Online chat on 18^th October, 2007 moderated by Lima Rosalind of WWF(I)

“URBAN WILDLIFE”

 “Urban wildlife needs our support  with compassion and action for its survival.  

We need to spread this message of tolerance, observation, learning and doing”

-Lima

Members in the chat room

ajitsesh
radzace7
raghavradz
Rosalind
shalin
Susan

Susan  Welcome to Iwc chat on "Urban Wildlife" 

ajitsesh  Hi,susan my well wishes 

Susan  Welcome Ajit 

ajitsesh  yes, this topic is good to brain storm... 

Susan  I hope lots of people from delhi will come in 

Rosalind  Hi Susan

Susan  Welcome Lima

Rosalind  Thank you and welcome Ajit 

Susan  Hi shalin 

ajitsesh  Hi Lima! what is urban wildlife ? to start with.... if we take the like for 

components of wildlife it gives a different meaning!!

shalin  hi ! welcome everyone 

shalin  hi susan !

shalin  wel wat is everyone waiting for ? 

shalin  me is it ? 

Susan  Lima go ahead

Rosalind  Urban Wildlife is the denizens around any human urban conglomeration! 

shalin  yeah i think thatz the best move  

shalin  miss lima take the call 

Susan  to me urban wildlife is the birds, butterflies, lizards etc in the backyard garden 

ajitsesh  I think Lima can give good examples of the eco-system of urban wildlife to start

with !! 

shalin  basically is the wildlife which can try to survive with e vicious animal called

homo-sapiens 

shalin  is that right ? 

Rosalind  for that matter sparrows coming to your balcony in the heart of Delhi is Wildlife

too,though they are habituated to live around habitations! 

shalin  true 

Susan  Shalin, I think all wild animals are forced to do it these days! 

shalin  but sparrows having a lot of support from people in mumbai 

shalin  yeah taz true !! 

Rosalind  Your little green space in your front yard or back yard which is home to a toad

or a caterpillar is wildlife 

ajitsesh  Hi, i am starting to list out the species which constitute and co-habitate with

each other in the urban eco-system year after year some sort if an audit...!! 

shalin  so wat is the purpose of the talk on urban wildlife ? 

Rosalind  Yes that will be a great study 

shalin  friends wat difference can we make today ? 

shalin  anyone there ? 

Rosalind  It up to us to think how tolerant w are towards all other species that habit this

Earth along with us! 

shalin  explain tolernce ? 

Susan  Bring nature home wherever we are -flats, houses 

Rosalind  WWF enabled a small pilot study for TERI University on sparrows in Delhi 

ajitsesh  so our urban safari members have listed toad, frogs, sparrows, Lima you can say

Bats also,, caterpillar, green spaces, leftover water-bodies, butterflies,urban-river i.e

delhi's yamuna, ridges scapes, 

shalin  well i think instead of bringing we shud allow the nature to stay n we shud bring

ourselves in it 

Susan  That is a better way of putting it, Shalin 

shalin  teri university ? 

shalin  sure go ahead 

Rosalind  Though the study did not throw up any mind-boggling fact 

shalin  susan ajitesh n lima only three people apart from me in al of india have time for

urban wildlife ? 

ajitsesh  i think the wildlife species are there in urban scapes but find it difficult to

survive due to human pollution is it!! 

Rosalind  more that pollution its attitude, I would say 

shalin  well al this are silent facts 

Rosalind  Secondly how are we enabling these species to survive? 

Susan  Lima tell us how we urbanites can give space to wildlife in our homes, schools,

colleges, factories etc 

shalin  sure susan 

Rosalind  by putting up bird boxes 

ajitsesh  shalin , i get your point , let us get down to some fact gathering from Lima,

Lima tell us how best can community exert initiatives to enjoy urban wildlife!! 

