Note: Once a month, NiF will give the Editor's seat to a child. This child will assign us stories that we must deliver to you. These can be stories on their favourite species, a travel destination in the great outdoors, or a conservation issue they might want to discuss and tell their friends about. What will this do? It serves three purposes:
One, it allows the child to think more deeply about the animals they like, why they enjoyed a particular nature spot, or even why they should think about conserving anything at all.
Two, it allows their parents to participate in larger conversations about wildlife with children, and even have (a lot) of fun in edit meetings because, well, these are by default chaotic. Throw a spirited child in the mix, and it becomes the most fun way to spend a morning.
Three, it allows a child to share these concerns and opinions with their friends and their parents. It sparks an interesting debate in their own circles, and makes them ambassadors for nature in their schools. Win win.
This month's Editor is Aarya Mehta, a 10-year-old from Mumbai, who assigned us two stories. One dealt with a question that opened a conversation on tiger conservation. Aarya, who spearheaded a signature drive in her school for tiger conservation after listening to a talk by Sanctuary Asia's Kids for Tigers team, wondered about the future of tigers. Why are they going extinct? Who is killing them? And whatever for?
The assigned story, then, became about poachers, and why they do what they do. The second one dealt with something she'd read in a book that both fascinated and perplexed her. Can fish fly? she asked.
Over to the editor.
Aarya's Guest Editor stories:
Oh Deer! The Thrill Of The Hunt: Editor Aarya Mehta writes about when a tigress set her sights on a deer for dinner, and they all watched in.
A Cruel Trade: Prerna Bindra tries to explain why poachers poach and how it's driving our wildlife to extinction.
It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane...It’s A Flying Fish! Marine Biologist Abhishek Jamalabad tells us if fish can fly.
Our Perilous Poaching Problem: Bijal Vachharajani lists out the books you should arm yourself with.
