Socially Yours

In a country where 17% of the world’s population jostles for

existence, the long list flora and fauna just manage to coexist. With

the endangered list not getting any shorter, key concern among

conservationists is the way to involve the masses in protecting India’s

wildlife. Eye catching communication strategy with a strong recall

value produces commercially successful brands, can we replicate

the same strategy while talking conservation to an audience which

cannot get any more diverse.

Social awareness and participation has always played a crucial role in

community empowerment. If diseases could be controlled and some

even being eradicated, why the same cannot be done to educate and

promote sustainable living where all life forms get their due is an

unsolved mystery.

Awareness on the story of polythene covers and their ill effects

has reached the saturation point, however, the consumption has

not come down nor has there been a reverse in psychology. Do we

blame it on lack of efficient communication? Are we targeting the

right audience?

Environmental issues cannot be solved through desktop

conservation. Most summits and memorandums from conferences

are not changing anything on the ground, people and their belief

remains. Conservation now needs to be looked at as a saleable entity

and conservationists need consumers rather than tagging them as

volunteers. It’s time the message was targeted at the common man,

who can then decide if he/she wants to make a lifestyle change.

People are not being spoken to, if spoken to then the change is very

much a possibility.

Mass communication for conservation throws open multiple

possibilities which can deliver desired results of social change. Wide

range of audience and their circumstantial behaviour needs to

be studied thoroughly. Upon understanding people and depth of

knowledge towards environment, a communication strategy should

be developed based on the demographic audit.

Extremely rare animal footage and documentary films with inspiring

concepts are a visual treat to a select audience, when is the rest of

India going to gain access to valuable resource such as these and

evolve into the new age human. Access to resource as in any case in

India depends on your proximity to an urban conglomeration, the

closer you are to the nerve centre the better are your prospects.

The urban audience enjoys this edge over the rural mass in terms

of awareness; however, the level of insensitivity in an urban set up

towards environment is comparatively more on the reverse.

Available options are many such as folk art, theatre, street acts and

inspirational speeches which are capable of triggering a reaction

in the right direction. It’s time the audience are taken spell bound,

so that they change. Conventional communication practices are

not going to help us target and convince the masses effectively.

Innovation needs to step in with technology and approach, which

should surprise the society at large. People should voluntarily imbibe

and follow the change rather than being informed and given an

option to change per convenience.

Hatchlings - A true emergence

Emerging life

Watching wildlife is an opportunity that not many get. Dense jungles and hours before you spot an animal walking across close to your trail van. However, spotting an Olive Ridley sea turtle in the wild and not just the adult but her entire nesting and hatchling emergence is for any Chennaiite to cherish. Beaches that are buzzing with human activity in the morning are calm nesting beaches for the Olive Ridley sea turtles. Chennai’s beaches are home to baby hatchlings of sea turtles. An opportunity to observe wildlife in its habitat amidst a sprawling city is unimaginable.

What appears as tiny black spec on the sandy beach initially, after a few minutes emerges a nostril tip. Then with a great struggle a head resembling a reptile pops out shrugging off the sand. Pushing its way through from the nest below, these hatchlings emerge after 48 to 50 days of incubation in these sandy beaches. Their mother decides upon a spot in the beach where she digs a cylindrical cavity into which 80 to 120 eggs are positioned symmetrically to ensure enough warmth and air flow for all the eggs. The mother then carefully covers the nest and camouflages it well such that predators do not attack the nest.

As we were watching tiny hatchlings emerge one after the other from the nest below, it rushes in a feel of the significance of life. The struggle was visible in the way these hatchlings were pushing their way up and the hope for survival was visible when they started crawling on the beach in search of the ocean. The ocean is the brighter horizon compared to land in the night under natural circumstances. These turtle hatchlings get attracted to the ocean owing to this and crawl towards the open sea. Artificial beach lighting acts detrimental in such cases when it redirects the hatchlings away from the ocean and they get killed due to dehydration eventually lost in open land.

These turtles have their own battle to fight in the natural environment out there, adding to their misery are human practices. We stand at a crucial juncture in protecting our sea turtles; if these turtles have to survive it is necessary that beach side citizens act more responsibly. Switching off beach property lights, ensuring clean beaches, avoiding beach parties and volunteering for turtle conservation are the basic lifestyle changes that we can bring about to see these sea turtles survive because it’s not just about us, we share this planet with them all. Our education should make a difference; let it be revisiting our human side.

Roots & Shoots - The Eco Dream

It is an amazing feel when surrounded by these wonderful school kids who are purely passionate about environment and all that they want to do is change the way this country and her people care for the animals here.

Who said this generation doesn't care... I say this generation cares more than the previous one's... They grab opportunities to prove that they are not just one among the crowd. All Roots & Shoots volunteers, whether in Madras or Hyderabad, they are true marvels who will inspire people of any age (those in right senses...)

From sea turtles to sparrow, lakes, cloth bags, herbs, native saplings, paper bags, composting to zoo volunteering and much more... they are not just doing their bit, but are rewriting pages of animal care and concern. Ask them how they multi task, how they manage time, or finance management... they do not know fancy terms but they are masters of it...

