To involve children of 400 schools from Nov Wild Orissa, working in the field of wildlife conservation since 1996, will hold a bird study and conservation programme involving students of 400 schools in the State from November. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Odisha SS Srivastava, as chief guest, inaugurated the State-level programme here on Friday. Eminent ornithologist Dr Uday Narayan Dev, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) HS Bist, representatives from Wildlife Society of Orissa, Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society of Orissa, Ruchika Social Service Organisation, Birds of Orissa, Kalinga Birds, besides Krushna Chandra Swain (chairman), Nanda Kishore Bhujabal (vice-chairman), Kulamani Deo, Akash Ranjan Rath, Dilip Kumar Nayak of Wild Orissa were present. The one- year programme entitled ‘Giving flight to young mind- My school, my bird’ will involve schools in Khurdha, Nayagarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Dhenkanal, Angul, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Ganjam. Odisha has in excess of 540 species of birds. This initiative will involve identifying one species of bird with one school, organising interactive sessions with students on the species, its natural habitat, its conservation status and requirements, etc. The focus will be on forest fringe areas and rural areas. High resolution photographs from photographers and bird lovers of the State who will like to share will be sourced for the conservation initiative. Each of these schools will be evaluated as to what initiatives they would have taken during the course of a six months period. The endeavour will link birds with their ecology and their habitats, enabling children to appreciate the need for natural habitat conservation. Special emphasis will be laid upon rare and endangered bird species. “Areas outside the ‘protected areas’ will be targeted. Selection of a bird species for a particular school will be done basing on well laid down criteria. There will be standard operating procedures adopted for all districts and schools which will include processes that ensure maximal engagement of school children in bird observation, bird noting, bird discussions, etc. for the particular species earmarked. Subsequently a robust evaluation mechanism will be put in place involving externals. An incentivized approach will be adopted during the feedback and evaluation stage,” said a release of Wild Orissa.