A land of phoenixes rising from the ashes, polka-dotted supersonic felines, killer horned mammals and a plethora of earthly and unearthly beings dwell where magic meets reality…It did sound too far-fetched, nevertheless in time “The Enchanted Wilderness” became the series of conservation anecdotes that indeed echoed the Cries before they fade.
It all began after the first Rotaract district meeting for the newly appointed PR directors for the year 2020/2021, which included the Editors and IT-Directors as well. Along the formalities of the meeting, the newly initiated avenue branding logos, with an assigned animal for each avenue took our eyes.
“The Phoenixes”, we called ourselves, the team that never dies. But, there was an underlying meaning behind the beautifully shaded animal logos. The message that the continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of the life of humans. In a time where global warming, habitat loss, fragmentation, and rapid extinction of species from the face of the earth is becoming more and more consequential by the day, the need for conservation and protection of our extant fauna is becoming equally crucial. These animals are either endangered or critically endangered in their conservation status. The numbers speak for themselves where a greater depletion is seen each year.
As enthusiastic science undergraduates, we, the editors’ team was inspired to choose the species of our very own representatives of the Rotaract avenues of service, to build up a conversation about conservation through a blog article series. Members of our editor’s team, along with some enthusiastic Rotaractors who had the passion to expand their knowledge on scientific writing in an interesting manner, took part in this project. Along with the support of our phoenixes, a breathtaking set of posts and amazing Instagram stories backed all our 11 blog articles, adding further value, expanding their audience, and giving due recognition to the authors.
Little conversations built up among our members and directors who eagerly waited to read about their avenue animal. Besides the mythical fire-breathing Phoenix from the legends which added a touch of magic to the project theme, the project shed a light upon each organism’s unique “superpowers” and adaptations to survive the tough terrains of life. But, as responsible Rotaractors, our deep-rooted aim was to spread awareness on the current conservation status of the species and the call for quick action, in order to save these marvels of nature from becoming just another “tale from the past”. Hence “The Enchanted Wilderness” could be said as an instance where we used our words to play our part in assisting the battle against extinction before the cries fade…
By. Rtr. Dilshan Chandraguptha
Image Credits:
- Rotaract District Handbook – 2020-21
Excellently written and a great initiative everyone!