Date:21/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/21/stories/2008092152940300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Egged on by zeal to safeguard biodiversity

Aletta André

60 students take part in painting competition at Women’s Christian College

— Photo: S.S. KUMAR

CREATIVE STROKES: Students who took part in the competition organised by the Enviro Club of Women’s Christian College.

CHENNAI: Well ahead of Easter, nearly 60 students gathered at Women’s Christian College here for a painting competition, in which they had to paint eggs. Ostrich eggs, that is. The event was held to promote awareness of biodiversity.

“India is one of 16 mega biodiversities in the world. There is such beautiful wildlife, but there are treats from hunting, smuggling, pollution and tourism. Awareness is necessary, to promote conservation,” Pauline Deborah, staff coordinator of WCC’s Enviro Club, which organised the event, said. “With students from other colleges participating, it is our biggest event so far,” Pauline Jesudoss, student coordinator of Enviro Club said.

The club recently visited a research centre in Kaatupakkam, where Malaysian ostriches are bred. There they sell emptied shells of unfertilised eggs, which had brought the students on to this idea.

“This is a special event, because ostrich eggs are rare in India. I had never even seen one before,”

Archanaa, a visual communication student at WCC who participated in the competition, said.

The shape and smooth feel of the ostrich eggs, which are approximately 15-20 cm long and 3 mm thick, make them no easy objects to paint. But, pencilled designs slowly turned into colourful images of jungles, underwater landscapes and deserts, all inspired by the theme ‘Appreciating our biodiversity.’

Nina Simon, a zoology student at WCC, was sketching an elephant and a man. “I believe that humans are not excluded from biodiversity, but that man and nature are interlinked. Humans might be the main cause for the destruction of biodiversity, but they are much needed to build things up again too,” she said.

The winning eggs will be chosen at an exhibition held on Wednesday where all eggs will be for sale. The money will be used for on-campus activities of the Enviro Club, such as paper bag making.