#conservationists

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Although Marhn has been tending to this Horned Ollies for 8 cycles he still finds them mesmerising. How such large, mighty creatures can move so gently across the terrain. He can barely hear them if he closes his eyes.


For Marhn it’s hard to believe this natural wonders could one day cease to be. They seem as much a part of the landscape of the Elyanno plains as the Cobb Mountain Chain or the Sawff river. 

As a child Marhn had seen Horned Ollies in the old docu rolls and encyclopaedic archives of his units knowistry. Ollies were his favourite and loved to depict them on the simulators whenever teaches gave them task free access. He knew them by heart and was one of the best among his classmates at emulating them. His sims could even make sounds, emote and make eye contact. Loop copies of Marhn’s sims were often shared around by classmates and they even got to impress the students of higher grades that saw them. He was a natural. 

Around Marhn’s 2nd cycle, brief but ghastly reports of the plea of the Horned Ollie started to emerge. Sadly as he grew older, colonies grew smaller and foreseeable extinction was in the horizon. It only got worst and worst. All conservation efforts failed as the environment of the Lacla continued to degrade. Nutrient scarcity and the irreversible toxicity of the ground were too severe for the remaining Ollie population, already weakened and massively stressed. Reproduction numbers had thinned like the quality of the environment and the precious few new births faced a dire prospect.
 
At the time Marhn volunteered into the Assisted Migration Program, he did it only as a brief aside, something to help during a 3rd of the cycle at most and return to his position in the Ella Department of Analysis. It was his career after all. Once there, he worked on managing and strategy which felt closer to his profesional expertise.

When the recruitment notice for ground positions came up in the internal boards, he felt his skin rise with electricity. He hadn’t even considered it. He had come there just to help. Being actually close to the Ollies had not occurred to him. See them in person.

Soon after he applied for the position and was transported to the Elyanno plains, Marhn saw them for the first time. This environment was as new for Marhn as it was for the Ollies. Feeling of doubt, fear and trepidation whenof facing the unknown landscape. He felt that within him as much as he saw it in them. He felt synched to them. This changed Marhn for good. It became clear he would not go back to an office. Not as long as he could afford to be out in the open. Out with the Horned Ollies.

Every week, Eco India brings you stories that inspire you to build a cleaner, greener and better tomorrow.

Though Sparrows are one of the most common birds in the world – here in India sparrows have become harder to spot - be it in cities, towns, or the countryside. Conservationists in Delhi have come up with a solution to boost their numbers – and it’s not just the birds who can benefit.

Credits -

Supervising Producer: Nooshin Mowla

Field Producer & Script: Juhi Chaudhary

Video Editor: Amit Garg (Metro Media Works)

Associate Producer: Ipsita Basu

Director of Photography: Gurvinder Singh

Voiceover: Jasleen Bhalla Meha