Children, participants take away earthen bird houses, water bowls, bird feeders

Mysore/Mysuru: People For Animals (PFA), Mysuru, in association with Jeev Daya Jain Charity (JDJC), marked World Sparrow Day on Mar. 20 at its shelter in Bogadi with a programme aimed at creating awareness about sparrow conservation.

Senior Pranic Healing Trainer B. Vaibhav, who was the chief guest, referred to the historical ‘Chinese Black Years,’ when sparrows were killed in large numbers, resulting in ecological imbalance and serious consequences. He underlined the important role sparrows play in maintaining the natural balance.

Pointing out that sparrows once nested easily on rooftops and in open spaces, Vaibhav said such opportunities have dwindled due to changes in urban structures. Providing artificial nest boxes near homes and ensuring food and water, he noted, could help revive sparrow populations for the future.

Eco-friendly materials such as earthen bird houses, earthen water bowls, bird feeders and water bowls for dogs and birds were distributed to encourage people to support urban wildlife.

A highlight of the event was the introduction of two innovative game boards conceptualised by Kokila Ramesh Jain to create awareness among children in an engaging way. One board game focuses on basic knowledge about sparrows, while the other explains how to install and maintain bird houses.

Kokila said that if these boards reach schoolchildren, they could play a meaningful role in educating young minds about sparrow conservation.

As part of the green initiative, fruit-bearing and flowering saplings were planted by the chief guest and participants to encourage the creation of natural habitats for birds.

Savitha Nagabhushan of PFA, Mysuru, who coordinated the programme, stressed the importance of planting native trees and providing water, food and nesting spaces to support sparrow conservation and urban biodiversity.

Prakash, President of PFA, Mysuru, Dr. Amardeep Singh, Dr. Kiran, Anil (Manager), Priya, along with animal lovers, volunteers and children were present.