by Jayashree Ramadas and Dhanya K Part 3: Working through the contradictions and disconnects Environmental learning begins when children step outside the classroom and observe the immediate natural world around them. In the same spirit, to understand what is happening to environmental education, to identify the barriers as well as the enabling factors, we must step outside the school. Let’s ask what these barriers are, and how they could be overcome. We may find that the barriers to environmental education are universal, but the solutions could be local. The central challenge of environmental education is that the social, political, and economic messaging around us encourages relentless aspirational consumerism. It is then left to schools and teachers to expose children to alternative, sustainable ways of thinking and acting. This is not only awkward and embarrassing but difficult and bewildering, mainly because it becomes necessary to question our own consumerist lifestyles and the consequences of our everyday actions. In this process, issues of social justice come to the fore since over-consumption is most often a privilege of the few. Students imagine the past, present and future of their local Mutha river (Aksharnandan, Pune) Environmental considerations, taken to their logical end, drive us to question even innocent actions like eating a packet of chips, enjoying a bottle of soft drink, using household detergents or choosing colours for rangoli . The issues are hard to analyse, as at first, we may lack the detailed knowledge to do so. Though the analysis in each case may be complicated, 'Systems Thinking' offers a powerful methodology to understand the social and environmental impact of the products we consume [1]. All of this pertains to the factual, evidence-based aspects of environmental understanding. Underneath those intellectual aspects lurk some difficult emotional issues. For example, conversations on simple things like potato chips or detergents require honest and painful introspection, as we are all implicated in these actions through our everyday lifestyles. Environmental awareness further entails critiquing powerful economic and cultural forces in society and questioning numerous popular decisions, be it building a large dam or a flyover, cutting down trees to concretise a riverfront, or carrying out grand overconsumption-prone celebrations of festivals. All of these actions and decisions involve severe conflicts of interest. The discussions around them are complex, troubling, and call for a deep understanding of the issues. Most of all, it requires immense courage to go against the dominant perspective. Could school education possibly tread these vast disconnects: between the natural and the social world and within the social world itself? Seeking a way out Let's see how it could be done, considering one local context, the city of Pune. Geographically the largest metropolitan city in Maharashtra, the area's original natural ecosystem has been completely transformed by centuries of human settlement in the area. Since the 1960s Pune has seen rapid industrialisation and population growth. As in most other cities traffic and transport planning have prioritised private over public transport, leading to roads and built structures ruthlessly replacing hills, forests, streams, and rivers. At the same time, since the 1980s, led by some visionary thinkers, a consciousness about environmental issues has grown. The city's numerous colleges, universities, and institutes of higher education and research have played a role in this growing awareness. There is now a community of scientists, economists, engineers, architects and entrepreneurs focused on different aspects of the environment, who involve themselves in education and activism. Common citizens come together to generate, exchange, and propagate simple ideas on sustainable living: for example on composting, repair and re-use, and minimising household chemicals harmful to life in the soil and water. Informal activities like trekking in the Western Ghats attract amateur naturalists and nature lovers. Some citizens actively take up causes like saving the city’s trees and hills, and reviving its dying rivers. Such a community of professionals, amateurs and thoughtful activists could become an invaluable resource for school education. In the next part of this series let’s see how. What in your view are the real barriers to environmental education in schools? Have you witnessed in your community a fruitful interaction between school children and experts or activists working on environmental issues? Share your responses with us by emailing to: edu@ncf-india.org Image credits: Aksharnandan, Pune. Poster art: Devayani More, Sharanya Shah, Keshar Ghorpade, Sanvee Jadhav and Mukta Phalke; Photos: Sachin Jadhav and Hemant Ghorpade. References: [1] Hoffman, T., Menon, S., Morel, W., Nkosi, T., & Pape, N. (2022). Ten Steps Towards Systems Thinking: An Education for Sustainable Development manual for teachers, educators and facilitators. Centre for Environment Education. The book is downloadable from this site . About the Authors Jayashree Ramadas : Research and Development in Science Education; formerly at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education and TIFR Hyderabad. Dhanya K : Researcher & Science Educator formerly Teacher at Rishi Valley School.

