WWF Animal, Sparrow Boxes, and more!

The past few years, sparrows have been dying because they don't have nesting places. These sparrow boxes are designed to help!

In 2008, when I first moved to Bangalore, I was surprised to find that not even the most basic recycling program existed at school. I noted down things in my mind; areas of improvement around the school where I, a single student of 7^th grade, could make the difference. I turned off running faucets in the bathrooms, took only one tissue to dry my hands (and believe me, the piles of tissues that used to end up on the floors of the bathrooms wasn’t funny), and turned off the lights and fans in empty classrooms.

So in 2010, with a friend, I mustered up the courage to create a green club – “The Green Idea”. We started off slowly, creating monthly newsletters focusing on a particular environmental issue such as waste management, water shortages and renewable energy. In 10^th grade, we started off with a bang! We hosted the first ever High School Green Conference in all of Bangalore. It was a great success! Schools all over Bangalore came to our school to discuss environmental issues and solutions that students themselves could contribute to.

Next on our list was one of the most basic tasks: recycling. Slowly, cardboard boxes cropped up around school and the first batch of boxes was filled to the brim! It was exciting to see “The Green Idea” make some money, selling the recycled paper!

The school’s biogas unit arrived soon after; it’s still one of the very first portable ones in all of India, so glitches are taking a while to get sorted out. Pictures are on their way! The gas generated from the food waste will be pumped to the cafeteria to cook, saving money, and helping the planet. Two in one – score!  

Just before winter break started, before and after the Christmas performance, we had a little snack fundraiser – goodies from America (you don’t get them cheap here, and the demand is crazy). I think it was brilliant; we decided within 24 hours that the sale was going to happen and we managed to pull it off. Soon after winter break, the school will vote on their first choice of WWF animal and the wooden Sparrow Boxes will be placed all around school. 

And the adventure continues. It’s getting more and more exciting!

Stay tuned!

Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/Default.aspx for more information of adopting a WWF animal!