“Feathers and Friends: Eco-Club Celebrates #worldmigratorybirdday2024

The theme for this year’s edition of #WMBD2024 signifies the delicate balance of insects and birds in an ecosystem. #Birdmigration often aligns with peak insect abundance, vital for energy replenishment. However, habitat loss, application of pesticides and herbicides in agriculture, urban development, and light pollution threaten insect populations, endangering birds. Birds are essential for pollination and pest control, roles disrupted by insect scarcity. Conversely, unchecked insect overpopulation can damage plants and agriculture, highlighting the delicate balance between birds and insects in ecosystems.

To mark the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day, Nature Environment & Wildlife Society (NEWS), under the #tdh Project, organized awareness programmes on the 11th of May 2024, for the eco-club members of #SundarbanYouthNetwork from Sagar, Kumirmari and Hingalganj. A total of 90 youths actively participated in the interactive sessions, under the guidance of Dr. Swati Das and her colleagues from NEWS. The sessions helped the participants to gain an overall insight on migratory birds, types and cause for their migration, critical role of insects facilitating bird migration and threats encountered by birds during migration, with a special emphasis on Sundarban. The eco-club members shared their observations on migratory birds, explaining the anthropogenic threats faced by migratory birds in Sundarban. They also proposed to organize an awareness campaign in their locality and pledged to inform the Forest Department and Gram Panchayet to take necessary action against these threats. The eco-club members committed to conserving migratory birds and their habitats in Sundarban. They plan to protect insect populations by promoting organic farming, composting, and plantation, and adopting nature-based solutions within their community.