Sparrow Conservation

1. Sparrow Conservation
for a Healthy Ecological
Balance
GOVERNMENT HIGH
S C H O O L , M E L A K O N D A I YA R
VILLAGE
T I R U VA L L U R , TA M I L N A D U

2. Problem
• Imbalanced ecological conditions decrease house
sparrow population
• Even rural areas are affected

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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”

9. A few glimpses..
Knowledge sharing by expert Demonstrating how to prepare
Organic pest repellent
Grain collection from harvested Nest boxes and food to attract
field the sparrow

10. Requesting the residents to
Seeds for kitchen garden
participate in sparrow conservation
Fixed nest box in a interested Nest have been built in a resident’s
resident along with grain hall

11. 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 activities
http://youtu.be/K2zM1uLvqyc

12. 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

13. 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