Local student Sathvika Krishnan, who has just completed her studies at Bablake School, made an impassioned presentation to Rotarians in Warwick last week via Zoom.

Sathvika had already caught their eye at the District conference when she spoke to over 500 delegates and her confident delivery of facts, information and insights impressed her audience. The meeting was joined by Rotarians from other clubs and local people invited to the Rotary Club Open meetings which are held once a month.

Sathvika took the theme of biodiversity and explained how every species is interlinked and dependent on the global ecosystem for survival. Each living creature contributes to the maintenance of ecosystems and through the combined actions of both abiotic and biotic components, the delicate balance of nature is upheld. Humans are also a part of this enormous web of life and we are reliant on nature for our own survival. Unfortunately, climate change, deforestation, overexploitation of natural resources and pollution are some of the major threats affecting biodiversity today.

She talked about the importance of preserving wildlife and protection of local habitats – even in the UK, the humble hedgehogs are at risk of extinction! Pollinators, like bees, are crucial for agriculture and can be protected by rewilding. Making sustainable lifestyle choices, like adopting a plant-based diet, can help reduce climate change. Sathvika has joined several environmental organisations to inform local politicians about the consequences of their plans, to involve schools in environmental projects and has supported several events, like the Butterfly Count, to monitor species populations.

Sathvika is a Youth Council Member of “Reserva: The Youth Land Trust” which is an exciting initiative aiming to create the world’s first entirely youth funded nature reserve. Their flagship project is situated in the Chocó rainforest in Ecuador which is an amazing Cloud Forest full of species found nowhere else in the world. Young people are raising money to buy land with Instagram Live concerts and sponsorship from businesses and governments. Donations can be made to the project via https://reservaylt.org.donate.

President David Brain has arranged for club to make a donation towards their work.

Thanking Sathvika for her presentation, Rotarian Alan Bailey spoke for everyone when he said how impressed we were by her knowledge and commitment. She was wished well for her A-level results and future plans.

News