2025-11-21

We had an exciting and inspiring day at Munnar Govt. ATP School, where young nature enthusiasts took part in a Frog Awareness Class organised by the TIES Team as part of the project “Development of Bioacoustics Tools for Monitoring Amphibian Diversity in the Munnar Landscape”.This initiative is supported by Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), Bengaluru, in collaboration with Cornell Lab of Ornithology, USA, and biometrio.earth, Germany.

The session was led by Dr. Punnen Kurian (Director, TIES) and Ms. Cimila Sibichen (Project Officer – Munnar Bioacoustics Study), with wonderful support from the school’s teacher coordinatorsThe program began with a soulful prayer by the school choir, followed by a warm welcome from Head Master Mr. Shanmugavel, who stressed the importance of connecting children with nature early in life.Dr. Punnen Kurian inaugurated the session, opening a window into the fascinating world of frogs and the need for conservation. Students enjoyed an engaging presentation on frog lifecycles, Munnar’s endemic and endangered species, their habitats, and the threats these little amphibians face.

They were especially thrilled to learn about the Munnar Bioacoustics Study—how scientists use frog calls to identify and monitor species in the Western Ghats!

The learning continued with a colourful twist—an exciting colouring competition featuring one of the target species from the study. This creative activity helped students better recognise and appreciate local amphibians. Teachers including Ms Mahalakshmi, Ms Beena Begum, Ms Shobhana, Mr Vinu, Ms Chithra Devi, Ms Saranya, and Ms Devibala actively coordinated the event, also translating the session into Tamil to ensure every child connected with the message.

  The day wrapped up with a prize distribution ceremony, motivating students to keep exploring and protecting the biodiversity around them. Smt. Mahalakshmi delivered the vote of thanks, appreciating the Head Master, staff, and the TIES Team for making the event truly memorable.