School: Ryan International School
    Gurgaon, Haryana, India

4 students, ages 13-14 years worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 14, 2006. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2005, 2006

Classes and Teachers: Mrs. Madhuri Parti, Mrs. Nisha Tara, Akash C, Roshni T, Ketan A, Prerna S.

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://

1. Description of Our Team

We were walking along the road of progress, And we cared not for those. Who were standing along, praying for us… That we may falter not!!! …But when we were struck by our own complacence, We strove to make a beginning towards change. We cared for the trees, the leaves, the breeze… We cared to listen to the call of the wild!!! The voice changed us forever… That’s our team… ever willing to explore and discover new facets; ever willing to change! Working together gave us an opportunity to imbibe diverse perspectives about life, about nature and about ourselves.

Four individuals with varying interests and objectives; Akash C: The ever-enthusiastic, budding naturalist. Roshni T: The intellectual, never lets the team lose momentum. Ketan A: The technical mind, and the backbone of the group. Prerna S: The determined and hard-working girl; We became each other’s greatest strength. We complemented and supplemented each other's vigor. Working on this project constitutes an exhilarating experience for each one of us and this would not have been possible without the guidance of our coaches. Our Principal Mrs. Madhuri Parti offered insightful observations about our work and motivated us at every step. Mrs. Nisha Tara, our science teacher, ensured that we progressed in the right direction. Having worked together on our project for more than two months, we feel like family to each other and we hope that all those who visit our site, would too, feel a part of this family committed towards saving wildlife.

2. Summary of Our Project

WE the children of the earth, have been nurtured by nature in her various forms and manifestations. We were born in the lap of the Earth, were cradled by the leaves; we grew up on the fruits of the lush trees and derived strength from the air & the wind. Yet we have faltered in our duty; failed to care for the elements that nourished us. And today the gloom of despair surrounds mankind in its entirely. We are reaping the ills of our own doing and the result can be seen around us in various aspects of life- the disappearing green cover, the eroding soils, the wildlife facing the threat of extinction.

‘Ever since humans began spreading across the world, wild animals have been hunted, first for food, later to protect mankind’s great invention- crops and now for their skin and other body parts.’ Every hour of every day, hundreds of animals are killed.

We the children of the earth have scripted an evil epoch for ourselves and now it burdens our conscience. We ask ourselves…..Can we undo some of the damages inflicted upon nature? Can we unlearn the cruel lessons of civilization? Perhaps we can make a beginning….

Hounding Death...Call of the wild- our attempt to answer the questions that our conscience asks us...our attempt to care for wildlife- our living counterparts in nature...Our attempt to heal, for we the children of the Earth- care!!!

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:21-50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

The Local Area Network (LAN) connection in our school provides fast direct access to the Internet for information. Thus, our computer amenities and Internet access are very efficient. Our school has also been triumphant in bringing multimedia as a medium for improved tutoring. ‘JIL’ packages which contain clippings as well as text helps students in learning lessons with ease.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

We had to go through many hurdles and obstacles during our work, but we managed to overcome them. We realized that we could not let such petty things obstruct our path to success. We all were taking our final examination, but this did not deter us from working on our project. Different names were recommended ranging from Urdu to Roman and Greek words. Conclusion was brought through extensive research and with help of our coaches. Online Search Engines and hoards of results invalidate information. Least utilization of search engines was made to find our research material directly; instead we used them as indices leading to credible organizations and libraries. Getting appointments for interviews took a lot of conciliation. Consolidating our information took as much time as our site designing. Technical: Locating a long-term secure hosting service was difficult. We lost a lot of time trying to stay connected and completing FTP transfers. Setting up the database driven community was a major challenge.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

It is so wonderful that we have nature to explore, I imagine without nature life would be a bore, Watching a caterpillar become a cocoon, Knowing that a butterfly will emerge soon, Seeing tadpoles that become frogs, Finding salamanders under rotted logs, Birds, fish, ants, and squirrels by the ton, Rock crystals that gleam in the high noon sun, Springtime brings baby geese fluffy and adorable, Not being able to see them would be horrible, Leaves full of color falling to the ground, And not as many hummingbirds and butterflies flying around, Now don't you see.... Without nature we just wouldn't be!!!!

Animals are a source of great joy, beauty and inspiration, and have their own special place in nature leaving enough space for 'every man’s need; not for his greed’. And today mankind stands at crossroads… The choice is ours- between grandeur and grief; between self-sufficiency and self-destruction, between prosperity and peril... Won't we voice the risk that numerous species of animals face?

