Urban Explorers A week long Summer Camp for children at ESG 13 - 17 April, 2009 Report of workshop on "Urban Explorers" conducted for young children. Summer brings excitement for the kids and this summer as the schools closed for a long summer vacation we had 18 children in the age group of 11-15 register for the Urban Explorer summer workshop at ESG. Children came from different neighbourhoods of Bengaluru, different schools, a variety of family backgrounds and a wide range of interests but they all carried with them a high sense of enthusiasm and excitement to explore and understand Namma Bengaluru. The first day after a brief introduction to the entire program, the children watched a short play by a budding free lance theatre group who performed a play titled S-cool. It was all about how fun school is and at the same time can destroy natural skill and talent in children in this age of rote learning madness. The children enjoyed watching the play and interacting with the three members Soumya, Andrea and Anish. After a short break, the first day’s theme was history and heritage of the city. Children travelled back into history and each of them role played the different rulers under whom Bengaluru was governed chronologically until the time of independence. This helped them recognize the influence of the different dynasties, cultures and practices that are present to this day in the city. A game of 20 questions to identify some of the important monuments, tanks, festivals and places of Bengaluru helped discover the legends behind some of practices present even today. Children learnt about the significance of the Karaga festival of Bengaluru that takes place every year during April, the December time groundnut festival of Bull Temple and historical details of some of the monuments,when they were built and how some monuments got their name like the Attara Kacheri or the High Court. It was a very pleasant way to learn so much about the history of Bengaluru, mixed as it was with a lot of fun and excitement. In the afternoon Mr. Arul Selva, Editor of a magazine called Slum Jagathu, spent time speaking to the children about the growth of Bengaluru and the life of people living in the slums of Bengaluru. He shared some of his childhood experiences of growing up in a slum and the inequality that continues to grow in our societies. He helped children think about the work, the working hours, wages and other facilities that are lacking to people who work as drivers, sweepers, helpers, security guards, domestic helps, the newspaper delivery boy, the milk man and the flower seller who start work in the early hours of the day and continue to work till late evening only make ends meet for their families. He highlighted the fact that thousands of people remained homeless and slept under the flyovers only to be beaten and chased away by the police while Bengaluru was receiving enormous amounts of funds to develop its infrastructure. He shared how his work in slums in the 18 districts of Karnataka is helping people get some of their basic needs of water, sanitation and housing that are fundamental to life. A moving discussion left the children thinking about the disparities that plague our cities. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Kempambudhi tank and at the Kempegowda Shikara (tower) near the tank followed by a visit to the Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple. The location was a classic example of how tanks served not only as water resources but also as centres for religious, cultural and social activities too. The Gavigangadhareshwara temple was a very interesting place for the kids. The concept of how sunlight enters through the arch and passes through the windows placed perpendicularly to each other and then through the horns of the Nandi Bull to fall on the Shiva Linga on the day of Makara Sankranthi in January every year, which also coincides with the winter solstice was a thrilling moment for the children. It helped children understand and appreciate the scientific and architectural skills that were employed in the construction of the temple so many centuries ago. The second day was dedicated to urban wildlife and it started with an impressive presentation and understanding of some of the most beautiful winged creatures- butterflies. Mr. Kishen Das, a naturalist and an engineer at Accenture, and a self taught butterfly expert, helped children appreciate the beauty an diversity of these graceful winged insects, their life cycle, their behavior and the various types through a slide presentation. This was followed by a field visit to Lalbagh where they were able to observe butterflies, identify some of them and also learn about some of the other forms of life in the urban wilds. The visit also facilitated in learning about some of the old trees in Lalbagh that date back to the Tippu Sultan time. The afternoon was spent understanding the term ‘Urban Wildlife’ with Mr. Karthikeyan S. a well known naturalist and expert on butterflies, who works with Jungle Lodges and Resorts. He presented to them some of the common urban wildlife that is all around us and how they manage to survive in a city like Bengaluru despite the city growing tall with loss of many wildlife habitats. He also brought out the symbiotic relations that exist in nature and how minute disturbances could wipe out many of our wild species. He gave the classic example of the fig tree and the wasp where the wasp lays its eggs in the inflorescence of the fig and thereby helps the pollination of the fig. children learnt how such numerous symbiotic relationships exist in nature and the importance of the fragile symbiotic relation we share with planet earth. Towards the end of the afternoon, children started the process for making recycled paper. They shredded old newspaper into tiny pieces and soaked them in water. "We are symbionts on a symbiotic planet, and if we care to, we can find symbiosis everywhere."- Lynn Margulis The third day was devoted to understand how much and what types of waste we produce and what are the implications of an inappropriate method of disposal. This learning stride was through a fun filled, exhilarating game of treasure hunt. The children were divided into four groups and were given very interesting, thought provoking clues which led them to their respective treasures of Biodegradable waste, Recyclable waste, Hazardous waste and Biomedical waste. The children then reflected on each of the clues, their significance and what could be done to solve this big challenge. As part of the discussions the children felt that the 3R concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle could have another R for ‘Refuse’ where people should refuse everything that comes in plastic! The session on waste concluded with a hand on experience to make compost at home by the Brick, Bagasse and Compost method. Children read the procedure given to them and with all the materials provided to them they set up a compost pit at the ESG office guided by Zeenat and Priya who maintain a compost pit regularly at the ESG office. During the second half of the day, children spent time with Mr.Vijay Narnapatti, an architect and urban designer through a very interactive slide presentation to understand how we move in the city and what are the problems of the moving mess? The interaction helped them explore the neighbourhood of Jayanagar East End and list the different things they saw on the footpaths and the East End main road. The survey supported their study of how roads could be designed better to the needs of the different users such as pedestrians, children, senior citizens, street vendors, the differently abled, for motorized vehicles and for parking. As part of the learning children learnt to design roads and made sketches of their design illustrating the different needs and uses. The exercise not only left them thinking about how roads should provide for all users but also helped them understand the safety aspects in road designs and the need for monitoring and regulation. The learning experience helped them understand the great need and increased efficiency of public transport, the need to walk, bicycle and stay healthy and also how reduced use of motorized vehicles would help keep our air clean. The fourth day of the Urban Explorers week focused on water resources of the city. The day began at the Agara tank on the outer ring road of the city near HSR Layout. Children observed some of the traditional uses of the tank such as fishing, bathing, washing of clothes etc. Seeing young children probably their own age return with a sack load of fish in a coracle from the centre of the tank amazed them. It was fascinating to many to see the variety of water birds such as Cormorants, Coots, Egrets and Darters in the tank. Sitting under the shade of the watch tower the children learnt a song "Mayadantha Male Banthavva" from Nandini Chami. This was followed by the history of the tanks in Bengaluru and how their numbers have dwindled. They also understood the structure of the tanks and the distribution of the flora and fauna in a tank by Sruthi Subbannna. Nandini also explained to them the efforts of a group like Environment Support Group in saving some of these last tanks in Bengaluru through people’s involvement and implementation of law with the intervention of the courts. Children spent some time exploring the shores of the tank before they returned to the ESG office for some exciting activity of making recycled paper. They did get very creative and while preparing the pulp from the soaked newspapers, they added turmeric powder for colour, some added water colour paints and some even brought perfumes to make fragrant paper. There was such excitement and joy in each of them to be pouring the pulp, spreading it even and letting it dry in the sun, making sure to keep small stones at the corners so that it would not fly away. In the afternoon the Urban Explorers group visited the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology at the Indian Institute of Science Campus and met with Mr. A.R. Shivakumar, Executive Secretary I/c Karnataka State council for Science and Technology (KSCST). The group enjoyed learning the different methods of harvesting rain water and understanding the need to harvest rain water in Bengaluru. They learnt about the WHO standards of per capita requirement of water and the Bureau of Indian Standard requirements of per capita consumption of water and were shocked to realize the amount of water used in cleaning a litre of milk or a spoon of sugar that they all used every morning. Mr. Shivakumar very patiently answered all their questions about the rain harvesting methods and possibilities of harvesting rain water in old apartments and homes. They studied charts and models and the working rain water harvesting system of the KSCST building. The highlight of the visit for the children was to be sitting in the conference room and sipping a cup of coffee/tea with Mr. Shivakumar and it made them feel very important. The last and final day started with a field visit to the Turahalli forest in south Bangalore to understand the impacts of urbanization on small patches of surviving forests that are ecologically rich in flora and fauna. Children enjoyed walking through the path leading to the temple and spent time observing the nature of threats in the surrounding areas to the forest. They learnt of land encroachments around the forest area. The children had an interesting discussion of stories across India where