by Jayashree Ramadas and Dhanya K Part 2: Trending a different path Interestingly, the well-known success stories of environmental education come from outside of the formal school system: from homeschooling, out-of-school programs, and from the alternative education space. In the feature ‘Teaching as if the Earth Matters’ iWonder , a science magazine for school teachers, has featured alternative schools like Rishi Valley , Anand Niketan in Sewagram, Puvidham , and Marudam Farm School in Tamil Nadu. There are others around the country whose stories might be told. A response to contradictions One could trace back the roots of these alternative initiatives to the contradictions that their founders and teachers noticed in the prevalent education system as well as in modern, urban lifestyles. Some of those very contradictions have led to today’s environmental crises: in brief, loss of biodiversity, over-exploitation of the earth's resources, hyper-consumption, unsustainable lifestyles, and imbalanced, out-of-control development. Many of the alternative schoolers responded by physically moving out or staying away from urban, built environments. They created school spaces that would embody values of equity, sustainability, ecology and conservation through a more humane and inquiring approach. Nature learning in alternative schools Alternative schools strived to expose their students to nature: to develop connections with land and water, with plants, insects, and birds; to remain sensitive to the seasons, and to learn sustainability from the local communities with whom they shared a geographical space. Children in these schools practise farming, gardening, craft and art, and through practice, they seek to develop a lasting relationship with our planet Earth. An obvious yet often missed feature of all these schools, which plays a role in meaningful environmental education, is their small class sizes. Today, in urban areas but also increasingly in rural areas, we are habituated to classes of 50, 60, or more students and we forget that meaningful education is possible only with meaningful communication -- which happens in small classrooms where teachers and students can listen and talk to each other and also allow for a more inquiry-oriented approach. Student-teacher ratio is the quantifiable part of this interaction. If children's learning is to happen beyond their classroom, it needs support from the community. Such support may come from sympathetic parents or, in more urban areas, from professionals, academics, and activists concerned with environmental issues. All at once this move could bring more expertise and resources into the classroom, effectively increase the teacher-student ratio and lead to relevant professional development of teachers. An alternative school in Chennai Al Qamar Academy , an alternative minority school in Chennai, experimented with this model. In its brief 10 years of existence, the school demonstrated how explorations in nature could lead to a love of nature and thoughtful environmental activism. A background to environmental learning was created with the Small Science curriculum for primary science. Then, in a more focused way, the primary and middle school students participated in a three-year unique place-based field ecology program (2018-21), spending time in a restored wetland, and visiting riverfronts, salt pans, beaches, and forests all in their immediate environments. They experienced the enchantment of the wild and also came face to face with the consequences of rampant urbanisation. Their engagement deepened over the years through interactions with academics and environmental activists. Finally, their learning and activism found expression in the Earth Authors Program , conducted collaboratively by the Cogitation Club and Youth Conservation Action Network (YouCAN) -- in which a group of 5th-8th graders wrote and illustrated a set of 14 books that told their own stories about nature and conservation. A subsequent reflective study of this program describes in detail how the children connected with nature – the awe and wonder they experienced; the changes they found in themselves – in relating to nature, resulting in their urge for creating a change – advocating for nature. Like many small alternative schools in the country Al Qamar led a precarious existence and finally closed down in 2021, morphing into an online program: Cogitation Club . Happily, some of its teachers and parents succeeded opening up two new schools - Scholars Academy and Sunnyside - which continue their quest for nature-friendly, experiential and self-directed learning. Perhaps such intensive interactions of school students with experts may be achieved over a limited period of time. The question remains, how can one sustain a long-term program of environmental learning within any school? Perhaps such intensive interactions of school students with experts may be achieved over a limited period of time. The question remains, how can one sustain a long-term program of environmental learning within any school? In the next part of this series let’s delve into some contradictions that beset our discussions about the environment. What do you think? Is it easy to sustain a program of environmental learning, either in or outside of school? Do tell us about the common activities that your school engages in to connect children with their local surroundings. Share your responses with us by emailing to: edu@ncf-india.org Image credits: The images in the article were sourced from Al Qamar Academy, Chennai and Aksharnandan, Pune. About the Authors Jayashree Ramadas : Research and Development in Science Education; formerly at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education and TIFR Hyderabad. Dhanya K : Researcher & Science Educator formerly Teacher at Rishi Valley School.

