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I’m challenging myself #BECAUSE I want to protect the planet.

By Snigdhodeep Mukherjee

I’m challenging myself to fundraise for Greenpeace #BECAUSE.....

I’m taking on an exciting personal challenge to help address the environmental challenges we face.

I really hope you’ll support me by donating to my #BECAUSE fundraiser for Greenpeace. I’m doing this because Greenpeace is making a real difference by acting on climate change, working to save our oceans, forests and other vital ecosystems and encouraging sustainable consumption and production.

I know my friends, family and colleagues care about these issues as much as I do, so please help me reach my fundraising goal by making a donation now. Every gift counts and together, we will have an incredible impact.

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

$632

My Goal

$500

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My Progress

Personalized my page

Made a self-donation

Shared my profile page

Received my first donation

Increased my fundraising goal

Reached 25% of my fundraising goal

Reached 50% of my fundraising goal

Reached 75% of my fundraising goal

Reached my fundraising goal

Thanked my donors

My Updates

Final Day of my challenge!

Wednesday 30th Jun
So here I am – making artworks for 30 days straight. I was not sure if I would be able to do it, but somehow, I did. So, the great news is, I have not only achieved my target but exceeded the goal. Today is the last day of this campaign and I would take this opportunity to thank my friends, colleagues and family members who donated and also shared the campaign. On the last day I wanted to do something different – so I painted this instead of making a sketch. Also given I like cats and BIG cats I painted one of the most fierce and gorgeous creatures on this planet – Jaguar. Jaguars used to be found from south west USA to the northern part of Argentina. Unfortunately, their habitat has shrunk, and they are only found in Brazil now.

  This journey of fund raising has been a roller coaster ride for me. I get super excited when I receive a donation at the same time my heart breaks when I sketch an endangered species especially when I make their eyes. For them we are as powerful as superman – we can fly, we can burn things, we can do anything and everything by flexing our technological and political muscles. But we all know that with great power comes great responsibilities. Sadly, being irresponsible we have taken away most of the resources and pushed all these animals to the edge of extinction. So, the question is shall we try to become a responsible superman or continue to destroy the earth for our own needs and turn into Lex Luthor?

29th Day of the Challenge

Tuesday 29th Jun
 Hello everyone! Today I have made a sketch of Masked Antpitta.Masked Antpitta (Hylopezus auricularis) is a species of bird in the Grallariidae family. They are found in floodplain forest, particularly with palmetto understory, along the confluence of the Ríos Madre de Dios and Bení in the Riberalta area. These are the only Antpitta in range with dark chevrons on underparts or a blue-gray cap. Forages on or near the ground, but generally perches 1-2 m up in the understory or midstory to sing at dawn. Visually distinctive in range, but song deceptively similar to, and perhaps indistinguishable from, local songs of Amazonian Antshrike. Call a more distinctive three to four-part descending whistle.

28th Day of the Challenge

Monday 28th Jun
Today I have made a sketch of San Martin Titi Monkey. The San Martin titi monkey (Callicebus oenanthe) is a medium sized arboreal primate that lives exclusively in the department of San Martin, Peru. Its small distribution range together with numerous threats, including habitat fragmentation and hunting, severely imperil this Critically Endangered species. However, little is known about the habitat requirements of the species. Even though many animals seem to avoid forest edges, it has been suspected that the San Martin Titi Monkey might have a preference for this type of habitat.

27th Day of the Challenge

Sunday 27th Jun
Hello everyone! Can't believe I have only three days left for this campaign but am glad that I have successfully reached my goal! 
  Today I have made a sketch of a Saguinus Bicolor. Native to the Brazilian rainforest, Saguinus bicolor is found in a small region north of the Amazon River. Brazilian bare-faced tamarins are an arboreal species that prefers secondary forests, swamps, edge and white sand forests. They are usually found from 10 to 12 meters up in the canopy. Although the longevity of S. bicolor has not been reported, members of this genus may live as long as 25 years in captivity. It is likely that S. bicolor is similar. Lifespan in the wild is probably significantly shorter.

26th Day of the Challenge

Saturday 26th Jun
Hello all! Today's guest is Black Tinamou. This is a species of ground bird found in the humid foothill and montane forests in the Andes of South America. These birds can fly but pretty poorly.The black tinamou is a stocky terrestrial bird with a short tail and rounded wings. It is comparatively larger than other tinamous and tends to be about 40 to 46 cm (16–18 in) long, with females being a little larger than males. A male black tinamou has an average wingspan of about 234 to 248 mm (9.2–9.8 in), and a female black tinamou has an average wingspan of 239 to 256 mm (9.4–10.1 in).