such encroachments have occurred and how the animals living in the forests had no option but to come to human habitat and would meet one of the two ends i.e. they would either be killed or would be sent to the zoo eventually leading to extinct species of wild life and ecological imbalance. Leo F Saldanha took the kids to the rocks from wherein one could view the whole of Bengaluru and explained how fast and vast the city has grown over the years by sharing his experiences over the years as stories. Returning from the forest the group spent time sharing the answers to some of the activity and worksheets that were given during the week. The afternoon was spent in a lively mock discussion of a possible development of a new city outside Bengaluru and children were divided into small groups representing different sections of the city. The children did a brilliant job of representing Industrialists, farmers, street vendors, professors, students, low income neighbourhood groups, environmentalists, resident welfare associations and the chief minister. Each child argued for the needs of each of these sections of the society in the proposed new city. Their active participation and enthusiasm in each of the sessions and field visits was truly commendable and inspiring for ESG team members to organize such workshops in future. The day concluded with Leo F.Saldanha the Coordinator of ESG discussing with students about the many different road designs the students had sketched. He also highlighted the group about how changes take place in a city? Who influences the changes in a city? He stressed the importance for the need to stand up and be able to make the right choices to protect and preserve urban areas from destructive development. He also mentioned the ongoing protest that was taking place in the city regarding the Metro and how the project was illegally encroaching the historic Lalbagh Botanical gardens without any regard to the founding fathers of the city such as Kempegowda, Hyder Ali, Tippu Sultan and many others who have contributed to Lalbagh. The workshop concluded with the distribution of certificates to the participants by a child’s grandfather Mr. S.Subramanyam and a vote of thanks by Bhargavi. Many of the children were so enthusiastic about the protest that they all proceeded to Lalbagh to join hands with the citizens in saving Nama Lalbagh in Namma Bengaluru. "If a man walks in the woods for love of them half od each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen" - Henry David Thoreau The workshop was well supported by a small take home kit (MS Word - 3.8 MB) prepared by the ESG team that provided worksheets on a number of themes, a few brain cracking puzzles, facts and activities to do with the family. It also provided an extensive list of books, movies and suggested lists of websites for environmental information for children. The interactive discussions at various times helped children reflect and understand the myriad of things they observe in their everyday lives. As a quick feedback from some families the families called and shared how happy they were about the workshop. They felt it was a very unique type of a summer workshop for children that helped children learn from outdoor sessions that provides rich opportunities for imagination and problem solving. A few parents shared how they were able to brush up some of their own knowledge on Bengaluru. A few other parents congratulated the team for the excellent take home kit that was provided to the students.

When Children Explored their Environment An Experiential Workshop for children 21 - 25 April, 2008 Workshop report "When children explored their environment" From 21st to 25th April 2008, the Environment Support Group team spent time with twenty young minds, helping them to explore, notice, discover, understand, listen, see and feel the myriad nuances of the environment enveloping their lives. To do so experiential learning techniques, which comprised of activities, field visits, film clippings, discussions and so on, were used. The workshop was based on the themes of the four elements—water, land, fire (energy) and ether (spirit). Through these themes, the children were led to dwell deeper into the current condition of these facets and the relationship that human beings share with each of these. Water: Understanding the Essential Element On the first day, the theme was water. The children started with a news-paper exercise, identifying all coverage related to water. This helped them to understand a wide variety of issues, ranging from water supply to water pollution, neighborhood water bodies to the impacts of global warming on water. Following this a quiz was held to help them check their awareness levels on water related issues. Further, after the screening of a documentary film on 'water harvesting' the kids discussed ways in which they could contribute to save water. To foster their thoughts, at the end of the day, the kids were taken to the 'Puttenahalli' tank, where they could notice the impacts of encroachment and pollution on the water body. A treasure hunt was organised where children traced the paths of various products from its production to its disposal. This activity introduced them to the topic of waste management, dealt with in-depth in the following days. Village Visit: Learning about crops, fields and cattle On the second day, the children were taken to Madanapalli, a village in Andhra Pradesh. This visit was organized to help them develop a wider perspective on people’s relationship with natural resources and the environment, and also compare the contrasts and similarities between urban and rural areas. The trip to the village was filled with surprises and adventure right from the word ‘go’, starting with the bumpy bus ride. At the village, the kids were introduced to village life, sustainable agriculture and the need to preserve local food grains, indigenous cow breeds and many other related issues. In addition to learning about the details of life on a farm, the kids also indulged in a lot of fun. They helped cook the afternoon meal which included onion chutney ground on a stone grindstone, sambhar, rasam and fresh buttermilk. The high point was when the kids jumped into the sump turning themselves silly wet. For some the overall experience was overwhelming and for others it was simply awing. Land: Learning about indigenous resources The third day started with a recap on the previous day’s visit to the village. For many children this was the first ever exposure to a rural set up. Hence their minds were filled with questions and also the desire to know more. To give them a broader picture, the grappling situation in rural India due to lack of support to agriculture was discussed. The kids were shocked to know of the spate of farmer suicides in Vidharbha, a region in Maharashtra and the terrible conditions under which most farmers in this country operate. The fact that most farmers were being forced to shift from food crops to cash crops due to lack of market and government support and that this movement could threaten the country’s food security also upset the children. In fact, this piece of information led to the next discussion which was about the need to use locally grown food and goods in order to promote farmers' interests. Another issue which came forth was the impacts of drinks like Coca Cola and Pepsi on not only its consumers but also the resources of the country, which are being drained and polluted simultaneously. The story of the people’s struggle at Plachimada which is trying to safeguard a local community’s rights over its resources moved the children greatly. For the second half of the day, the kids were taken to ‘Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions’ (FRLHT), an organization that works on conserving and rejuvenating herbal medicines and other local practices. The guide at FRLHT introduced the kids to a variety of plants, their leaves, stems, roots and blades which were rich in medicinal values and could be used to solve common health ailments. The kids had an interesting time here chewing samples of leaves and grass blades, imitating cows they had seen in Madanapalli. The day ended with some sapling shopping at the FRLHT nursery, where most kids were inspired to buy one or more plants after hearing their significance. Fire: What does it take for the lights to come on at home? The theme on day four was Energy. The first activity of the day was a card game, which introduced the children to three forms of electricity production—hydel, thermal and solar. This game was aimed at demonstrating the multiple impacts of these different processes and also the effects it has on the resources of a country and its people. While playing this game issues like displacement, pollution and loss of natural resources were also brought out. A detailed presentation which had slides on different methods of energy production helped the children understand this more graphically. Apart from this, the kids also played a molecule game, through which they were introduced to the concept of ‘global warming’. In the afternoon, a visit was organised to the Renewable Energy Park near Raj Bhavan Road, to help children get a practical view of the alternative forms of energy production. Apart from watching a documentary film which elucidated this further, the kids also played in the park where they actually produced energy while going down the slide, riding a bicycle and walking in a massive roller which converted mechanical energy into electrical energy. Ether: Developing the spirit of environmental awareness On the last day of the workshop the kids were taken to Lal Bagh. Here, Mr.Vijay Raghavan Thiruvady took the children around the Bagh giving them information on various trees, their history, geographical and botanical lineage and so on. Thus, the kids learnt about the contributions of Hyder Ali and numerous and other botanists to the great bagh. This was an interesting walk, especially since most children who had come here before did not know these intricate facts about the trees they had watched many times over. The kids were also excited about the snake catching a fish in the lake inside the bagh, which they saw while leaning over the barricades on the lake. Back in the office, to sum up all the themes the children made collages on various issues like waste management, water, global warming, farmers’ situation, forms of energy, health and so on. The kids spent an educative hour reading on different issues while cutting, snipping and pasting articles. This activity was followed by screening of some short clips on various issues which had been discussed over the past few days. The clippings not only described these issues but also prompted children to think of solutions or contributions which they could make at their individual level. After a yummy lunch the kids and the ESG team members sat together to take a quick review and also get feedback on the workshop. For most kids this was a fun-filled and learning experience which was far more practical than what is practiced in their schools. On a parting note, the children promised to contribute in every single way that they possibly could. They also suggested that similar workshops be held in different schools and neighborhoods so that more children get exposure to these kinds of issues. Though everyone was sad about parting, they were all looking forward to spreading the message across and as one kid aptly put it, become the ESG (Environment Saving Generation)!