Susan  By not I repeat not feeding birds 

Rosalind  firstly by observing their own homes, neighbourhoods, parks, water bodies etc 

Rosalind  YOU will soon realise that there are seasonalities 

Rosalind  There are comings and goings, nest building activities, breeding activities etc 

ajitsesh  Good i listed some species of wildlife before and now to gather some

initiatives.... bird boxes is an excellent idea...observe all natural habitats, water

bodies, get the schools to become more serious,have multi-seasonal fruit bearing

bird-friendly trees 

Rosalind  Nature is so dynamic, that it passes by and we are left poorer for want of

observational skills 

Rosalind  Bird baths bird feeders, using organic manure rather than chemical based ones 

Rosalind  By not cutting trees when they are in fruit or flowering stage - educating the

society/RWA mali 

shalin  sure lets do it 

ajitsesh  Can the Govtt. and governance policies help in these matters ,, if so what are

they?? 

shalin  friends can we exchange mail ids ? 

Rosalind  Governance is of no value unless the Governed have a change of heart ! 

shalin  i think wwf offers a diploma in environmental law isnt it lima ? 

Susan  Feeding birds with grains upset natures way of sustaining the birds. Many urban

homes will have just crows or just pigeons if we start putting out seeds 

ajitsesh  ajit.seshadri@vigyanvijay.org // Ngo website www.vigyanvijay.org //

Rosalind  Yes Shalin 

shalin  more than the policies the environment needs new leaders

Rosalind  We in the Tropics do not have harsh winters

shalin  role models 

shalin  we need to be connected with ppl who care n are persistent   

shalin  yes its true  

Rosalind  My basic question is nature is all around you, do you need to have a leader to tell

you to appreciate it!

Susan  We all can be role models in our neighbourhood

ajitsesh  made a good point on role models/ involve youth for environment

Rosalind  It is when "we" become "I" that change and transformation will happen! 

shalin  well said miss lima 

shalin  susan n lima may i have ur ids too   

Rosalind  Youth need to get connected to relating to the environment as important as

breathing! 

shalin  well evry field has its mentors 

Rosalind  lrosalind@wwfindia.net 

Susan  We need to have more wildlife SOS around When a snake is found in a school/college

compound, it is invariably killed 

shalin  who we look upto to inspire us 

shalin  so it was a thought

Rosalind  that is because of the myths surrounding it 

shalin  i have put across to u all 

Rosalind  Create awareness, compassion  

Rosalind  Every school will become a hub for Wildlife SOS- that is the potential 

Susan  Lima, I think we also need action 

Rosalind  Action comes from responsibility 

shalin  what is sos ? 

shalin  responsibilty comes from awareness n education 

ajitsesh  for role models look at chipkko sunderlal,  bishnoi gang, rajendra singh and

others, Lima for Bats( not for cricket !! ) at Delhi ,now for climate change we have al

gore and rk pachauri 

Susan  Do nature clubs of WWF train teachers/students in wildlife SOS activities 

Rosalind  SOS is an acronym 

Rosalind  Yes we train teachers in tools and techniques for both outdoor and indoor

education 

shalin  can i have gmail ids

ajitsesh  SOS-- STANDS FOR SAVE OUR SOULS...!! YES WE can have wwf show us the way !! 

shalin  okies 

Rosalind  WIldlife SOS is a specialised field and requires special skill and training 

shalin  friends GMAIL IDS

ajitsesh  ajitseshadri@gmail.com

Susan  Shalin are you a member of BNHS/WWF   

Rosalind  WWF-I is doing ,but it cannot be doing what each human first needs to do - create

a responsible behaviour 

Rosalind  lrosalind@gmail.com 

shalin  nopes  

Susan  You will find role models in BNHS and WWF 

Rosalind  become one 

shalin  i was member long time back  

Rosalind  Renew your membership and support conservation 

shalin  i am talking in a way like ppl talk bt cricket wildlife needs to be spoken same way

 shalin  now i think ppl are taking wildlife n environment seriously cause the clock is

ticking faster 

Rosalind  Besides its a losing battle 

Rosalind  with wilderness areas being opened up for Tribals  

Rosalind  and malls and SEZ and Japanese Corrodors 

ajitsesh  anything for water pl count us in // ofcourse for practical implementation of

environmental initiatives also // 

Rosalind  We donot have time to look for inspiration from the outside! 

shalin  well lima 

Rosalind  Ajit we need to get back in action! 

shalin  yes we do 

shalin  ajit have added u on gtalk

shalin  please find me shalin as satyavache@gmail.com 

raghavradz  hieeeeee

shalin  i am associated with a group called hyticos in hyderabad india 

shalin  hi raghavendra ! 