25th Day of the Challenge

Friday 25th Jun
Happy Friday!! Today's subject is Amazon's Giant Glass Frog! Science has described more than 60 species of the glass frog, and experts suspect many more exist. They vary in size, with a few larger species reaching 3 inches in length. Most, however, are much smaller. Glass frogs are so-named because their belly is nearly transparent, giving an X-ray view of their organs, bones and blood vessels. On top, however, they’re typically light green and may have darker and lighter variations in color that help them hide out in the trees of their choice.

They also have forward-facing eyes, a rather unique feature among frogs, whose eyes typically face outward or off to the sides. One lime green species, discovered in Costa Rica in 2015, made internet news as a “Kermit” look-alike because of its bulging white eyes with perfectly defined black pupils.

24th Day of the Challenge

Thursday 24th Jun
Hello Everyone! Welcome to the 24th day of the challenge! Today I have made a picture of White-bellied spider monkeys, also known as white-fronted or long-haired spider monkeys. They are native to the northwestern lowland and montane Amazonian forests of Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil. These arboreal monkeys spend most of their time in the canopy. They rarely descend to the ground. When they do, it is to drink water, eat soil, cross an area with no trees, or run away from an aggressive opponent. These primates are pollinators and seed dispersers. They play an important role in the regeneration of tropical forests by dispersing seeds from many different trees and lianas. They drop seeds far away from the sites at which they fed and large amounts of seeds can also be found underneath their sleeping area.

23rd Day of the Challenge

Wednesday 23rd Jun
Hello all and happy Wednesday! Am getting closer to the end of the campaign and I really cannot believe it is already 23rd day!
  Today I made a sketch of Quito stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the northern Andes of Ecuador. This once abundant species was believed to be extinct until its rediscovery in 2016. The specific name ignescens means "to catch fire", presumably in reference to the orange ventral color of this species.

22nd Day of the Challenge

Tuesday 22nd Jun
Happy Rainforest Day everyone and welcome to the 22nd day of my challenge. Today I have made a sketch of Pink-Throated Brilliant. This scarce hummingbird is found in cloud forest in the eastern foothills of the Andes in Ecuador, southern Colombia, and northern Peru. Green with a white vent and a small white dot behind the eye. Male has a glittering pink throat patch, which is reduced or lacking on the female. Small compared to other brilliants, and the only one with a white vent. Found only in remote and relatively undisturbed forest, and rarely encountered.

21st Day of the Challenge

Monday 21st Jun
Today I have made a sketch on Jocotoco Antpitta. These birds are found in Ecuador and Peru. They were listed as endangered in 2008. These birds are plump and short tailed with long legs, like a grapefruit on stilts. They are found in the altitudes of 2,250 to 2,700 meters. 

20th Day of the Challenge

Monday 21st Jun
Apologies for not able to make a post yesterday. I did make a sketch but was not able to post it here as I was out camping at a beautiful Provincial Park in Ontario and was not carrying my laptop. So I was able to make this sketch and post in Instagram but not in here.
  I made a sketch of a brown spider monkey or Variegated Spider Monkey which is a critically endangered species of spider monkey, a type of New World Monkey from forests in Northern Columbia and North Western Venezuela. They were listed as endangered in 2008.

19th Day of the Challenge

Saturday 19th Jun
Today I made a sketch of a bald uakari. To be honest, this was my third attempt at making a sketch of this bizarre looking monkey. The bald uakari in the reference picture had a very intense look - somewhat surprised and somewhat fearful and I did not do a good job in making his/her portrait. Anyways, these primates are found in the upper Amazonian region of western Brazil, eastern Peru and possibly in southern Columbia. These animals are threatened by habitat destruction and hunting. They are also used as baits. Alas, only if humans in general had compassion for these poor creatures...

18th Day of the Challenge

Friday 18th Jun
Happy Friday all! 
Today's subject is Blue Throated Macaw. This vibrant, beautiful bird is found in Bolivia. They were listed as endangered in 2011. 

17th Day of the Challege

Thursday 17th Jun
 Hello all! Today's subject is The Brumback's night monkey. They are primarily found in Columbia and were listed as endangered in 2008. As the name suggests, these monkeys are nocturnal in nature. Night monkeys have large eyes that help them with night vision. Their ears are almost hidden giving them the name 'Aotus' meaning earless! Night monkeys are threatened by habitat loss, pet trade (cannot imagine why on earth people would have them as pet!), and hunting for bushmeat. 

16th Day of the Challenge

Wednesday 16th Jun
Hello everyone! Welcome to the 16th day of the challenge!
  Today's subject is Giant Armadillo. Do you know a fun fact about armadillos? They are the only mammals to wear such shells. And do you know what the saddest thing about this cute harmless creature is? They are critically endangered! They were listed as endangered in 1976. 

