Meet The Nest Man Of India Who Has Built Lakhs Of Homes For Birds

According to globalforestwatch.org, in 2010, India had 31.3Mha of natural forest, extending over 11% of its land area. In 2020, it lost 132kha of natural forest, equivalent to 67.3Mt of CO₂ emissions. This in turn has snatched away lives and homes of billions of animals and birds who are now either succumbing or wandering in search of shelter.

Rakesh Khatri from Delhi was pestered by this very fact for several years since his childhood. He used to live in Purani Dilli where till now we get to see a lot of birds. But with urban settlements, these birds’ lives were vulnerable and they had to resort to making their nests in odd corners of the buildings.

Rakesh grew up watching them and getting warnings from his elders to be careful with the creatures. He shifted to Ashok Vihar where he saw the same problem. This harbored in his mind for many years and gradually led him to make handmade nests for birds.

In today’s date, Rakesh Khatri has made a whopping 1.25 lakhs nests for birds across India.

“Our elders in Purani Dilli used to warn us to not switch on the fan as the birds nested in the high corners or sky lights in the room may get injured. So, I grew up caring for them. Now I stay in Ashok Vihar, where birds are unable to enter people’s homes and make nests. They need gaps in walls, but now people are aghast when they see holes in their walls. Bushes have disappeared. So where will birds make their homes. Another worrisome factor is that civil work undertaken in parks has created havoc for birds. So I started making nests,” shares Ashok Khatri with Life Beyond Numbers.

Rakesh started with collecting raw coconut shells and filling them with shredded newspaper. He then pasted coconut husk on the outer walls and tied it with a stick and hung the structure nearby his society. Unfortunately, his first attempt failed and no birds came in.

But he did not give up.

Rakesh reconstructed new nests using bamboo sticks, jute thread, and husk which were lightweight and could be hung. This time within four days a bird made it their home. Many people asked him to make nests for them also. Rakesh then made his first batch of 20 nests that were put up in the locality. Today he makes varieties of nests one of which is made of disposed tetra packs.

A documentary filmmaker by profession but environmentalist by passion, Mr. Rakesh Khatri worked on films on environmental topics. He then realized that he would be able to contribute to environmental preservation and enrichment much more by forming an organization. So, in 2012 he founded Eco Roots Foundation which works tirelessly to conserve the ecosystem, environment, and bio-diversity.

Also, read: Game Of Thorns: This Retired Zoologist From Delhi Houses Over 1500 Varieties Of Cactus

Initiatives by Ecoroots Foundation

Ecoroots Foundation acts as a medium to interact with people to incite sensitivity towards environmental issues, thereby motivating them to work towards environmental conservation. Small initiatives such as building tree canopies in the RWAs of East Delhi, installing recycled e-waste bins in residential areas, and establishing herbal nurseries in school complexes are some of the many activities of the organization.

With numerous projects running to save the environment, take an in-depth look at all their major projects here.

1. Green Cinema

The foundation creates green cinema that is films and documentaries on environmental issues to connect children and youth to the environment through images and sound of nature which gives them a sense of belongingness that “Nature Belongs to them” and they should take care of nature.

2. Nature Study with Kids

Rakesh has covered 1600 workshops in which almost 45000 students were benefitted from green knowledge and hands-on activities. There are various sessions of different activities like Games, Nature tours, Nest Making sessions, and many more. During the pandemic, Ecoroots went virtual and conducted zoom and google meet workshops for school kids.

“This hobby unknowingly brings so much joy into people’s lives. Initially, volunteers may have reservations, but once they develop a fascination for birds, their passion spreads everywhere. So, more people join in,” says the nest maker.

Additionally, Khatri has conceived and successfully implemented over 20 projects on Sparrow Conservation, Water Conservation, and E-waste Management.

For his immense involvement in the environment, Mr. Khatri has been recognized with various awards such as:

• Limca Book of Records: Highest number of workshops conducted to teach participants how to make handmade nests throughout the country.
• International Green Apple Award: Best practice on Sparrow Conservation in India. The award was bestowed upon Eco Roots Foundation at the House of Commons of the UK.
• Limca Book of Records: Largest theatre event on climate change with performances in 12 languages involving 1,12,000 students.
• Earth Day Star: Earth Day Network.
• A dedicated chapter in ICSC English text book for 4th standard.
• National Award for Outstanding Efforts In Science and Technology Communication Through Innovative and Traditional Methods.
• London World Book of Records: Created 1,25,000 nests using jute and tetra pack.

“The blessed feeling of being able to give a home to someone cannot be possibly expressed in words,” quotes Khatri.

To volunteer to make nests and help Rakesh Khatri click here.