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Our website layout was designed with the help of the inputs from our school counselor, wildlife conservationists, our seniors, and a technical analyst. Our main endeavor was to design a website that is instructive and interactive. We did extensive research on the endangerment and conservation of the animals by visiting libraries, interviewing exerts, contacting NGO’s and also surfing on the Internet. Many journals, magazines, science books (grades 9-11) were consulted to make our website. Our knowledge of computer science helped us in the designing however we were also assisted by our seniors. Our participation in this project improved our skills of interpretation, analysis, compilation and observation. Field trips to sanctuaries and zoos were organized in order to ensure a learning experience. We went beyond the prescribed curriculum to explore environmental issues and to broaden the spectrum of our thought and knowledge. We were in a ’win-win’ situation as we mastered not just our regular coursework but also learnt from our surroundings and from nature…

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

We used approximately five computers -1 at our school our chief working place and the other 4 at our homes from where we worked and contacted each other when not at school. We were provided with Broadband Internet Connections after we were fed up of our Dial-Up Connections with poor uploading and downloading speed. We had access to the internet through our 64kbps line at home and one internet able workstation at school. We were in contact with each other through e-mails, telephones when at home and had regular meetings in the school with more than 60% of our school time going on working on the project. We first tried to make a web-page in Microsoft Frontpage but after consulting our coaches, teachers and other students we decided to take up the challenge of using advanced software like Adobe Photoshop 7.0, Dreamweaver and Macromedia Flash. We decided to keep our site layout easy, user-friendly and tacit so that the learning is not restricted to the net-savvy ones. Our school radio station was used to spread environmental awareness among the students. We took time out of our cartoons like Pokémon and Power Puff Girls and shifted to watch television channels like The Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, National Geographic and The History Channel to know more about the past, the present and the future of our environment. To appreciate nature in all it’s hues we indulged ourselves in nature photography with our digital cameras and handy cams.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

We tried to engage the whole community through our project by being active participants in animal conservation programmes. Games and questionnaires were floated online to involve people of all ages in our efforts. A conservation wall was marked in the school and a message chain was formed in our city. Many advocates voiced their concern for preservation of animals. Students organized rallies for the same. E-mails were forwarded, inviting people to visit our web site. Banners illustrating our efforts were put up in the city to create awareness for the same. Articles, stories and poems written by students were printed in the school magazines and loaded on the web site. We interviewed and interacted with a galaxy of people to gather their opinions. Some hard facts were disclosed by personalities like Ms.Madhu Bhatnagar and Ms.Belinda Wright. It would be most appropriate to say that our project would not have been possible without the help and guidance of members from different strata of society and we only hope that this community of aware citizens goes on expanding.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Our utmost achievement has been forging momentous partnerships and strengthening intra and interpersonal relationships. We have tried to be a torch to show the humans a path towards a better future. Our web site has given the opportunity to people of all ages and all walks of life to express their opinion freely and exchange their views on global issues. Local students have not only benefited from our content and presentations but have begun to discuss conservation initiatives and the ways of preserving animals. This has generated a student community, which has become conscious of their role and perpetuated a spark to re-define a new world order of conservation. Our primary task was to spread awareness and we have reaped some success in the same... We have engendered a student community that is sensitive towards the environment and is conscious of the fact that our wildlife is at the brink of extinction. Rallies and awareness campaigns ensured that our message reaches all parts of our city. Further the module for change was circulated amongst the 87 branches of Ryan. We have thus made a strong beginning and there is still a long way to go.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

We made cognizant efforts to engage more and more people from all walks of life in our project. We sought the feedback and insight of several members of varied age groups of our local community through questionnaires both online and on paper. In an attempt to substantiate our efforts, experts outside the Local community were also interviewed. These included Mrs. Belinda Wright, Mr. Valmik Thappar(an active wildlife conservationist), Mr. Tarik Aziz(Project coordinator for Asian rhino’s and elephants with WWF), Mrs. Madhu Bhatnagar(an active tiger conservationist) and children who are a part of the Junior Tiger Task Force. We made the students aware of the depletion of animal species and had their messages written on the conservation wall. Our multidimensional approach was substantiated by these individuals whose encouragement gave our efforts the much-needed momentum.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Introspection and a wide array of constructuve interactions helped us identify ourselves better. Thus, the most significant part of our project lay in rediscovering our inborn capabilities.