  Giant Armadillos have suffered habitat loss due to agricultural development and human settlement, and they are also over-hunted by the humans for food. The farmers also kill them as they are thought to damage crops. Sigh! This challenge has been difficult for me! I can't imagine what these poor creatures go through!  

15th Day of the Challenge

Tuesday 15th Jun
Alright so I am halfway through my challenge! It has been fun 15 days of sketching and knowing about endangered species every day. So it is not always fun when I get to know how rapidly we are losing such precious animals from earth because of human activities and also inactions.
   Today's subject is commonly known as river turtle or Magdalena river turtle, Podocnemis lewyana which is one of the planet’s 25 most imperiled freshwater turtles. This species is endemic to Colombia, as it only occurs in the Magdalena and Sinú Rivers. Swamps, canals, flooded areas and rivers are its home. It is mainly herbivorous and frugivorous, although occasionally it is also carnivorous. Even though sandy beaches are its favorite nesting places, it also nests in different types of terrains near the edge of certain riverbeds.

14th Day of the Challenge

Monday 14th Jun
 Hello all and Happy Monday! Today's subject is The oncilla, also known as the northern tiger cat, little spotted cat, and tigrillo, is a small spotted cat ranging from Central America to central Brazil. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and the population is threatened by deforestation and conversion of habitat to agricultural land. 

13th Day of the Challenge

Sunday 13th Jun
Hello all! It is already day 13th and it is a Sunday. Used my time in the afternoon to make this sketch on Blonde Capuchin Monkey. They are found in Amazon and have been listed as endangered since 2008. 

12th Day of the Challenge

Sunday 13th Jun

Didn't get a chance to make this post yesterday so apologies!

 

   Yesterday I made a Giant River Otter. I came across these fellows in the Philadelphia zoo. Must say that they were one of the cutest creatures in the zoo. They go absolutely crazy when the zookeepers arrive with food and boy they are loud! These otters have been listed as endangered in 2008. I was reading an article today itself that said in May the rate of deforestation has been highest and Bolsenaro is delivering empty promises. I have no clue honestly what we are doing to this earth!

11th Day of the Challenge

Friday 11th Jun
  Today's subject is Pink Dolphin of Amazon Rainforest. Do you know when these dolphins are young their color is grey? Their color turns pink gradually as they grow old! The intensity of the pink color depends on various factors such as diet, how much sunlight they are exposed to, behavior, placement of their capillaries etc. Also they get pinker when they are excited (how cute!). The experts are still not sure of the reasons for this strange color!

10th Day of the Challenge

Thursday 10th Jun
Can't believe that it is already 10 days! Also I must admit sketching an endangered species every single day has been pretty depressing. Every time I draw an animal and then look it up - I get only grim information about them. Like 'less than 50 left in the wild' or 'barely seen these days'.. But I guess that is what the challenge is all about. Can't let ignorance sway me away from the fact that Amazon is being destroyed every single day and we are not doing much about it.
  Anyways, today's subject is Belem Curassow! Hope you like this!

9th Day of the Challenge

Thursday 10th Jun
I forgot to post this last night! So here we go!

 Today's subject is White Nosed Saki. These strangely looking bearded monkeys have a nose which is reddish in color so they are also known as red nosed saki. They were listed as endangered in 2008 and are found in Brazil.

8th Day of the Challenge

Tuesday 8th Jun
Hello all! 
Hope you all enjoyed your Tuesday! Today I made a colorful sketch of Gualecenita Stubfoot Toad. They were enlisted as endangered in 2004. They are primarily found in Ecuador. 
  I hope you are enjoying my artwork and please don't forget to donate! Thank you and good night!

7th Day of the challenge

Monday 7th Jun
Today I made a sketch of Brazilian Merganser. It is estimated that there are less than 250 of these birds left in the world. They are in danger to such an extent that very little is even known about their traditional breeding techniques and style.

  The most common threat for these ducks is down to humans. As industry and agriculture has expanded, their habitats have become smaller and even degraded. Polluted water is also a big contributor to their demise. Soil erosion, dam building, deforestation - all the human activities have rapidly taken away their habitat from them. I guess how we would feel and react when our homes are taken away by some other species. Maybe go for an all out war?   

6th Day of the Challenge

Sunday 6th Jun
Hello all! This is the 6th day of the challenge and today I made a sketch of a White Cheeked Spider Monkey. They are found in the rainforests of Brazil. Hope you liked it! 

5th Day of the Challenge

Saturday 5th Jun
Hello all! Am going strong on day 5! Today I made a sketch of Lowland Tapir or Central American Tapir. They look strangely beautiful. They are found mostly in Columbia and Ecuador. They were listed as endangered species in 2008.
  Hope you are enjoying my work! 

