L V Prasad Eye Institute Partners with World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF)

The project “Mobile Apps 4 Climate Change: A Citizen Science Programme for Schools in Metros” proposed by Dr V Shubhalaxmi, Founder and Director at Ladybird Consulting LLP, is the sole winner from India of the ‘Alumni Innovation Engagement Fund’ annually announced by the United States Department of International Alumni Exchange. The project involves development of 3 three mobile apps on urban birds, butterflies and trees of four metros: Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad that will bring urban biodiversity information on the fingertips of the users.

 

WWF-India will work with schools in Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata to help students document campus biodiversity through the Mobile App developed by Ladybird Environmental Consulting (LEC). WWF-India has been involved in students based initiatives in India since 1976 and has created a cadre of young environmentalist that is close to over 200,000 strong. Mr P K Sharma, PCCF (WL) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Telangana Forest Department, was the Chief Guest at the launch event to the project at L V Prasad Eye Institute today.

 

Mr Anil Kumar V Epur, Chairman, WWF-India in his opening remarks said, “For today’s technology savvy students, this mobile app will help generate curiosity about biodiversity and encourage students to get involved in documenting biodiversity as a student scientist.”

 

Dr Ashutosh Richhariya, Associate Director and Head - Institute of Translational Research, Engineering and Advancement of Technology and Faculty - Srujana (LVPEI-MITRA Center of Innovation), L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in his welcome address said, “The Srujana Innovation Centre at LVPEI works as a hub for the development of new practices, tools and capabilities. It will share the requisite technical as well as domain knowledge with participants to help them in the value enhancement of the cost effective products or technologies for use at the consumer end.”

 

The Ladybird Environmental Consulting, LLP an environmental social enterprise interfaces between corporate businesses and NGOs in the domain of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Dr V Shubhalaxmi, Founder and Director at Ladybird Consulting LLP, said “My team won 25000 USD grant support for a project that involves development of 3 three mobile apps on urban birds, butterflies and trees of four metros; Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkatta and Hyderabad. These apps include information about 50 common species that are mostly found in these metros, and will be freely available on Android platform.”

 

Besides, the development of mobile apps, the project includes a School Citizen Science Programme titled ‘Urban iNaturewatch Challenge’ wherein 40 city schools would take up local biodiversity studies as part of their project work. These apps will be helpful in identifying local trees, birds and butterflies which the students need to report back to the project. The project is expected to develop 3000 student citizen scientists across the cities.

 

For more information, log on to www.inaturewatch.com

 

About WWF-India:

WWF-India’s Conservation and Education programme was started in 1969 with an aim to strengthen a long term basis, both human and institutional capacity in nature conservation and environmental protection. In this project, WWF-India is partnering with LEC to reach out to schools and engage students in the ‘Urban iNaturewatch Challenge’.

 

Since 1972, WWF-Hyderabad Office has been actively involved in on-ground conservation activities in the tiger reserves and other protected areas, working with schools and communities along the fringe villages of protected areas, conduct regular seminars and workshops for various stakeholders, capacity building of front line forest staff and policy advocacy as well provide legal support to the Forest Department through WWF’s TRAFFIC division.

 

WWF-India’s conservation efforts seek to secure long term survival of India’s wildlife and their habitats since its inception in 1969. WWF has grown into a network with a countrywide presence with 60 State and Field Offices distributed in 20 States, making it the largest conservation organization of the country.

 

About Ladybird Environmental Consulting, LLP:

The Ladybird Environmental Consulting, LLP an environmental social enterprise interfaces between corporate businesses and NGOs in the domain of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 

 

The focus area is Environment which is holistically weaved through other verticals of CSR i.e. Health, Education, Women Empowerment and Capacity Development. The enterprise works with corporate groups in identifying ideal NGO partners matching their CSR objectives and helps NGO partners to package their services and products for fulfilment of their mission as well CSR mandate of corporations. In this realm, the LEC team has worked with different corporations on their employee and stakeholder engagement programmes, sustainability and community projects.

 

They have also carried out a large number of capacity development programmes for NGOs pan India. As a social enterprise they offer free training for NGOs and free environmental educational resources for local communities.

 

About L V Prasad Eye Institute:

The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) was established in 1986-87 at Hyderabad as a not-for-profit, non-government, public-spirited, comprehensive eye care institution. LVPEI is governed by two trusts: the Hyderabad Eye Institute and the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation. The Institute is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness and a Global Resource Center for VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative. LVPEI has six active arms to its areas of operations namely Clinical Services, Education, Research, Rehabilitation and Sight Enhancement Services, Eye Bank, and Public Health and Rural Outreach. 

 

For more information, visit www.lvpei.org

 

For further information, please contact:

Dr Sreedevi Yadavalli

Associate Director and Head – Communications, L V Prasad Eye Institute

Tel: +91 040 23547254, +91 040 30612555

Email: ysreedevi@lvpei.org

 

Karishma Pradhan

Education Officer, WWF-India, Hyderabad Office,

Flat No. 112, Buckingham, Amrutha Valley

Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad - 500 034

Phone No: +91 40 23394151/52

Mobile No: +91 9052818629

Email: karishma.wwf@gmail.com