The Kerala
Forest Department is embarking on a unique project to utilise the magic of bird
melodies for conservation.An event to be hosted by the department here on
September 18 will provide a venue for foresters, researchers, and music
composers to highlight the beauty of birdsongs and make them relevant to
conservation efforts.Participants in the programme can make original music
using a combination of birdsongs and ‘beatbox’ to create awareness about birds
and their conservation. The music will be mixed with high-quality photographs
and footage of these birds to create a video, linking birds responsible for the
sounds in the composition.
Titled “Give birds something to sing about,” the programme
involves the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, with bird
ecologist V.V. Robin; scholar-in-residence Ben Mirin from New York; and
photographer Prasenjeet Yadav from Bengaluru. While Ben will use beatbox to
create music with birdsongs, Prasenjeet will make a video to convey their beauty.
“It is an attempt to bring back the melodies of Nature,” says Principal Chief
Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force B.S. Corrie. “While all of us
appreciate birds for their unparalleled singing ability, we fail to associate
these songs with the unique bird species that live around us.” Dr. Corrie said
the programme was expected to give a fresh impetus to tree planting as a means
to attract birds.
Recent research carried out in Kerala forests indicates that
some of the birds endemic to the Western Ghats are very special, especially
those that live only on the top of mountain areas called Sky Islands. According
to Dr. Corrie, these mountaintop habitats are fast disappearing because of
deforestation and climate change, posing a threat to the survival of the birds.
The Kerala Forest Department is an active supporter of Sky Island research
.
Prof. John Kurakar
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