Weaving Environment Education into the Fabric of Teaching 13/08/2010 Teacher's Workshop -Day 1 The teachers' workshop kicked off with a round of introductions and the participants being welcomed by the ESG team.The workshop was facilitated by Bhargavi Rao, Leo Saldhana and Sruthi Subanna. The participants were from diverse backgrounds; from Maldives to Raigarh to Dahanu to our very own Bangalore. They had such different experiences to share, that it enriched the interaction and the understanding extracted from the workshop. Session I, co-ordinated by Bhargavi, the main organiser of the workshop, started with a lively discussion on the “Challenges to Environmental Education” and went on to include a critical analysis of our education system itself. While the main faults could be listed as: ineffective modes of learning such as rote learning, ritual learning and information-oriented learning, the conclusion drawn was that the basic construct of our education system is itself flawed. It was recognised that environment education must be all-pervasive, should ideally cut across subject boundaries and should be able to lend itself to discussions under any and every discipline. The use of exams as a means of knowledge-validation was also criticised, so was the reduction of school projects to mere rituals in the pursuit of marks. The participants were invited to ponder ways out of this puzzle, while thinking of means to reduce the burden of learning on school children: is there another way out? This was followed by a screening of a film called “Gaon chodo ab nahi” that dealt with the tribal’s' struggle to save their lands and forests. The film brought home to the group the evils of indiscriminate mining and the displacement of indigenous groups in the name of “development”. The undertaking of steps to awaken a social and environmental consciousness among school children, especially in urban areas, was offered as one of the key approaches to the problem of remorseless ecological destruction for access to resources. A sense of responsibility towards the environment cannot be taught, but inspired. Children should be made aware of the environmental implications of unheeding consumerism in this age of“Conspicuous Consumption”. For such complex issues to be understood and internalised by children it is necessary to instill in them critical thinking; something that our education system fails to do. The most pressing need today is, especially for parents and teachers, a willingness to acknowledge the problems and impart to children the sense of urgency of environmental concerns. Session II was facilitated by Vinay Srinivas of Hasiru Usiru, who spoke to the group on building political awareness in children. He discussed about the National Curriculum Framework, a government document that effectively prescribes the role of education in a child's life, but which, unfortunately, few schools are aware of and fewer implement. Vinay said that the Preamble of the Indian Constitution is as good a place as any to start a forum of discussion on political awareness with school students. The conversation then turned towards diverse issues like Naxalism, Reservation and the Right to Education Act among others. He stressed on the need to instill a participative attitude among children and recognise themselves as active citizens of the country, thereby educating them to perform their roles in a democracy. Valuable inputs and queries from time-to-time from the participants kept the discussion alive and interesting. Session III brought Deepak Srinivasan from Maraa to talk to the group on theatre and environmental education; and how learning can be made fun for children. He briefly spoke about plays as an effective medium of transferring knowledge, awareness and information, before diving into a few practical exercises that got the particpants' grey cells going and demanded creative outputs- like the “image theatre” exercise that soon became everyone's favourite. Going into the nuances of theatre itself, Deepak advised the group to narrate plays as stories to generate interest in children and eventually bring in environmental themes into the plays; he also asked the group to have faith in kids and their inventiveness and involve them in scripting, designing and directing plays. A short intermission followed during which another short film was screened called “A Climate Call from the Coast”. Next, there was a field visit to a place called Thurahalli, on the outskirts of Bangalore, an area of reserved forest. Once there the participants could clearly see the direct impact of rapid urbanisation on the city's green cover. As such the protected area at Thurahalli is one of the last remaining bastions of greenery in the city; however, it too has not been able to completely escape human encroachment. There, amidst the trees and the grass, was an ideal setting for the group to mull over biodiversity, and the need to conserve it. At the end of the discussions the group dispersed for the day to meet again the following morning. 14/08/2010 Teacher's Workshop -Day 2 Session IV – the second day started with a bang, at Lalbagh Botanical Garden where the group was scheduled to meet Dr. M.B. Krishna, noted ornithologist. Mr. Krishna held a thought-provoking discussion, referring to the environment in economic terms and put across some harsh realities about the way the environment is regarded by most people. He was of the opinion that the education system is highly faulty and how moralizing about the environment will not really achieve environmental awareness/initiatives/protection. He stressed on the absolute necessity of a monetary incentive to safe-guarding the environment and not a moral incentive. He stated with great common sense that appreciation of local ecology cannot happen in a classroom. There is a need to create a connect between the child and environment and teach the child how to assess the environment.Dr. Krishna went on to give innovative ideas to the group. For example, he said that the profiling of local-ecosystems can be taken up as school projects, and over a period of time schools can create rich databases about their local ecology. This will give the children a good understanding of their environmental and geographical roots that will enable them to live in greater harmony with nature than preceding generations. After that, the group enjoyed a walk around Lalbagh, saw in awe all the ancient trees and enjoyed the flower show. Session V- Sruthi conducted a discussion on terrace-gardening and composting and related activities for classes to do as school or home projects. Keeping the theme of the workshop in mind she explained how these practical projects can be used to better explain chemical and biological processes such as aerobic and anaerobic decomposition, biodegradation, etc.. She also spoke to the group about natural fertilizers, transplanting samplings and gave various tips on preventing pests from attacking gardens naturally, using ingredients from home. This was followed by a documentary screening called “Nagara Nyrmalya” based on the importance of segregating solid wastes at source. It showed how the health of not only the sanitary workers but of the entire population is at risk because of the careless way in which people disposed of their household waste. Session VI – post lunch there was a session by Dr. Lakshmi Nilakantan on Maths and Environment. She spoke to the group about the aesthetic similarities between the two in terms of the beauty and richness. She told the group about the very interesting Fibonacci series and its role in nature. The concept of numbers in nature provides a fascinating field of study. At the school level Dr Nilakantan suggested various environment-related indoor and outdoor activities that will enhance understanding of mathematical concepts. Problems such as creating a water budget, or a carbon emissions calculation and similar surveys that involvenumbers will present interesting methods of learning math to children while at the same time spreading environmental awareness. Next was a discussion on the all important matter of career opportunities in Environmental Science and related fields. The facilitators were of the opinion the environment will find applications in a variety of fields as more and more governments are called upon to deal with the environmental issues. The opportunities ranged from working in research institutions, Law, Education to Public Health, Toxicology and Epidemiology studies and also working in environmental lobbies and influencing policy decisions. The participants were then given DVDs containing documentaries, films, posters and other information on environmental issues and campaigns. At the end there was a feedback session where suggestions and comments were invited from the participants. The co-ordinators also acknowledged the contribution of Mallesh, Rajanna and Sushilamma without whose logistical support this workshop would not have been possible. Finally it was time to take leave. The entire group thoroughly enjoyed the two-day workshop and were going back to their places enriched and ready to share their knowledge. Report by Poornima Pradhyumnan Intern at ESG

Exploring Environmental Education Beyond the Classroom Report on ESG Workshop for Teachers: 9-11 July 2009 (download report - MS Word, 478 KB) (view invitation) Though made mandatory in 1991 by the Supreme Court of India, environmental education has not evolved to accommodate the complex and dynamic nature of current day environmental crises. With this in mind Environment Support Group (ESG), in collaboration with Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, hosted a teacher's workshop focused on "Exploring Environmental Education Beyond the Classroom" from July 9th to 11th, 2009. The twenty participants included teachers from ICSE, CBSE, and SSLC schools, young activists, and even a recent medical graduate, all with diverse backgrounds but a common interest in improving their environmental awareness. Most attendees hailed from Bengaluru, but two journeyed from Mumbai to attend, considering it a valuable experience. A return to environmental consciousness Introducing the themes of the workshop, Leo Saldanha, Coordinator of ESG, discussed the new paradigm in which our ingrained environmental consciousness of the past only now exists on a syllabus, making teachers the most important communicators of humanistic concern. In a time when comfortable, "sustainable" living is exchanged for the health and safety of countless communities, the sensitization of students to such violent and inhuman circumstances is an invaluable tool in the pursuit of social justice. Following this, Bhargavi Rao of ESG spoke on the practice of environmental education and issues confronted when teaching the same, especially the dryness of government-approved textbooks and the disconnect between students and their immediate surroundings. Teachers were then encouraged to share their own challenges in teaching environmental science, and many cited exam-oriented syllabi and scarce teaching resources as dominant issues. Further, parental worries about the rigor of outdoor education, added to the separation of environmental issues from social issues reinforced by media, hinder creative engagement of students and allow them to take the subject lightly. Given the multiple variables which combine in environmental issues, such education can in fact include elements of every other school subject, not to mention every person, deconstructing social boundaries and conflicts. Instead of isolating environmental education as just another