Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb. 8: In continuation of the celebrations of the 1st Bird Festival of the A&N Islands, which is scheduled to be commence on Feb.14, a series of awareness programmes have been successfully organized across the islands as part of the pre-events to the 1st Islands Bird Festival. These programmes were conducted by the Department of Environment and Forests, in coordination with the Andaman Avian Club, across various Forest Divisions of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The initiatives witnessed enthusiastic participation from students, general public, PRI representatives, bird watchers, researchers, and staff and workers of the Department of Environment and Forests.
A range of engaging and educational activities were organized, including guided ecological walks aimed at understanding local ecosystems, with special emphasis on mangroves and wetlands. Interactive programmes such as Feed the Bird Station, Build a Nest Challenge, Sketch a Bird sessions, and Bird Quiz competitions were also conducted to encourage active participation and experiential learning among participants. The primary objective of these activities was to promote public participation and sensitize stakeholders on the importance of bird conservation under the theme ‘Protect Birds, Preserve Nature, Secure Tomorrow’.