by Jayashree Ramadas and Dhanya K Our Motivation We (Dhanya and Jayashree) are two educators eager to promote rational, evidence-based scientific thinking among children. Science has helped us delve deep into the beauty and complexity of the natural world. At the same time we are surprised and shocked to see the same tools of science, used in short-sighted ways, threaten life and eventually our very existence on earth. This stark contradiction has made us stop and ask, could we possibly learn and teach our children to appreciate and save this precious gift of life on earth? Prelude Here we are, cosily wrapped in a blanket of an oxygen-rich atmosphere, going about our lives on planet earth, our one and only home in this vast cosmos. But did you notice recently, this blanket is getting dirtier, just a bit warmer, even acting stormy and unpredictable? So many species have gone extinct: birds are fewer, bees are disappearing, and, as we intrude into their spaces, some, like the Coronavirus, are literally going viral. Make no mistake, it’s our own actions that are causing these far-reaching changes. Shouldn’t we then, as an intelligent species, try to understand what we are doing? Try to equip our children to deal with these changes, perhaps even reverse them? As pollution, global warming, and climate change threaten our very existence on earth, we need more effective environmental education in our schools. What is an effective environmental education? How can we (as a community) make our existing environmental education more effective? Let us explore these questions in this four part series. Part 1: Learning through students' natural and social environment. Is ‘environmental education’ a new idea? Not at all! In one or another form, environmental education has existed in our schools from early on. It gained momentum in 1991 when the Supreme Court of India mandated school boards to ensure its teaching at all levels. Subsequently, several curricular reforms gave it serious thought. Despite all these efforts, environmental education has remained peripheral in our schools. Environmental values may be commonly preached but critical and meaningful approaches are missing in practice. It is not that textbooks are lacking in content. Concepts, ideas, and activities related to the environment are found in almost all textbooks. From EVS at the primary level to the different branches of science and social science at the secondary and higher secondary subjects, environmental science is a compulsory part of the syllabus. Between the subject textbooks at all grade levels, the relevant topics appear to be sufficiently covered. What then is the problem? The shortcomings were correctly identified by an NCERT document of the 2000s which outlines how environmental education should be infused into the syllabus of Classes 1-12. Despite the major curricular initiatives, it says, there is inadequate exposure of students to their habitat: "There is little active learning from the natural and social world around them." The report mentions routine teaching of prescribed material, activity-based projects (often sold by commercial agencies) executed in a set manner, and the dominance of rote learning. Such concerns may cut across all subjects but, in the case of environmental education, a disconnect from the environment - a lack of active learning from the world - is a self-contradiction, a paradox. Environmental education loses all meaning if it simply amounts to teaching and preaching about the environment, without learning from the environment. In school practice there is another well-known problem. Environmental education is often treated as extracurricular: desirable but not at the cost of other more perceived “important” subjects like maths and the physical sciences. Such is the perception of schools, teachers and arguably parents as well. How do we get out of these conundrums? Let’s look at the examples of some schools which have managed it, in the next part of this series. You tell us too - What is your most memorable experience of ‘learning about nature’? What are some good examples of environmental education that you have seen or experienced, in or outside of school? Share your responses with us by emailing to: edu@ncf-india.org All images in this article were captured by the Nature Classrooms team as a part of our outreach and engagement initiatives. About the Authors Jayashree Ramadas : Research and Development in Science Education; formerly at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education and TIFR Hyderabad. Dhanya K : Researcher & Science Educator formerly Teacher at Rishi Valley School.

Children’s Observations and Teachers’ Reflections from a session at Govt. Lower Primary School, Tarabanahalli By Sarojini Ramachandra Hegde and Gousia Taj | English translation by Jane Sahi In this write-up Sarojini and Gousia (teachers from the Fig Tree Learning Centre) describe two sessions where they used a chart on the Singapore Cherry tree created by the Nature Classrooms team as part of the Suttha Muttha project. They share the flow and content of the class, students’ questions and responses and the many interactions and learnings possible by using a resource like this as a starting point. Session 1 The children sat in a circle and we began by showing the poster on the Singapore Cherry tree. We invited the children to say what they could see. They mentioned many things. Here are some responses: one big and one small spider, a woodpecker (this was actually a bulbul), bees and wasps, leaves and bark of the cherry tree, a bat, onion (this was said by one child sitting further away but other children corrected this by saying it was the fruit of the cherry