science to learn, it must be connected to a student's way of life, making them question every purchase in the market, the different living standard of their house servants, and the social conditioning they are subject to every day. Bhargavi elaborated on the direct connections necessary for students to understand their own role in their environment, using the example of local laborers or waste collectors, not "experts," to act as resource persons. To support this discussion, the group was shown one of ESG's short films, "Nagara Nyrmalya," a dramatization of the key role played by waste collectors in recycling waste and ensuring community health and safety. Teachers were encouraged to show such films to their students to link their daily lives to the functioning of a larger community and global environment. Following this, the group divided into two sections for an outdoor activity in turning local landscapes into learning landscapes. One group focused on trees, public spaces, and waste, walking through the neighborhood behind the ESG office and identifying tree species, waste collection points, and how roads are composed. The benefits of trees as shade-givers and gathering points for city dwellers were discussed, in addition to the innumerable medicinal, cooking, and other household purposes plants serve. The second group observed the interactions of urban transport and livelihoods, noting the varying uses of roads by different people, including the elderly, differently-abled, children, and street vendors. Children may be encouraged to consider such differences in making daily decisions, such as buying food from vendors near their homes instead of malls, or writing a letter to the local government protesting traffic which prevents them from riding bicycles to school. For teachers, this type of outdoor activity encourages students to connect their studies and surroundings, resulting in practical knowledge of household plant uses, the components of a city's waste stream, or the causes of traffic congestion. To introduce ESG's Teacher's Handbook of environmental education resources given to participants, Nandini, Sruthi, and Divya gave short presentations on classroom activity ideas. Newspapers brought to the classroom can represent the extent of public interest in environmental issues, and new topics or words within articles can be explored and learned through word scrambles or 20 questions games. For more hands-on learning, composting using the BBC (bricks, baggasse, compost) method and crafting recycled paper encourages students to consider reducing and reusing waste before throwing it out. To finish the first day, Mr. Arul Selva, editor of Slum Jagathu magazine, joined the group to discuss issues facing the urban poor and how students can be sensitized to the different quality of life of many of their city's residents. Despite widespread "development," the poor have remained poor, falling prey to exploitation and dangerous conditions as contract laborers, domestic servants, and waste collectors. The presence of slums is a complex issue, as many "slum dwellers" work in our homes and provide us with our comfortable lifestyle. Given the role of parents and the media in reinforcing the compartmentalization of society into class and caste, teachers have the chance to make students question the current system and develop compassion for different people. Many teachers were interested in having their students visit a slum to understand its complexities, and he remarked that a group of students developing a long-term relationship with a program or school within the slum would be a valuable interaction for both parties. The outdoors as a living textbook The second day of the workshop focused on taking students out of the classroom and into their local surroundings to link textbook topics with practical experience. The morning began with a presentation on understanding rainwater harvesting by Mr. Shivakumar of the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology. All in the room were startled to discover the dramatic disparity between the quantities of water needed to produce a product and the amount of the final product. For example, 1 liter of milk requires 3 liters of water to produce, and 2,500 liters of water are required to produce a single kilogram of sugar! This water is the same freshwater which has always been on earth, but the location and quality of water has changed over time, resulting in many polluted or dried out water supplies and few remaining accessible water sources. Mr. Shivakumar went on to explain how the changing spatial arrangement of water sources, from a water collection center to pipelines in each house, has deconstructed the social bonds of urban communities. Bengaluru's city water is now pumped from the Cauvery River over 100km away, and we are using more of it than we need in construction, recreation, and in the home. Rainwater collection in homes, schools, and offices could supplement and reduce our dependence on city water supply. Several teachers were enthusiastic about organizing their students and schools to work towards installing rainwater harvesting units and contribute to water conservation efforts. After a short break, the ESG team then led the group on an outdoor adventure to Venkatappa Kere, a relatively undeveloped tank on the outskirts of the city, where teachers may bring their classes to show students more than picture slideshows of plants, animals, and landscapes. All expressed great surprise at such a serene, natural environment remaining relatively protected despite being close to the city and surrounded by "squatters" pushed out by development. As experienced by the teachers themselves, the very act of observing a living lake environment allows for deeper understanding and personal connections which are impossible to recreate in a textbook. Turahalli Forest was the next stop, where the entire group enjoyed an invigorating climb up a nearby hill to a temple and stunning views of Bengaluru. As suggested by trek leader Leo Saldanha, a "nature walk" with children would provide countless opportunities for intuitive learning by sight, touch, smell, and even taste for adventurous students. Viewing the various levels of development near the forest, as well as the views of Bengaluru's sprawling urban, semi-urban, and rural areas, offers innumerable opportunities to engage students on themes of urban planning, resource use, and similar human-environment themes. The third field visit was to Vikasana, an alternative school for rural children, where the group interacted with the school's founder, Ms. Malathi. Since many of the participants in the workshop hailed from traditional, exam-oriented school systems, Vikasana's unusual focus on cultivating individual talents and a sense of duty to help others was a refreshing alternate. Just as she became a teacher through rigorous self-training using materials that local children were learning in school, Ms. Malathi further encourages teachers to admit their own weaknesses and learn alongside the students. Connecting with the theme of environmental education, Vikasana's campus is full of trees, wildlife, and buildings constructed by students and teachers over the years, reflecting the self-sufficiency and environmental consciousness ESG encourages teachers to bring into their classrooms. The lengthy but experience-rich second day of the workshop concluded with a visit to the home of Leo Saldanha, where participants enjoyed a tour of his extensive rainwater harvesting system which allows his home to be entirely self-sufficient. His unique design, utilizing an underground moat-like storage system around his home's foundation, allows for all water taps in the home, and flowering and fruiting trees in the garden, to use rainwater collected through the year. After seeing the simple, economic and environmentally-friendly system for themselves, several teachers mentioned their inspiration to start campaigns at their own schools to construct rainwater harvesting systems. Framing environmental issues as community responsibilities The third and final day of the workshop offered a series of case studies presented by ESG staff on prominent environmental issues of importance to teachers and students' understanding of their own roles in local and global communities. Divya began by presenting an overview of her experiences with the Narmada Dam movement (Narmada Bachao Andolan), a 25-year-old campaign fighting for tribal rights to land and livelihoods submerged with the building of a series of dams in Gujarat. In line with Nehru's famous assertion that "dams are the temples of modern India," construction of the dams has continued despite the displacement of over 400 villages, raising the question: is development worth pursuing at any cost to people and the environment? Such questions are essential to raise within classrooms, so the next generation may decide to take action before extreme violations of human dignity and natural disasters occur. Mr. Sunil Dutt Yadav then presented on the legal basis of environmental protection in India, explaining how laws represent the imposition of "minimum morality" onto the social order, as reflected in the development of reservations for certain classes or castes. In the case of environmentally-related laws, parks and other "lung spaces" are protected by laws on paper, but rarely in practice. For instance, lakes are considered to be public resources and are thus protected for the benefit of future generations, but Bengaluru has already seen a two-thirds reduction in lakes across the city due to development. Children and teachers then have the opportunity to fill the missing link between law and practice by taking care of local open spaces and observing and reporting unlawful changes. Bhargavi followed by presenting on a topic essential to the functioning of every school: paper production. ESG was involved in a campaign protesting the West Coast Paper Mills' unhindered exploitation of water from the Kali River and local forests and consequent discharge of untreated effluents into the river. The pollutants caused a wide variety of complications in agricultural crop growth, human development in local villages, and wildlife health. After years of protest, the paper mill finally provided a minimal amount of clean drinking water to the villages, but only for a short time. In a similar instance of action taken only after extraordinary levels of human and environmental indignity have been reached, the Coca-Cola company's arrival in Kerala in the 1990s completely dried up all nearby tube wells. The Plachimada movement, as described by Nandini, attempted to fight the results of a bribe system which resulted in the free rein of companies despite strong laws defining foreign investment and pollution levels. The movement was mostly successful, although the effects of the company's presence, including polluted wells and toxic cropland, continue to plague the affected communities. If used in the classroom, these case studies provide excellent starting points for teachers to explore the varying legal and economic powers attributed to the government, corporations, the public, and the law. The workshop concluded with an open discussion of ideas for activities and workshops which teachers were interested in hosting at their schools with the help of ESG, and an online group was also set up in order to create a network of environmental science teachers, resource people, and the concerned public. Report written by Samantha Wishnak, intern with ESG from the University of Chicago's Human Rights Internship Program.

