Koodugal Trust to Host Sparrow Nest-Box Workshops in 50 Government Schools

Koodugal Trust, a voluntary organisation dedicated to sparrow conservation, will conduct environment awareness and nest-box-making workshops across 50 government schools in 10 districts from September, aiming to help birds thrive in urbanised localities including Velachery.

The initiative is being organised in partnership with the School Education Department to educate students on the importance of sparrow conservation and encourage them to build safe nesting spaces. During the sessions, children will learn about the habitat of sparrows and the challenges they encounter in urban environments.

A primary focus of the programme will be hands-on nest-box-making activities. By engaging students directly in crafting these boxes, the organisation intends to translate classroom learning into practical conservation efforts that students can bring back to their local neighbourhoods and communities.

This marks the first time Koodugal Trust has secured approval to conduct these workshops in government schools, following five years of outreach in approximately 80 private schools across Tamil Nadu. The upcoming workshops are scheduled to take place in districts such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Ranipet, and Krishnagiri.

D. Ganeshan, convenor of Koodugal Trust, highlighted the environmental importance of the birds, noting that conserving them is crucial for maintaining ecological balance. He stated that the trust has distributed roughly 15,000 nest boxes across different parts of the State over the past five years.

According to estimates by the trust, sustained nest-box seeding initiatives have led to a 25% increase in the house sparrow population in north Chennai over the past five years. Sparrows have also been spotted in other parts of the city and its suburbs, including Velachery, Perumbakkam, and Tambaram.

As part of the initiative, students will also be encouraged to participate in a sparrow census. Furthermore, Koodugal Trust plans to launch a mobile application next month that will allow users to record bird calls, upload images, identify species, and log bird sightings to help collate systematic data on the sparrow population.