tree). Then we asked why some of these creatures might visit the tree. The children responded by saying – “to eat the fruit, to drink the nectar from the flowers, to eat the insects on the bark, to make a nest and to take rest.” The children were then divided into two groups. Accompanied by a facilitator, they each walked to two cherry trees by the road near the school. We asked them to first observe the tree carefully. The children are not used to this kind of activity and at first, they told the more obvious things that they could see such as leaves and branches. A few children looked at a squirrel at a nearby Copperpod tree. Then we asked them to observe in more detail by asking the following questions: What do you notice about the bark, the colour of the flowers, the number of petals, the front and the underside of the leaves, the insects on the leaves? The children were also asked to not only look but touch the parts of the tree. The children responded with more close observations and responses commenting on ‘the small, small hairs’ on the leaf and the smoothness of the surface of the leaves and roughness of the underside after touching the leaves. The children also noticed that there were different colours on the same leaf. They also remarked on the ‘straight’ lines ( gere ) on the bark and the rough texture. Some children held the ripe and unripe fruits in their hands and noticed how they were soft and hard. They also tasted the different fruits and said that the unripe ones were bitter and the ripe ones sweet. The children were asked about the colours of the fruits and noticed a range of colours from dark red to orange and green. Some children squeezed the fruit and observed the juice and the small seeds inside. The children were asked to look at the top of the tree and the base of the tree as well as what they could see under the tree. One of us suggested that the children look at the white fungus on the bark but the children were reluctant to look closely. The children saw ants and there were no birds or other big creatures. On one of the trees the children noticed a paper wasp nest being built. After many minutes spent observing, touching, tasting and responding to some questions- the children were provided with pencils, crayons, boards and paper and were asked to choose something particular that they would like to draw. As children looked for other ideas after completing one drawing there were suggestions to draw the tree from a distance or from beneath the tree looking upwards but these were not taken up. No one wanted to draw the fungus despite its starry pattern. One child drew a leaf shape, one of us asked her to look more carefully at the shape, the serrated edge and the tip and her second drawing was done much more attentively. It was close to lunch time and we asked the children to get ready to return to school. A few of the children were keen to continue their drawing and were not so ready to end the session. When the children returned to school, we sat together and asked them to share not just their visual observations but also what they smelt, heard, touhed or tasted. Each one had something to say and their responses included: ‘five petals on the flower, bees drinking nectar, a hollow in the tree, ripe, dark red fruit, a wasp nest, a line of ants, an insect on the bark that I’d never seen before.’ The children also mentioned things that they had touched and tasted for the first time including feeling the texture of the leaf. Session 2 Before the next class, we cut out and arranged the children’s drawings around the poster. We also wanted create a sensory map with children’s responses as an extension of the poster. For the class, we took pictures of a Red-whiskered Bulbul and a Goldenbacked ( now, Black-rumped Flameback ) woodpecker and asked the children to notice the differences. The children remarked on the crests, the colours and the position of the two birds and the shape of the beaks. This exercise in highlighting similarities and differences between the two birds helped children know the birds and their behaviour better. We then read the Singapore Cherry chart slowly, pausing to explain a few things and to take questions. Questions such as – Why are the leaves pointed? Why are the eyes of the bat red in colour? Our reflections The drawing activity helped children notice the tree more carefully and also meant that everyone was included and their impressions represented on the display. We noted how helpful it is to gently probe further after children’s first impressions such as the shift that happened from one child’s first drawing of a leaf to the second drawing when asked to look at the tip and the edges. Some observations could be taken further such as when the children noticed ‘the lines’ on the underside of the leaf could open up a discussion on the veins and what purpose they serve. Some further questions could be asked about observing the tree at different times to see which creatures visit early in the morning or in the evening. In the future we could further encourage children to look at the tree from a distance to get a sense of its shape. We could have also drawn attention to the variety of ants that were seen. A similar exercise could be done with other trees such as the Neem and the Peepal found close to the school. This could lead to comparisons between these trees. Have you used these plant charts in your classroom, library or during a nature walk? How was your experience as a teacher/facilitator? What was the response from the students? What questions did they ask? Tell us about your experience and share new ideas for taking these resources to different learners. Write to us at edu@ncf-india.org !

