Understanding Our Environment
Reverence for Nature
Human beings have coexisted with nature for most part of their existence. Part of that connection has been the creation of sacred groves, respect for all life forms and an intuitive understanding of our inter-relationship.
However, in the last two centuries, a new paradigm led by the industrial economy has usurped that relationship leading to destruction of habitats and loss of species in the living world, the warming of the planet, pollution of air, water, land and the issues stemming from there. It is important for children to understand the causes of this environmental destruction and ways to mitigate it. Equally important is to develop a feeling and a relationship with nature that nurtures the spirit.
Eco Buddy Programme
Friends of the environment.
At Shishukunj we conduct weekly eco buddy activities for classes 5 to 8 Eco Buddy , as the name suggests, translates to “friends of the environment” Some of the things we do are
- Observing what is around us, which includes Nature and man-made things around us,
- What we feel when we are in Nature,
- What are our memories from nature trips we have taken,
- Which are the sights which we find unpleasant when we see them (the litter and rubbish problem, animals dying because of vehicular traffic, etc)
- Understanding problems of over-consumption, resource utilisation, the role of people – policy – economics (in higher grades)
- Possible solutions – at an individual level (via plastic and water audits), to a collective level (at classroom and school level),
- Nature walks, hikes and spot cleanups from within the campus, all the way to the Himalayas.
- Sharing success stories, of what has worked locally, and around the globe,
- building and having an Eco Buddy library.
Essence
Let every bud bloom
‘Shishukunj’ (a Sanskrit word meaning a garden of children) is primarily an organisation dedicated for the development of children.
Shishukunj’s logo represents the underlying philosophy of the organisation. A child is like the blossoming bud that develops under the nurturing care of the beautiful flower. The pot holds the soil, manure and air that are needed for buds to blossom properly. By being that pot – Shishukunj provides the plethora of nutrients that enable a child’s holistic development.
Learning Through Nature
Exploring, observing, and protecting the living world.
Eco buddy club, at times, also ties up with the art club to “observe nature and build on visual expression. It has also teamed up with the practical science club, to build rainwater harvesting systems and drip irrigation. Locally available materials are used as far as possible.