Namma Parisara - "Our Environment" A Report of the Summer workshop for children in coordination with Child’s Day Montessori, Padmanabhanagar: May 2009 (download report - MS Word, 350 KB) Fresh green leaves on the Pongamia, Peltophorum proudly flashing its yellow flowers amidst beautiful green foliage and the copper pods, Gulmohar flaunting its beautiful crimson and the Spathodea having shed its leaves and waiting for new ones, while Lagerstromia displayed its pink and purple hues with pride, it was the time for children in Padmanabhanagar neighbourhood to come to Childs Day Montessori for a ten day Summer Camp entitled "Namma Parisara" (which means our Environment in Kannada) to appreciate and understand the environment around us. "Namma Parisara" the ten day summer workshop for children was organized by Environment Support Group in coordination with Child’s Day Montessori in Padmanabhanagar, Bengaluru. Tiny tots to 11 year olds enjoyed the ten day experience of learning about the environment around them through a lot of games, outdoor exercises and interactive sessions. A group of 16 children, explored their neighbourhood to understand the water needs, cleanliness, road safety, tree cover and briefly about the urban wildlife in the neighbourhood. The field visit to the Shetty Halli kere in Subramanyapura limits near Uttarahalli to understand the traditional use of a tank was a great learning experience to the kids. The use of the tank by the villagers for various needs such as washing, bathing and fishing helped understand the water needs of a community in the outskirts of the city. It also facilitated the understanding of the structure of a lake, the distribution of the different flora and fauna. Watching Egrets along the shore of the lake, Coots in small groups in the water and Brahmini kites catch their prey was an exciting experience for the kids. Butterflies and dragon flies caught the attention of the little ones only to be completely amazed by their colours and flight. Watching a documentary titled "Our School Water shed program" enhanced the children’s understanding of harvesting rain water through tanks and the importance of lakes in the city. Visiting the BWSSB water tank in Banagiri layout close to Padmanabhanagar and interacting with the Assistant Executive Engineer Mr. Manjunath on the water demand and supply of the neighbourhood, understanding how Cauvery river water is brought to Bengaluru and how it is supplied to the people of the city amazed the children. Mr.Manjunath also stressed the need for Rain Water Harvesting in Bangalore. He also mentioned the model rain water harvesting unit that has been set up at the BWSSB office in Katriguppe neighbourhood. In the context of water and its use and abuse,a brief introduction to the toxic chemicals present in the colas and the harm they cause to the health and well being of humans was discussed in detail by Ms. Archana Ravindra, Directress of Child’s Day Montessori. Walking in the neighbourhood to identify the trees in the area was a very engrossing experience for the kids. Learning to identify the leaves, flowers, fruits and pods was complete fun. In addition, collecting the cherries on the pavement around a Muntingia tree, collecting the boat shaped pods of the Spathodea, collecting a vaiety of leaves was a chirpy activity enjoyed by all. The slide presentation on some common urban trees by Bhargavi Rao provided a good understanding of the different trees and the period of flowering. A visit to a terrace garden and understanding the needs of potted plants, shade loving plants, the method of watering them and learning about the variety of visitors such as butterflies and birds was very inspiring to the children. A brief introduction to the variety of urban wildlife around us by Bhargavi Rao was presented through a slide presentation and children learnt to observe and appreciate the smaller forms of wildlife such as butterflies, moths, rodents, the variety of birds, reptiles and mammals around our homes and in our immediate environment. A slide presentation by Mrs Nanda Gautham, Child’s day Montessori teacher on some predatory birds kept the kids spell bound and aroused a deep interest in the food habits, calls, nesting habits of such predatory birds. Mrs Gautham also showed pictures of big mammals such as the Indian Bison and elephants that was a thrilling experience for the children. Of the many surveys of the neighbourhood the most shocking was the garbage survey of the neighbouhood. Children were shocked to see the amount of plastic strewn around at every corner of the neighbourhood. In addition was a variety of hazardous waste such as batteries, old medicines, plastic, glass, metal pieces and construction waste. The survey helped understand the magnitude of the problem and the interactive discussions further made children realize the need to segregate the waste at source. Watching the documentary ‘Nagara Nyrmalya’ made by Environment Support Group enforced the need for segregation in an entertaining way. Children also learnt to make recycled paper in a simple method and enjoyed the process entirely. In addition to learning the need for segregation of waste at source, children also learnt the Brick, Bagasse and compost method to make compost effortlessly at home. As part of this workshop children learnt how we move in the city and the impacts of the increasing number of private transport vehicles in the city. Children also studied the safety of the roads in Padmanabhanagar and expressed the difficulties they face while walking, playing and commuting to school and other places in the neighbourhood. A slide presentation based discussion by Bhargavi Rao on how the use of public transport could help reduce traffic congestion and make our roads safer for pedestrians was enlightening for the children and helped them design their dream roads. Children sketched their imagination of safe roads making provisions for all users keeping in mind, children, differently abled, senior citizens, street vendors, trees and for vehicles. Children also made sketches of their dream parks and the facilities they enjoy in a park. Visiting the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike office in Padmanabhanagar ward number 55 and meeting with Mr.Mahadeviah the Assistant Executive Engineer was a very exciting experience for the children. In addition to understanding the structure and function of the ward office, children also understood the different tasks performed by the different officers such as collecting of taxes, monitoring the disposal of waste and the building and repair of roads, storm water drains and other utilities. The enthusiasm of meeting with the BBMP, pressed children to demand for a proper park in the neighbourhood and they even made requests to clean up the parks that were in a poor state. The excitement also led them to write a letter to the Assistant Executive Engineer of ward number 55 requesting him to make Padmanabhanagar a safer and cleaner place in Bengaluru. The workshop concluded with a brief interaction with Mr. Leo F.Saldanha, coordinator of Environment Support Group and he shared a true story of how small children had helped revive a park in Jayanagar. This was followed by distribution of certificates to the participants who were energized over the ten days on a variety of environmental issues in the city.

