The Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH), Bhopal, in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board and Bhopal Birds Conservation Society, organized a series of events to raise awareness about sparrow conservation on the occasion of World Sparrow Day on March 20, 2025. The program aimed to educate the public about the importance of protecting sparrows and their habitats.
The chief guest of the event, Manoj Kumar Solanki, Assistant Member Secretary, Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, Bhopal, inaugurated the proceedings.
The celebration began with a painting competition for students on the theme "Sparrow Conservation in Cities." Participants depicted the life of sparrows and highlighted the urgency of their conservation through their artwork.
Following the painting competition, Solanki and other dignitaries inaugurated a photography exhibition titled "Sparrows of India." The exhibition featured 30 photographs from 17 photographers across the country, capturing various aspects of sparrows' lives, including nesting, feeding, and daily activities.
The exhibition showcased works from renowned photographers including Dr. Aribam Sharma (Manipur), Gurukumar (Hyderabad), Sanjay Kumar (Patna), Mithilas Surve and Jayashree Sen (Mumbai), Dr. Bipin Amin, Pushparaj Kapadia, and Jay Patel (Ahmedabad), Dr. D.K. Sharma (Gwalior), and Dr. Somesh Sitoke (Narmadapuram). Local photographers from Bhopal such as Devika Raghave, Dr. Geeta Rani Gupta, Mirza Altaf Baig, Krati Jain, Ankit Malviya, Rishabh Dev Vyas, and Dipesh Bhavsar also contributed their works.
As part of the event, Solanki released two popular publications of the museum titled "Common Krait" and "Indian Wolf." The publications aim to provide insights into the biodiversity of Madhya Pradesh and encourage conservation efforts.
To further promote sparrow conservation, artificial nests and participation certificates were distributed to all participants.
The event witnessed the presence of several prominent officials, including Scientist-D and In-charge of RMNH Beenish Rafat, Scientist-C Manik Lal Gupta, and representatives from the Bhopal Birds Conservation Society Sangeeta Rajgir and Mohd. Khalique. Officials from the Madhya Pradesh Biodiversity Board, including Vivek Pandey, Ms. Shivani Sharma, and Shubham Singh, also attended the program. The celebration emphasized the need for collective efforts to protect and preserve the sparrow population, highlighting the role of community awareness and active participation in conservation initiatives.
