The OLCB campaign is a joint programme of the TERI and ONGC, as part of the Soldiers of the Earth programme and organised by TITLI TRUST in Dehradun.

For more information on the campaign contact:Sanjay Sondhi / Anchal Sondhi
TITLI TRUST No 49, Rajpur Road Enclave,
Dhoran Khas, P.O. Gujrada, DehradunPh: 9412052189
E-mail: sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.com

20th March 2010, World House Sparrow day
“Help House Sparrows”

20th March is celebrated as the World House Sparrow Day in different parts of the world to raise awareness and highlight the need for the protection of the House Sparrow and its habitat. The annual event plans to celebrate not only the beauty of House Sparrows but all the common birds and local biodiversity. It also aims to to bring together individuals and organisations working on the conservation of House Sparrows and urban biodiversity on a common platform.

When we discuss the fate of sparrows, it would be better if we do something for them. Here is what Dr Bharat Bhushan, an ornithologist from Pune has to say-

  1. Sparrows used to be in old cities and in gaothans inside cities, and near forested semi-forested groves, playgrounds, grass hedges and industrial compounds - they could get food, nesting habitat and nesting material.
  2. Today, cities are cleaner, the gaothans are gone to road widening, groves are replaced by manicured gardens, playgrounds are rented out to marriage parties, grass hedges are replaced by encroachments and industrial compounds have increased parking areas for bikes and cars.
  3. Earlier sparrows used to get a lot of food and feeding opportunities near unkept grocery shops and market areas. Today, these grocery shops and markets are very clean and are replaced by air conditioned malls at some places.
Does this mean that sparrows are extinct? No, but they could use your help.
  • Sparrows are around. Give them a reason to let them show themselves to you.
  • Provide birdfeed, nesting material and nest boxes. Provide protection to nesting areas. Teach children to do so.
  • Let us also focus on the other Passerine species in this time when we focus on the House Sparrow. It is the other Passer species that are really being crushed out.
For more information and engaging activities on the House Sparrow visit:
http://www.worldhousesparrowday.org/

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