Rosalind  Hi Raghav   

raghavradz  n that hyticos group is awesome 

shalin  we work for tiger conservation

shalin  hi raghav !

raghavradz  hi sis   

shalin  friends raghav is my brother 

shalin  he too is a nature lover 

ajitsesh  hi.ragahav , this is an SOS last 5 minutes .... let us all put some action points

to be done and take a recount by next chat and take it up steadily 

Rosalind  What is your Target group? 

shalin  target group ? 

Rosalind  with whichsection of society do you engage with?

shalin  i was also associated with a group called as kids for tigers

raghavradz  ok friends 1st of all one of our great leaders said...that be the change u want

to see in the world 

shalin  kids   

Rosalind  Ok   

Rosalind  Great that's the one which will inherit this Earth from us!  

shalin  yes that was said by mohandas karamchand gandhi 

raghavradz  so 1st of all i would love to tell u that what ever we gonna do..1st be

committed to it..n see wheather are we really gonna do this with 100% 

shalin  we plan to target he college youth as well

shalin  yes

shalin  well pionted out 

shalin  are we equally motivated ?

shalin  ajit seshadri i have added u on gmail

raghavradz  so how if we want youth then we would have to make this project interestin and

full of knowledge n fun 

shalin  yes raghav we have youngsters like u who help us with ur insights n enthusiasm 

shalin  lima rosalind u have been added too  

raghavradz  youth want something real fascinating

Rosalind  There is a lot of talent in this country among our Youth 

shalin  please accept me on gtalk i wud appreciate 

radzace7  hi raghav  

ajitsesh  thanks for joining us in ,, we have done and doing a lot on awareness &

participation with school & college youth and some grown up youths also!! 

raghavradz  friendz n shalini di radz is maa fiance 

shalin  radzace  

radzace7  hi guys

shalin  huh   

Susan  Lima, it is one hour of chat- do you want to sum up? 

Rosalind  Yes 

shalin  susan ur mail id 

shalin  at gmail 

raghavradz  u know 1st start nature lovers camp...n then we can tell nat geo to help us in

advertisement 

shalin  ppl y so quiet 

Susan  sharmasusan@gmail.com

Rosalind  Urban wildlife needs support a with compassion and action for its survival 

raghavradz  u know its gud we are makin plzns but it is useless until we execute it 

shalin  yes 

shalin  yes lets al connect n exucute or best 

raghavradz  ok but how...

shalin  i think email 

raghavradz  three things how what and when   

Rosalind  We need to spread this message of tolerance, observation, learning and doing 

Rosalind  above all engaging with allsections of society 

shalin  i am gona start blogging as well 

raghavradz  "how" what and "when" juss think about this 

shalin  apart from field work 

shalin  n awareness programmes   

Rosalind  Thanks for this evening of exchanges . It was engaging! 

ajitsesh  hi all !! i am losing my connectivity we will be in touch to do our best ...

count me in !!! all the best from me....!!! 

shalin  truly

Susan  Yes, Shalin Internet is a great medium for creating awareness Start writing in IWC

Blog as well 

shalin  ajit be in touch 

shalin  i wil do susan 

shalin  do join me

Rosalind  Thanks Susan for this opportunity. YOu could also count in WWF-I website 

Susan  Thank you Ajit, Shalin and friends Thanks Lima for sparing the time 

shalin  i have sent u invite on gtalk 

shalin  yeah same here susan

Susan  Bye and see you next month same time!