Community Involvement
This unique sanctuary is actively protected and managed by the Koonthankulam village community. The local people take a keen interest in protecting this sanctuary and they live together in total symbiotic harmony.
Birds coming to villagers backyards are protected vehemently and regarded as harbingers of luck. The excreta of birds and silt from the tanks is collected by villagers in summer and applied as fertilizer to their fields. All villagers protect the birds, their nests and fledgelings. Fallen chicks are taken care of in the rescue centre till they are able to fly on their own. Anyone disturbing the nests are punished by shaving their head, or making a public procession on a donkey. The Indian festival Diwali is not celebrated here because the sound of crackers would drive away the winged visitors.
An interpretation centre, watch tower, children's park and dormitary are open for public use throughout the year.
Read more about this topic: Koothankulam Bird Sanctuary
Famous quotes containing the words community and/or involvement:
“The community which has neither poverty nor riches will always have the noblest principles.”
—Plato (c. 427–347 B.C.)
“The mother whose self-image is dependent on her children places on those children the responsibility for her own identity, and her involvement in the details of their lives can put great pressure on the children. A child suffers when everything he or she does is extremely important to a parent; this kind of over-involvement can turn even a small problem into a crisis.”
—Grace Baruch (20th century)