RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: With an aim of spreading awareness about the decrease in the population of sparrows, students of a small village near Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district have been constructing small sparrow nests for the past two years.
Several environmentalists and avian enthusiasts across the globe observed World Sparrow Day, underscoring the need to conserve the little bird species on March 20. The main cause for the decline of the species remains unidentified but it is believed the unavailability of nests because of modernisation, constructions, and deforestation can lead to their decline.
In order to save the sparrows, which are in the red list of endangered species of The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Class III and V students of Zilla Parishad High School in Dandagarr village embarked on a mission to protect them. The students approached their school head master Ch Chandrasekhar, who took action and arranged for the construction of sparrow nests. They collected money and built nests for sparrows to protect the ecosystem.
The school headmaster Ch Chandrasekhar said, “The students came to me and asked for help to build nests for the sparrows. Last year, as part of spreading awareness, we put up a birdhouse and explained the role of sparrows in protecting the ecosystem. Following the increase in the number of sparrows taking shelter in the birdhouse, students became much more interested and involved in the initiative.”