Environment Education – Foundation for Education, Ecology and Livelihood

Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better – *Albert Einstein*

Origin and intent

To understand something is to experience it. Recognizing this right from the time we started, we have involved students in programs and activities that directly put them in touch with nature – documentation of biodiversity or afforestation or documenting traditional knowledge about local biodiversity. Enthused by the response from many of the participating schools, we began the environment education programs in 2007, with the objective of sharing with schools and students, the possibilities, challenges and strategies for a sustainable and ecologically responsible way of life.

Experiencing a connection with nature, living simply, learning to be with oneself

Providing hands-on experiences that foster a sense of wonder and respect for all life

Understanding how different communities live and work – bridging worlds and blurring boundaries

Integrating conservation and sustainable development ideas into regular curriculum

Evolving as a field research station for conservation and education

Afforestation and caring for the land

Depending upon the weather conditions and the requirements, students work on the land – planting, mulching, making rain water trenches

Documenting local biodiversity

Students undertake field study and documentation of local vegetation, bird diversity and medicinal plants, guided by the local community members

Traditional knowledge documentation

Facilitated by the team members at Kaigal, students meet healers and village elders and document knowledge on traditional healing

Understanding conservation at the grass roots

Students meeting the sarpanch and other panchayat members too, understand how they restored the lake in their villages

Learning basket weaving

Interactions with Sanctuary School

Fun time in the Sanctuary School

Participating institutions

Our programs are developed in consultation from several participating institutions and small groups of individuals who are keen to live and work closely with nature. Learning from different adults, learning in different ways, learning about new things are all important elements of building a contextually relevant environmental education curriculum. Our program activities – duration, scope and complexity – are developed keeping these principles in mind and based on the local conditions. When students participate in these programs, we have seen that they become more sensitive to ecosystems, more aware and accepting of different life forms and get over their fear of wild life.

1. Aarohi – Aarohi Life Education Trust

2. Arivu Maiyyam (Teacher Training)

3. Bangalore Steiner School

4. The Valley School – Krishnammurti Foundation India

5. Vidyaranya Vidyalaya

6. Prakriya Green Wisdom School

7. Valiant Academy

8. Rishi Valley School – Krishnammurti Foundation India

9. Peepal Grove

10. The School – Krishnammurti Foundation India

11. Chaitanya Vidyalaya – Chaitanya Memorial Education Society

12. Shibumi School – Kanti Trust

13. Incarnations Montessori

14. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Trivandrum

Download program brochure for details . For more details write to us at feel@feelforearth.net