Combating Climate Change A summer workshop for children 19th - 23rd April 2010 Coordinated by Environment Support Group, Bangalore With rising April temperatures in the city and summer vacations having just begun, a group of 21 children representing many schools in Bangalore and coming from many neighbourhoods in South Bangalore actively participated in a five day summer workshop organized by the Environment Support Group (ESG) at the ESG office in Bangalore to understand the complex issues of Climate Change and global warming and learn how to combat the same. Introductions through a game... The first day of the workshop commenced with a little game through which the children introduced each other and in the process got to know one another. The game was coordinated by Gomati Madaiah and Shruthi Subbanna. Once they got familiarized with each other Bhargavi S.Rao engaged them in an interactive discussion on how and why the planet was warming and what were the impacts of climate change. This was followed by a very illustrative slide presentation by Sruthi on Global warming, Climate change and the different sources of carbon. Sruthi also engaged the children in an energetic discussion on the alternate ways of living and how we can all play a part in minimizing carbon emissions. Following a small break Gomati engaged the kids in a game to help them learn the common terminologies associated with climate change. Conversations about carbon emissions adding to air pollution gradually led to discussions of ways to minimize the emissions and regulation with respect to pollution. Bhargavi introduced the children to some of the basic environmental laws and the role of the Pollution Control Board as the regulatory agency. Case studies of illegal dumping of municipal solid waste, biomedical waste and industrial waste were cited by Sruthi to explain how individuals, organizations and students can complain about such environmental problems to the Pollution Control Board. She also explained the different case studies and the actions initiated by the Board through a slide presentation. The children along with the ESG team discussed some of the challenges of regulation and punishment to the violators. Visit to the pollution Control Board Post lunch the group visited the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board office at Parisara Bhavan, in Basaveshwarnagar. Though the objective of the visit was to have a interactive discussion on the role of the KSPCB, the air monitoring stations, the parameters monitored and the regulatory action taken by KSPCB the authorities at the Parisara Bhavan had organized a slide presentation about the environment and the kids were given a lecture explaining the different aspects of pollution. Some of the pollution monitoring instruments were also on display and the children enjoyed the Noise level indicator as they screamed into the instrument to check their decibel levels. The second day commenced with children sharing their experiences at the pollution control board. Mr. Leo F. Saldanha on hearing their experiences articulated the need for children to be aware of their environment and highlighted the need to strengthen our regulatory systems to be able to handle environmental disasters and emergencies such as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. He narrated the events leading up to the tragedy, explaining how carelessness and callousness by industrialists such as DOW Chemicals can impact human health. He explicitly described how such criminal actions get away with meager compensations that never really reach the impacted communities. He elucidated the need for citizen action in making the regulatory agencies more efficient and responsive. In an attempt to have the kids get to know each other a little better Sruthi and Gomati had them play a short fun activity consisting of finding participants in the workshop with similar interests to their own. After a short break to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ for Sruthi and relishing the birthday cake the children regrouped together for an Earth quiz that was conducted by Gomati. This was followed by a short interactive slide presentation by Sruthi on alternate sources of energy, alternate modes of transport and how we can reduce emissions. Sruthi highlighted the case of Bangalore’s road widening project that was adding more cars to the roads, while it was mindlessly removing the urban green cover thereby adding more to the existing problems of global warming and climate change. She also stressed how such projects were insensitive to the needs of the urban poor and their livelihoods. Eco-friendly lifestyles Bhargavi spoke to the children about the changing lifestyles and the changing patterns of consumption and waste generation since the time of our forefathers. She stressed the need for living an eco friendly lifestyle that did not cause much damage to mother earth and gave an idea about how such a life could be made possible through building and living in eco friendly homes. She illustrated this through a slide presentation of Mr.Chokalingam’s home on Bannerghatta road that has been built based on the Harappan and Mohenjodaro designs with provisions for free flow of fresh air and escape of warm air. She explained how the house had been built with bricks made locally and used old recyclable doors and windows. She also highlighted the use of solar power for all power needs, composting of waste, harvesting rain water and the many innovative ways of reducing carbon footprints that has been incorporated in the house. After lunch the children were excited to visit the eco-friendly home of Mr.Jaideep and Ms. Latha in Rachanamadu village off Kanakapura road. The Children were enchanted when Latha explained to them how the site which was now filled with Fig, Plumeria, Coconut, Lime and many other trees was a barren land just a few years back. She also explained how they nurtured the trees, and tended to their vegetable garden that supplied fresh organic vegetables to their daily menu. Mr. Jaideep explained to the children about the rain water harvesting pits present in their garden and how it helps recharge the ground water. He also showed the waste water recycling through reed beds and filters that was being used for the garden. The peddle pump used to draw water from the grey water well caught the attention of the children and each of them gave it a try. In addition Mr. Jaideep showed the children the roof top rain water harvesting and how it was collected in a sump after filtering through a sand bed filter. The kids were also fascinated by the way the toilets in the house were altered so that one of them utilized the waste water from the washing machine while the other toilet was a dry one in which the waste would be later utilized for making manure. Many of the children were also charmed by the use of bamboo for wardrobes and the cool flooring made of red and green oxide. After a complete tour of the house the children sat with Mr. Jaideep and Ms. Latha for an informal discussion and Mr. Jaideep highlighted the need for rain water harvesting in all of Bangalore’s homes. He also pointed out how most urban residents used a hose pipe to wash their cars unmindful of the fact that in the urban fringes of Bangalore, women had to stand in queue for long hours just to get one pot of clean drinking water. Mr. Jaideep also stressed the need to eat locally grown food grains, fruits and vegetables that were far healthier than those fruits that traveled across the world with lots of chemical sprays to keep them look healthy and fresh. After a refreshing fruit drink the children joined Ms. Latha for a walk in the neighburhood up to "Pig’s rock" as it’s popularly known and she explained how a small stream flows in the region for most parts of the years except during the peak summer months. Children enjoyed walking around observing the big termite hills, the trees and the rocks. Cloudy skies and a few drops of rain alerted the children and they quickly got into the cars to head back home. On the way back, the group stopped at the Shetty Halli Kere and Bhargavi explained to them briefly about the history of tanks in Bangalore, the structure of tanks, their function and their present status. She also helped them see for themselves the entry of sewage from the newly built apartments into the Shetty halli tank that was enriching the tank with nutrients thereby increasing the growth of water Hyacinth. The children also observed a variety of water birds such as the Purple Moorhen, Cattle Egrets, Pond Herons, Jacanas and a few others. After observing the tank for a short while the group returned to the ESG office full of wonder and inspiration. Climate Change, Lives and Livelihoods The third day began with sharing of the previous day’s experiences at the eco-friendly home and the tank which was then followed by discussions of some case studies from around the world about how climate change impacts lives and livelihoods. Through a slide presentation Bhargavi showed the children how communities in Bangladesh, Nepal and Peru were coping with the natural disasters of floods, landslides and food insecurity. This was followed by the story of the Bamboo weavers in Bangalore. Sruthi explained to the children how a growing metropolis plans infrastructure projects such as the Metro without due consideration of the urban poor and without any public involvement. She highlighted the fact that the current alignment of the metro would serve a very small percentage of people in Bangalore and its construction was also happening at the cost of many lives and livelihoods. She elucidated how that this would displace communities that had been living in some parts of Bangalore from time immemorial. She explained how the Bamboo weavers community that lives on K.R.road were thrown out of their homes when the Metro construction began without any due consideration even to the women and children. She also talked about how this community continues to live on the construction debris and the broken pavements in dangerous conditions, with each day being a struggle. The story helped children think of alternate plans and how planning a metro underground could save many people their lives, homes and livelihoods. Post this session the children learnt about making recycled paper at home and designing rain water harvesting units for their homes. The kids were taught how to calculate the amount of rain water they can collect based on the roof area through a very simple formula. They were encouraged to speak to their parents about the possibility of implementing rain water harvesting units at their homes. A game of Chinese Telephone co-ordinated by Gomati was followed by lunch time which was once again a fun time as there was another birthday at ESG, the children sang happy birthday to Gomati and also enjoyed some refreshing ice cream. The afternoon was spent at a Silk and rayon weaving unit in Sampangiramnagar understanding the functioning of power looms in an era of growing debates and discussions about reducing emissions to combat climate change. Children were guided through very narrow stairways that lead to a hall that had rayon yarn twisting machines. Mr.Gopal, the proprietor of the unit explained how the rayon yarn was imported from Germany and it was further twisted here through spinning machines to a desired thickness to weave sarees. The twisted yarn was then fed into power looms to weave sarees that would later be dyed and printed. He explained how each power loom made approximately 4 to 5 sarees, sometimes even 6 per day. Each loom needed only one person to monitor and there were about 34 such looms that operated throughout the day except in the night. Mr. Gopal also shared that the electricity bill per month was nearly about RS.15,000/- at a subsidized rate. The cost of each saree at the market was about Rs. 300 –Rs.400/-. Children watched with great enthusiasm the precision in weaving the many self embossed designs by the huge machines while they wondered how the same would be done manually by the handloom weavers. As we walked out of the noisy setting of the weaving unit, children had lots of questions about silk and cotton yarns, the silk sarees and the dyeing process. Many even wondered whether the silks they had seen at home were handloom or powerloom, they discussed the softness and coarseness of the silk sarees. It also left them wondering about which of the two (handloom or powerlooms) is environmentally more feasible? Children understood how the powerloom is a big threat to the existence of traditional skills and livelihoods. The cacophonous cluttering noise emanating from all the buildings around left the kids wondering about the dwelling conditions there. The serene sound of the handloom weaving is not heard anywhere around the neighbourhood as all the families have shifted to powerlooms. Bhargavi shared with the children that the use of power loom for making a saree looking almost identical to a traditional handloom saree has made many of these traditionally skilled weavers redundant. Not only has the skill become redundant but the weavers also have become redundant and without jobs, as the power loom require less people and less time in making a power loom saree. She explained how one handloom saree, which takes about 10 days on a handloom, can be replicated (although nowhere near the same quality) within a few hours only. This way, one power loom replaces about 10 weavers. She further explained that with the power loom itself, from