Coming together over a common goal, Dainik Jagran — a well-known and trusted Hindi newspaper in India —  created a campaign it believed would unite its readers, protect nature, do some good in the world, and even benefit the health of the people of New Delhi.

Studies have shown that connecting with nature through feeding birds is linked to lower stress, reduced anxiety and depression, and improved attention spans. Relationships between birds and the people who feed them often last many years, and according to a study out of the UK, nine out of 10 people are positively impacted by watching birds and listening to their songs.

The British Trust for Ornithology touts that more than half of UK households with outdoor space feed birds in their gardens.

Turning research into action

Wanting to give back to the community by doing some good in the world, Dainik Jagran launched a campaign encouraging its readers to feed birds. The agenda was to get readers to understand the two-way relationship between humanity and nature while at the same time instilling a sense of responsibility and respect for non-human life. 

The campaign started with the creation of newspaper content that educates readers about the benefits of birds to the environment and the health of humans. Dainik Jagran also believed people wanted to help but weren’t sure exactly what to do when it came to feeding birds.

Part of this campaign centred on educating people about what to do.

The newspaper content asked readers to arrange food and water on their rooftops during the hot summer months. Dainik Jagran teamed up with local schools and organisations to distribute pots to children and readers so people had something to put water and grain in.

A dozen voluntary organisations came on board to spread the word across their networks of people. Experts in the bird conservation field held Facebook live broadcasts and gave out information on feeding birds. 

Connecting readers with nature

Essentially creating its own influencer campaign, Dainik Jagran worked with opinion leaders in the community who created videos asking people to support the initiative. The videos reached more than a million people on social media.

Dainik Jagran held workshops to teach readers and school children how to make bird nests using household items. More than 10,000 students connected with the campaign, and more than 200 nests made of wood and other recycled materials were distributed across the city and installed in home balconies.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .