Summary
Seminar hosted by Vandeep, the Eco Task Force of the college
Focus on impact of light pollution on birds
The St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi, Eco Task Force, Vandeep, held a daylong seminar to mark World Migratory Birds Day.
The seminar focussed on light pollution and its impact on migratory birds. “Light pollution has increased by two per cent across the globe. Increased light in the environment leads to disorientation in the migratory behaviour of birds. The programme aimed to spread awareness about the need to reduce illumination at night and facilitate uninterrupted and safe bird migration,” said Bharti Singh Rajpat, the head of the Zoology department at St. Xavier’s, Ranchi, and coordinator of Vandeep.
Light pollution is a significant threat to migratory birds. It causes disorientation in birds when they fly at night and increases chances of collision with buildings, perturbs the internal clock of birds and interferes with their ability to undertake long-distance migration.
More and more cities in the world are taking measures to dim building lights during migration season in spring and autumn. Best practice guidelines are also being developed under the Convention on Migratory Species to address the issue and ensure that action is taken globally to help birds migrate safely.
The seminar made students made aware of the need to protect the habitat of migratory birds to ensure a healthy population of birds.
“This is important because birds play an important role in the environment. They are needed to maintain ecological balance. Birds are the messengers of nature, which is why it is necessary to restore ecological linkage and integrity to promote migratory bird migration,” Rajpat said.
The keynote speaker of the event was A.K. Sahay, a well-known birdwatcher from Ranchi and National Award winner.
Heritage conservation consultant and heritage ambassador for rural tradition (HART) for Jharkhand-Bihar, Shree Deo Singh, shared his thoughts on nature and its conservation.
St. Xavier's College Ranchi St. Xavier's College principal Father Nabor Lakra gave a message to be generous towards birds.
Nearly 300 students of the college attended the programme. A quiz competition on migration of birds was also held during the seminar.
Last updated on 20 May 2022