4th Day of the Campaign

Friday 4th Jun
  Today I did something with colors - a Glaucous Macaw! Like a lot of other animals these birds too are critically endangered. They are found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Such a shame that these vibrant colored beautiful birds are facing the threat of imminent extinction while the rainforest is being destroyed for agricultural purposes to feed over populated human beings. Do you think this is 'okay'? 

3rd Day of the Campaign

Thursday 3rd Jun
Hope you all enjoyed your Thursday! Today I  made a sketch of Goeldi's Monkey or Goeldi's marmoset. These primates were listed as endangered in 2008. They are found in the upper Amazon basin region of Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru. Don't you think humans being the smartest primates have the responsibility to take care of the fellow primates on this planet?

2nd Day of the challenge

Wednesday 2nd Jun
I felt like doing something colorful today. Something that would cheer me up (not sure why I was kind of down). So here we go - a colorful Carabaya Stubfoot Toad. These cute little fellows are found in Peru. Unfortunately they are endangered today (was listed as endangered in 2004). I feel this is so unfair, every being on this earth has a right to live. Nothing should be pushed to extinction because of our selfishness - the planet does not belong to humans only. Do you agree? 

1st Day of the challenge

Tuesday 1st Jun
Okay - So here we go! On day one I made a sketch of Rio Branco Antbird. This bird was listed as endangered in 2008.

   The rainforests of Brazil and Guyana is the home for these beautiful gorgeous black birds.

Why am I doing this?

Monday 31st May

In 2019 the fire started in the Amazonian rainforests captured global headlines, caught people’s attention as this obviously was a grave sign of rapidly degenerating climate condition. The human race generally being laser focused on economic prosperity often collectively lose sight of the ongoing damage this earth is suffering because of the choices we make every day to make our lives convenient. Such a devastating fire perhaps is the scream from the earth letting us know that it cannot take anymore.

  Amazon is the home for a huge diverse wildlife. So many of those are already endangered thanks to human activities such as agricultural expansion, wood extraction and infrastructure expansion. The fire in amazon have kind of been the last nail on their coffin. The fire is not only engulfing those wildlives but also the indigenous people of Amazonia.

 So, one might think, ‘fine – I understand the animals are dying, Amazonian tribes are getting affected, but how is it affecting me?’ Well, to understand the importance of Amazon, I guess one needs to understand the importance of lungs in the human body. Just like the lungs absorb the oxygen from air, Amazon rainforest absorbs the CO2 for plants and gives us back the oxygen we need to survive. Humans have been massively pumping CO2 into air by burning fossil fuels and Amazon had been instrumental in acting as a carbon sink keeping the air breathable. Now the same human race is now also gradually and steadily destroying this rainforest in the name of economy. To me it is like a person with a lung cancer smoking a cigarette because a puff brings some temporary sense of joy or relief. But do we actually want to be that guy who smokes cigarette while suffering from lung cancer?

  When I joined this amazing fund-raising event of GreenPeace, I asked myself – what will be the most important reason for me to start a campaign? What is that I want people to be more aware of? What is that I feel everyone should fight for? Well, it didn’t take me more than a second – it had to be Amazon.

  My hobby is creating artwork – in form or painting or simply sketching. I thought it will be a great opportunity to turn my artwork into a fund-raising event where I will challenge myself to make a sketch an endangered species of Amazon every single day and with that reach out to people for donation. That way I can convey my message to people, bring awareness and at the same time raise money for GreenPeace to build a sustainable future. 

Thank you to my Sponsors

$63.44

Bidisha Mukherjee

You did it! Congratulations on surpassing your goal!

$60

Anonymous

$52

Dhriti Sinha

Great endeavor Snighdho!

$52

Anonymous

Keep fighting the good fight.

$52

Riya

$46.80

Syamantak Datta Gupta

$31.20

Sandra Acosta

You are a héroe to all of us who love and respect nature.

$30

Saugata

$30

Debayan

$30

Saptarshi Ghosh

$26

Snigdhodeep Mukherjee

$26

Dawn Pearson

Great work, Deep!

$20.80

Subhadip Sarkar

Great initiative Snigdho ! Beautiful artworks and admire your dedication.

$20.80

Tony Rapoport

Beautiful monkey sketch, Deep!

$17.68

Abhi Sarkar

Keep it up bud!

$15.60

Bidisha Mukherjee

Great endeavor. Hope you can reach your goal soon

$15.60

Anonymous

The art work is beautiful Deep! Let’s celebrate in Yats soon!

$15.60

Supratip Majumdar

$15

Alex Tankilevich

$6

Anonymous

$5

Shriya Basu

Keep up the good work!!