designing to weaving and even embroidery work is accomplished reducing the elements of skill and human intervention to a great extent. A morning at a forest Thursday saw a bright and early start to the day with a field visit to a patch of forest, Turahalli to demonstrate the ecology and biodiversity present in that forested area. Children arrived bright and early and the group left for Turahalli by 8.45 am accompanied by Sruthi, Mallesh and Bhargavi. Turahalli is a dry deciduous forest on the outskirts of Bangalore in the south. It lies adjacent to the Kanakapura Road and is about 10 kms from Banashankari 2nd stage. The forest has a good variety of flora and fauna. Parts of Turahalli have been afforested with Acacia and Eucalyptus. Children enjoyed trekking up the Turahalli hills from the northern side. They observed many insects and lizards. On reaching the highest point they enjoyed the view of the city and were able to understand the scale of development in and around the hills. They were thrilled to try rock climbing and did manage to climb most of the rocks. After exploring the region the group settled down and discussed a few issues about the benefits of trees and forests. Bhargavi described how water moves up the trees through the roots and how the root system spreads far wider than the canopy seen above ground. She emphasized the importance of trees in holding the soil and in creating water sheds in such regions. She also mentioned that the region is known for wildlife such as the Great horned owl, Mongoose, Jackals and is also part of an elephant corridor of the region. As the mid morning sun got warmer the group observed a variety of butterflies hovering in the area. They also observed a large group of kites flying above closely keeping a watch over the smaller forms. They explored deeper into some of the rock formations with Sruthi's constant encouragement and supervision. They discovered caves through which they climbed up and found their way to the top most point and were completely enchanted at the beauty of the rocks. The descend down the hill was filled with watching a few butterflies, birds like the Drongo, Mynas, Flycatchers and a few were lucky to spot a Cicada on a young eucalyptus tree. The call of the Cicada was deafening and while children observed it Bhargavi explained to them that the Cicada’s call is the loudest song of the insect world and that it is only the males that sing, trying to attract females for mating through ribbed membranes on either side of the insect’s abdomen. While the sun by noon got really hot and the water bottles got completely dry the three cars were filled with chirpy chatter as the vehicles made their way back to the ESG office. On returning to the ESG office Bhargavi gave a brief explanation of the science behind genetic engineering and the social and economic factors associated with genetically modified food, taking BT Brinjal as an example. Watching documentaries The kids were then shown three documentary films on various issues. The first being "Nagara Nyrmalya", a film on how segregation of waste at home could help solve the massive problems it causes when all accumulated together. Bhargavi also further explained in detail the different types of wastes and the ill effects associated with their improper disposal such as leaking of leachate and pollution of water bodies. The kids were also taught how waste can be composted at home through a very simple method in an old bucket using brick, bagasse and charcoal by two of the participants, Kailas and Aishwarya with Bhargavi’s encouragment. The second documentary film illustrated the fading of the Dharmaboodhi lake. The Majestic bus stand in Bangalore now stands in place of where the lake used to be. The film demonstrated the issue of the pollution of lakes in Bangalore and how the negligence of these valuable water bodies has lead to Bangalore no longer living up to the name of the city of a thousand lakes. The hardships faced by the coastal regions as a result of global warming were then highlighted in the film "A Climate Call From The Coast". This short film concentrated on the rising sea levels and the adverse effects they had on fishing communities using Kerala as an example. The documentaries helped introduce a multitude of social and environmental issues to the children in a comprehensive manner. The final activity of the day was a game based on role playing wherein the kids were divided into teams with each team representing the voice of a particular organization. The organizations they represented were Monsanto: the company behind the implementation of BT Brinjal, a group of villagers who’s land is threatened by implementation of GMO’s and establishment of industries, a government panel to listen to the proposals put forward and come up with a binding decision and a Paper mill company and a Nuclear Power plant, both keen on establishing their industries in the village. Each "organization" argued their case and the children had a lot of fun with the squabbles that ensued. Some of the interesting ideas included "Monsanto" offering the villagers an attempt to genetically modify the trees that the "paper Mill" wanted to cut down and the "villagers" declaring that they did not require paper from the mills and were instead content to live the rest of their lives utilizing slates! In an attempt to bring an element of reality into the picture some of the "organizations" even tried holding an auction to bribe the "government officials"! All ended well though with the "government officials" ruling in favor of the "villagers" declaring no permission for Monsanto and the Nuclear Power plant to establish their industries and granting permission for a small paper mill to be established which complies with the standards for pollution control. The workshop on Friday was aimed at providing a platform for the participants to think of solutions to everyday problems faced in metropolitan areas. The workshop started off on a light note with Shruthi having the children participate in some fun quizzes about animals and the environment which also proved to be a learning experience for them. Understanding governance and the importance of influencing decision makers Mr Vinay of Hasiru Usiru was the guest speaker of the day and started off the discussions by engaging the children in an interactive session about the traffic congestion problem in Bangalore. It proved to be a very informative session for the children allowing them to brainstorm alternate ways of solving the congestion dilemma. Some of their suggestions included carpooling, encouraging cycling and increasing the number of public transport facilities on the road. Vinay was very impressed with the simple but efficient suggestions that were put forward, suggesting that if the participants were members of the government Bangalore’s congestion woes would have been eased in no time at all! The children were very surprised upon learning of the statistics that about three lakh private vehicles were registered in Bangalore everyday while in contrast only three hundred buses were registered every year! Vinay went on to explain that the government was turning to felling trees for both road widening and implementation of the Metro instead of looking towards a grass-root solution through increasing and improving the quality of public transport. Mr Vinay also spoke to them about the importance of influencing the decision makers such as our elected representatives. He shared his experiences about the recent BBMP elections in Bangalore and the efforts in drafting a people’s manifesto by many voluntary organizations and individuals from the city to make it comprehensive to ensure all sections of the society are benefited by it. He also shared the experiences of meeting many of the candidates who stood for the BBMP elections and how a few of them incorporated many of the ideas into their own party manifestoes. Mr Vinay presented each one of the children with the peoples manifesto for the BBMP 2010 elections, a document of progressive policies and measures that many not for profit, voluntary, public interest organizations and communities have come up with an attempt to provide the people of Bangalore an overview of what the candidates of the BBMP elections should ideally provide them with, in keeping with their rights as citizens. Each of the participants had an opportunity to go through the Peoples manifesto and paid keen attention to the section on children’s rights as Vinay stressed on the fact that not being able to vote does not disqualify them from demanding that their rights be given to them. Following this, Jake Carlson, researcher from the University of Minnesota and an intern at ESG, spoke to the children about how to be an eco conscious and responsible tourist? He shared many of his experiences of traveling in the north and some parts of southern India and how important it is to be culturally and socially sensitive to the people of the different regions. He highlighted the implications of traveling by public transport as much as possible and the minimal use of non biodegradable materials while traveling. After a short break, a discussion on corporal punishment in schools and the right of every child to report such instances was then started of by Bhargavi. Bhargavi talked to the children about the National Commission for Protection of Child rights and the State commission for Protection of Child rights and the functions of these bodies. The children were urged to bring to the attention of the school authorities and management if they witnessed any inhuman treatment towards children in School and they were also insisted to at least bring such incidents to the attention of voluntary Human rights associations such as/and to ESG if at any time they or any friends of theirs were subject to abuse at any level from prominent figures at their schools. More games to understand the challenges of climate change Upon breaking for lunch the kids took part in a fun activity to learn about working together for a common cause. The game took place on the lawns of ESG and had each of the kids sitting cross legged on the ground back to back. They all linked arms and on cue tried to get up off the ground at the same time without breaking the formation. It was a fun filled activity with some kids tumbling to the ground but still trying their best to not break formation. It put the kids in a lively mood and their squeals of laughter could be heard throughout the ESG office. Gomati then explained to them that life functions much like the way the game does. When working towards a cause, in order to get results in our society we need to make our voices heard by joining forces with like minded individuals. No group can function with each person working according to their own vested interests. Instead, everyone needs to work in unison towards the goal or face the tumbling effects of having the group break up and the aim never achieved. The lively activities continued with a game of twenty questions co-ordinated by Sruthi and Gomati of ESG. The kids divided themselves into two teams and even established fun names for their respective teams. Each team came up with various words related to what they had learnt in the duration of the workshop and had the other team try to guess what the word was through asking twenty questions in a span of five minutes. The game proved to be quite enjoyable for all the children. A final documentary "Tiger: The Death Chronicles", about the extinction of tigers in India and the suspicion that the tiger reserves were failing to ensure their survival was shown to the participants. The documentary was a thought provoking one and introduced a new angle to the entire issue of preserving tigers in India. A brief introduction to Disaster Preparedness Prior to Lunch children were given a brief introduction to climate change related disasters and how to be prepared for disasters and prevent disaster damage. Children were briefly taught to make emergency information charts for their homes, neighbourhoods and schools with emergency information and contact details to be able to handle disasters such as Fires, Urban floods and other such possible disasters. Children were walked through a series of Posters that were on display at the ESG office on managing urban disasters such as fires, earthquakes, floods and these posters illustrated the need for emergency information and some basic training to be able to save oneself and other lives in times of such disasters. Going through the posters was very informative to the children as it facilitated the need for greater awareness and access to all the emergency contacts to be able to mitigate and manage a disaster. The kids were then asked to write individual feedback of their opinions about the workshop and ways in which it could be improved. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks by Bhargavi to everyone that was involved in helping make it a success. A special vote of thanks was extended to the children for being such an outgoing, curious and participative bunch helping to make the workshop one to remember for a long time to come. The certificates of participation were then distributed after which the children exchanged contact information and stayed back at the ESG office reminiscing about the fun the past few days had bought them. They left with eager promises to return to ESG and also do their part to help make the planet a more environmentally and socially friendly place to live for generations to come.

