Sparrow workshop draws young and old alike

Bengalureans usually spend their Sundays lazing around but some dedicated the day to learning about their friendly neighbour, the house sparrow, and how to bring it back to the city.

A group of 100 people, along with children, took part in ‘Bringing Back Sparrows’, a bird’s nest-building workshop organised by Ragi Kana, a hub of cultural activities along Bannerghatta Road in southern Bengaluru.

The workshop was facilitated by J N Prasad, a bird watcher from Hakki Goodu.

The participants not only learnt the reasons for the dwindling population of sparrows, which were once found in abundance in the city, but also how to create bird’s nests using things commonly found in homes to give sparrows a comfortable, yet safe space, such as shoe boxes and reusable materials. For many, especially children, learning about sparrows and working on creating their nests was an eye-opening experience.

Arun Kumar, a volunteer from Ragi Kana, said they had been conducting workshops on different themes every Sunday to bridge the gap between rural producers (farmers) and urban consumers.

Weekly market

The other objective is to create awareness about social and environmental issues. They also set up a weekly market to help people buy groceries, vegetables and handlooms directly from farmers.

The workshop on sparrows was the 98th such event organised by Ragi Kana.