In their company Roots & Shoots is all set to work real hard... to ensure that this dream becomes reality and doesn't end abruptly half way... heavy investment of man power and all expectation on returns revolves around a green outcome... Once we join there is no leaving Roots & Shoots coz its not a choice or decision to take back but a bond that only gets stronger... all in the spirit of living a human life and ensuring harmonious coexistence for all life forms...


Join the Roots & Shoots Dream... A reality that is your ticket to humanity...

Fry To A Frying Pan!!! STOP EATING FISH. VOICE YOUR OPINION AGAINST TURTLE KILLINGS.

Fish ain't farm bread or it isn't any domesticated poultry to be consumed in tonnes as we do. Fishes in the ocean are the Wild-Species which are rare and also pushed to the brink of extinction. By removing these fishes which are part of the Marine Food Chain, several other linked life forms get killed indirectly.

1. A fishing boat without Turtle Excluder Devices is the reason why India has close to 10,000 dead turtles every year. If the Q is wat's the use of turtles... the answer lies towards the end...

2. These sea turtles that get killed are healthy mothers or fathers... they swim across oceans and when they arrive at this homeland of theirs, they considered infiltrators and get killed by boat hits, trawl boat propeller cuts or the hooks... If the Q is wat's the use of turtles... the answer lies towards the end...

3. Millions of fishes once, and today its an empty ocean returning empty nets for these hunters. Wat better way to refer to them... If the Q is wat's the use of these fishes... the answer lies towards the end...

Next time a fish is served on your plate, jus run a quick scan of events tat happen before the fish lands on your plate.

A. A free living creature cheated with a bait n is suffocated to death. Irrespective of its age they get killed for no fault of theirs...

B. A mother in labor visiting her paternal beach to nest gets killed by a speeding boat. With her die her young ones.

And what do we get. A fried fish on the plate, with a newspaper article reading about the same dead turtle and the same fishermen fighting over an elevated corridor. Mankind is heading towards nothing.

ANSWER: With death ends their pain. The minute when nature decides to strike back she is gonna punish us hard, that minute of pain will answer us why these turtles and fishes were important and why we aren't anymore.

Please STOP EATING FISH. VOICE YOUR OPINION AGAINST TURTLE KILLINGS.

Flight to death...

Scorching summer heat, drying water sources has had a detrimental impact on our agents of pollination, the winged magic of our skies. There have been reports of large number of bird deaths across India. Nature has more than one action plan or responsibility for these migratory marvels. An unfinished business by them translates into a stronger countdown towards our days of trouble.

What's happening????

Birds are dehydrated to death...

Reasons:

Scorching heat, dried water sources...

How can we help???

Apartment residents: If you have a sit-out, open terrace, please place a container with water ( container with a wide mouth.)

Individual House: Please consider making small water holds at three to four spots around the house.

Impact:

If not all, you atleast will quench the thirst of a few birds.

We always wanted to do something to protect & conserve environment, opportunity can never come closer than to your open terrace. Your guests for this summer will be special, they need nothing but little water to drink. We need nothing but a little human heart to support this cause.

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Marin(e/a) Death

Sunday crowds at the Marina witnessed the tragic end. She was washed ashore dead. Strangulated to death, her struggle was evident from the deep cuts & the bulging eye balls. Her end did not come with peace. It has definitely been a struggle for no mistake of her's. Visiting her paternal's for her maternity has been a great miscalculation for this mother. She must have been one of the several ignorant one's which still have faith & trust on the terrestrial ocean grabbers. However, we have failed her as we have done to the thousand other Olive Rideley Sea-Turtles. 

Thousands every year, today it was the Marina beach which witnessed the Marine Death. The destruction & inhumane acts staged on land are getting its reviews in the form of rotten dead carcasses of marine organisms from the Ocean waters. She has warned us enough. Miles that we tread, gatherings that we organize to educate definitely aren't paying enough. The turtles are still dying. Her end signifies the beginning to a greater struggle which is to ensure that we do not perish. 

Don't empathize with the dead turtle, she is dead & can feel no pain. You & I are alive, our nerve endings are the next reception points. If a tragic end isn't your choice, act now. Unless there is a struggle, survival is not justified. Struggle now at peace, or struggle later for peace.

We apologize that we let this happen to you,

This was not my fault,
That was not my net,
I was not there on the boat,
I wasn't even aware you were coming,
I am not eating those fishes,
I am not sure why they killed you,
I am not sure why nobody is protecting you,
&, I am sure that you are not coming back.

These cannot be our words, it is not justified any more. Before she strikes back hard, let us act.

I see your pain in the death,
Your death is my loss,
My loss is personal,
Personal effort to save the rest of you,
You can trust us.

Do Not Feed Them

        

                                                      Do You Know This Kid?????

If you know this kid, contact us immediately...

write to us...

The TREE Roots & Shoots group is searching for this kid, who is seen feeding a deer at the Guindy National Park. 

A campaign to focus on not to feed the animals in captivity at our zoos & national parks. These animals should not be fed for several reasons. 

Do Not Feed Animals:

"The signs are used to discourage visitors from giving any food to the animals. In a zoo this is due to the strict dietary controls in place. The sign is also common when asking people not to feed animals in a public place – some animals are considered to be a pest and would leave the area if the food was not available. One reason for this is that the animals can start aggressively seeking out food from people, sometimes leading to injury. In some cases there are laws to enforce such rules."

Please do not feed the animals, & stop others who feed these animals. They do not need our calories to survive...