‘So what if they are thorny? Don’t fell trees’

Conservationists urge Odisha farmers to help protect Baya weaver birds.

Farmers in Odisha’s Ganjam district have been receiving unusual requests from conservationists to not cut down thorny trees such as palm, date and babul although they have “lesser” economic value. Conservationists are worried that felling and uprooting of these trees spell doom for the Baya weaver, a nesting bird. “We are fast losing Doub palm, date, coconut and babul trees to cyclones. Moreover, with concrete houses replacing thatched houses in villages, trees like palm have lost their relevance. In earlier days, palm and dates trees were found on the edge of agricultural fields. Since they do not have much economic value left, farmers prefer to get rid of these trees,” said Rabindranath Sahu, an environment conservation activist. “During a survey conducted in the past six months, we came across 2,000 nests hanging from trees like palm, date and babul in six blocks across Ganjam district. In one palm tree, 105 nests were spotted,” said Mr. Sahu.