DHARMAPURI: To protect birds from the harsh summer, government school students and youth have made water holders and food feeders using waste plastic bottles littered on roads. Naming the team after the mythical bird 'Phoenix' that rises from its ashes, youth and students have been involved in reviving the ecology of Palavadi by setting up over 300 bird feeders and water holders.
Govindhsamy aka Samy, a youth from Palavadi said, Dharmapuri is often associated with drought with dust bunnies wandering the fields. This is only partially true. Dharmapuri houses the third biggest forest area in Tamil Nadu spreading across 4497 sq km. A few decades ago, the area was wider, we are told by our grandparents or village elders. So, we are trying to bring back what is lost, we are trying to revive the ecosystem. Hence the name phoenix, he said.
Samy added, "Two years ago, we had planted over 2,000 saplings of fruit-bearing trees on the shores of our local lakes and these seedlings have now sprouted as trees, developing an ecosystem by housing many birds. But, during summer, these birds are left homeless since most leaves wither away. Now, we are keeping these birds alive by feeding and watering them."
Thirumoorthy, another youth associated with Phoenix said, "Following this season, most trees would bear flowers and fruits. These birds will be crucial for pollination during fruition. So we are trying to protect as many birds as possible from the heat. Even if we provide protection, birds settle under artificial shelters easily, so we only feed and provide water for them. After this season they will spread the seeds from fruit trees and increase the tree cover."
Ganesh, another volunteer, said, "For the past few weeks, we have been collecting plastic bottles from the roadsides, we have not adopted a complicated system. We just halved the bottles and hung them on each tree. Village people donate rice, millets and other grains. Every two or three days we change the grains and water, to prevent contamination."
Speaking to TNIE, the school children said, "The elder brothers of our village have been teaching us about the environment for over two to three years. As it is summer and there is nothing to do, we help them with some tasks. Every day, early in the morning we water the trees and a herb garden we maintain. We also plant seeds across the village whenever possible. Our teachers encourage us. With the support of our team brothers, we have planted many saplings."