Children's Workshop on Environmental Issues Introduction As part of our endeavors in environmental education, Sackhumvit Trust organized a workshop for students at Dream School Foundation’s (DSF) Yeshwantpur and R.T. Nagar centres to learn about ecological issues associated with the urbanization of Bangalore. The workshop was an engaging and unique experience for DSF’s students, most of whom attend government schools which are unable to dedicate sufficient time and resources for teaching environmental studies as part of their school syllabus. The workshop covered a variety of topics including the history and current status of Bangalore’s urban lakes, the effectiveness of watersheds in securing water supply, and urban waste management in the state of Karnataka. Students also visited Lalbagh where they participated in bird watching, and learned about the history and unique landmarks of Bangalore’s botanical gardens. Sackhumvit Trust organized this workshop in partnership with Environment Support Group (ESG), a non-profit organization dedicated to research, training, campaign support, and advocacy on a variety of environmental and social justice issues. We would like to thank ESG for sharing their knowledge and resources, without which this workshop and Sackhumvit Trust’s larger endeavors in environmental education would not be possible. We would also like to thank DSF for encouraging their students to dedicate time during their school holidays to explore the environment and its relevance to their daily lives. Workshop Details A total of 60 students attended the workshop representing five government schools associated with DSF’s Yeshwantpur centre and two government schools associated with DSF’s R.T. Nagar centre1. The workshop took place from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm and consisted of two main activities: a workshop hosted at ESG’s office and a field trip to Lalbagh. Overall, students enjoyed their time with ESG and found the day’s events to be very informative. Most students expressed that they learned about issues which are of great significance to their present and future well-being. The details of the activities comprising the workshop are detailed below: ESG Workshop During the workshop at ESG’s office, students participated in an active discussion facilitated by Mrs. Bhargavi Rao (Yeshwantpur group) and Ms. Sruthi Subbanna (R.T. Nagar group). Students learned about the following topics: Bangalore’s Urban Lakes Students were asked to name lakes and water tanks in their community (Sankey Tank was a popular reference), after which they compared features of these water bodies with those of a village lake. Students generally concluded that community members have more freedom of access to water bodies in a village setting. This led to a discussion on the privatization of lakes in Bangalore, where ESG explained how the Bangalore Lake Development Authority’s (LDA) scheme of leasing lakes to private companies has increased the public’s cost of access to these water bodies. Students calculated the average cost for a family to visit a privatized lake (~Rs. 1,000 including transportation, entry fee, food purchases, playground access, etc.), and concluded that this was too burdensome for a resource that should be freely available to the public. ESG concluded with a case-study of a public interest litigation case they have filed against the LDA concerning the privatization of Lumbini Lake in Bangalore. Students also learned that lakes were historically developed in Bangalore as part of an intricate system that carried down water from natural reservoirs and rain collected at higher-level lakes to lakes situated further below. Not only did this system provide a simple and efficient mechanism for collecting and transporting fresh water in Bangalore, it also maintained the city’s level of ground water. ESG highlighted that Bangalore originally had ~360 urban lakes of which only 39 remain as of today! Students went on to discuss how the building of apartment complexes, bus stations, sports stadiums, golf courses, and so on, have disrupted the water flow between lakes and consequently reduced Bangalore’s supply of ground water. ESG informed students that Bangalore now pumps water over a distance of 100 km and up to a height of 1 km from the Cauvery River to supply most of the city’s water requirements. Ecosystem of Lakes Students examined the typical structure of a lake (how it goes from shallow to deep) and the different types of organisms and plants that inhabit each level of the lake. Students learned the meaning of ecosystem – a system of interdependent organisms which share the same habitat. Students then discussed how dumping waste in a lake, particularly nutrient rich waste containing phosphates and sulphates such as sewage effluents and fertilizer run-off, can destroy a lake’s eco-system through a process called Eutrophication. Students learned that excessive phosphates and sulphates can produce water hyacinth – a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in height. The common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a vigorous grower known to double its population in two weeks. When not controlled, water hyacinth will cover lakes and ponds entirely; this dramatically impacts water flow, blocks sunlight from reaching native aquatic plants, and starves the water of oxygen, often killing fish. Water hyacinth is often problematic in man-made ponds if uncontrolled, but can also provide a food source for fish, keep water clean and help to provide oxygen to man-made ponds. Pic 1: Mrs. Bhargavi drawing a diagram of a lake’s ecosystem based on input from Yeshwantpur students. Pic 2: Mrs. Sruthi introducing activities organized at ESG to R.T. Nagar students just returning from a rainy visit to Lalbagh! Zilla Parishad School Water Shed Program Students watched a short film about a water shed project at Zilla Parishad School located in northern Maharashtra. The video explained the concept behind a watershed - a drainage basin constructed to collect fresh water from rain, rivers, etc., for use by the surrounding community. The video demonstrated how a watershed built by a small village increased their agricultural produce and supply of ground water. The watershed’s construction was also connected to a project for building a self-sufficient school to educate village children - Zilla Parishad School. Both the watershed and Zilla Parishad School were built by the voluntary labor of community members. The video also showed how students at Zilla Parishad School regularly interact with nature as part of their school studies by participating in tree planting, seed banks, composting, cleaning of the school, youth conferences on the environment, cultural activities, and so on. Students enjoyed the short film as it opened their eyes to an educational experience entirely different from their experience of attending a government school situated in a big metropolis. Most students were not aware of the history of their school (how it came to be, who built it, etc.), nor if their schools participate in any environmental initiatives such as composting, rain water harvesting, paper recycling, etc. Students were then asked how they can act to better integrate their daily lives and schools with their surrounding environment. Waste Management This component of the workshop started out with a game where students brainstormed different types of urban waste such as plastic, paper, aluminum, biomedical waste, and toxic waste. This was followed by a documentary, Nammooru Chandadooru / Nagara Nyrmalya, which brought up issues of urban waste management in the state of Karnataka. Students were engaged by the movie and learned about the importance of recycling, reusing, and reducing. ESG then shared a case-study of illegal waste dumping in Mavallipura located in Northern Karnataka, where piles of improperly disposed garbage have produced toxic leachates, effluents, and gaseous residues contaminating the ground water supply and air quality of surrounding village communities, hence causing severe health problems. Students were shocked to learn that such grievances are suffered by people in their own community. When asked what they can do on a personal level to alleviate this problem, students expressed that they would make a greater effort to recycle at home. Students also learnt a simple way of composting at home by the brick, bagasse and compost method. This method requires an old bucket with some small pin holes. The bottom of the bucket is first filled with charcoal or brick followed by a layer of sugarcane bagasse. Some water is sprinkled and a small amount of manure is added as a starter. On this the everyday kitchen waste comprising of vegetable peels, dry leaves, and flowers can be added and in 45 days the first harvest of compost can be obtained to use in home gardens. Pic 3: Mrs. Sruthi facilitating a discussion on composting with R.T. Nagar students who displayed a lot of interest in this subject. Pic 4: Mrs. Bhargavi and Mrs. Shruthi leading a game where students brainstormed types of urban waste. Lalbagh Field Trip The second half of the workshop involved a visit to Lalbagh facilitated by Mrs. Bhargavi (Yeshwantpur students) and Mr. Leo Saldhana (R.T. Nagar students). This was the highlight of the day for many students who have never visited Lalbagh before. Students had a chance to walk throughout the botanical gardens, and learn about the historical significance of various sites such as the Kempegowda tower, a 20 million year old tree fossil, Bangalore’s tallest tree Araucaria sps, Lalbagh’s famous silk cotton tree and rose garden, and so on. The visit concluded with a walk around Lalbagh Lake where students participated in bird watching and observed some water hyacinth growth at one end of the lake. Students also observed some birds such as the Purple Moorhen, Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Coots and a Pond Heron, Kingfishers, Brahminy Kites, etc. Overall, students enjoyed their experience at Bangalore’s botanical gardens and most of them did not want to return home by day’s end!!