Of superstitions and serendipitous encounters By Roshni Ravi We’ve been collaborating with the wonderful teachers at the Fig Tree Learning Centre in Silvepura village on the outskirts of Bengaluru for over two years now. The team of four is led by Jane Sahi, with Sarojini and Gousia working with the govt. primary schools and Rebecca working with the anganwadis. One of the schools we started working at along with the teachers from the Fig Tree Learning Centre is the Govt. Lower Primary School at Tarabanahalli. The school is housed in a small, seemingly nondescript building, off the Hesarghatta main road. A lone Singapore Cherry (Muntingia calabura) tree marks one corner of the school. The campus has two classrooms, one toilet and no playground, only a concretised open area with a flagpole in the centre. A few homes and a small cowshed are the school’s neighbours. And a lovely, Nellikai (Phyllanthus acidus) tree, source of much joy for the children, peeks from the other side of the school compound. In August 2019, we were on a visit to Tarabanahalli. Our lessons for the day were to focus on leaves and life under the ground. It was a lovely, sunny day and a group of students sat in a circle outside the classroom peering at some soil using hand lenses. We were learning about soil and all the wonderful creatures that it is home to. Sarojini was asking students what creatures they’ve noticed in the soil; there was excited chatter about earthworms, millipedes and some students even shared their experiences of farming with their families back in their villages. ‘Look, there goes a Haavu Rani!’, one of the teachers casually remarked as she walked into the school. Haavu Rani is Kannada for Skink, it translates to ‘Snake Queen’. We leapt up, eager to get a good look at the skink as it frolicked in the sun, moving fast from one end of the school to the other. A few children followed us; some were cautious and walked a few steps behind us, holding our hands even; suddenly, one of the students picked up a stone...instinctively, we reached out to stop them. Before we could say anything else, another skink entered the school compound and we all followed their antics as the two of them explored different corners of the school. We asked the students to observe their movements, count the number of legs they had and collectively marvelled at how their skin glinted and glistened in the sun. In a matter of minutes, the two skinks disappeared! Where did they go? One of the students pointed to a little hole in the wall, and said, ‘that’s the Haavu rani’s home!’ Curious, some of the children decided to take a closer look. As we settled back into the circle, a flurry of questions met us; What is a skink? Is it a snake? Will we die if it bites us? How do skinks walk on walls? We answered some of the questions and asked a few of our own; What did you feel when you saw the skink? What do you think the skink will do to us? Have you seen skinks before? ‘Skinks are dangerous!’ said one student. ‘They can bite us and the wound can get big and ugly!’, they said. ‘How do you know about this?’, we asked. ‘Someone in our village was bitten once. My parents told me to stay away or hit it.’, they said. Afraid that the other students will also harbour these fears, we said, ‘Skinks don’t bite!’ Soon, we regretted this approach and an idea formed in our heads. ‘What if we learn a little more about snakes and skinks?’, we asked the children. In the week that followed, we shared some photos, facts and stories with Sarojini and Gousia as they discussed snakes, skinks and other reptiles with the children. As the students learnt more about creatures they shared their school with, we learnt something too. It was an opportunity to remind ourselves that teaching and learning in and about nature is so much more than just names and natural history facts; it is also about tolerance, about people and their past experiences, superstitions and stories. By creating a non-judgemental, inquiry driven learning space maybe we can help start conversations, read, question each other, ignite feelings of wonder and curiosity and begin to base our beliefs and actions on facts and research. In Tarabanahalli and in our other partner schools, we’ve had many such encounters, reminding us that nature is closeby, waiting for us to notice. Watching these skinks in the sun was one of our first serendipitous encounters that translated into an interactive lesson plan for the teachers and students. We cannot emphasise enough how these can be great moments to learn and love nature in our schools, homes, streets and parks! What serendipitous encounters have you had with animals and plants around your school or home?

Published in Samuhik Pahal - Volume 2, Issue 1; September 2021.

Getting to know nature in our homes Is that little piece of paint from the wall moving? Who cleans up the crumbs from my kitchen while I’m asleep at night? Who lives in that little white tent in the corner of the wall? Have you been asking yourself questions like these? There is a lot of biodiversity that lives peacefully with us in our homes, balconies, gardens and walls. The lockdown last year gave us the opportunity to spend time with them, and we discovered a new way to engage with nature. But first - what is nature? Where can you find the natural world? Do you always need to go to faraway forests to experience the wonders of nature? By looking under a table, behind a picture frame, following a persistent sound or even peering into a bag of grains, you can find a whole new habitat to explore! Discovering, observing and documenting these “hidden housemates” can be very exciting. We created a set of three Bingo sheets and activities that anyone can download, print or even draw in their notebook to learn more about nature in and around their homes. These are available in English, Hindi and Kannada. Each sheet will introduce you to 9 Hidden Housemates, who you can go looking for in your own space using the illustrated bingo sheet as your guide. Once you find them, you may have more questions about who they are or why they behave a certain way. You can discover more about each of them through a list of specially curated resources and activities for all ages in the Bingo sheet. Get ready to take a walk, look out of your window or peer under a pot and get to know your Hidden Housemates! Link: https://www.ncf-india.org/blog/hidden-housemates-part-1 Nature Classrooms works with schools and educators to connect learning to the natural world. We develop culturally relevant and robust Nature Learning resources which correspond to primary school Environmental Studies curricula, as well as engage in capacity building for teachers and educators. Team: Vena Kapoor, Roshni Ravi and Labonie Roy

By Anvita DJ The Hidden Housemate Activities are a series of nature-themed tasks designed for children by members of the Nature Conservation Foundation to engage with their surroundings and appreciate them, while being in the comfort of their home due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. As India entered lockdown once again, I took it upon myself to complete one activity and provide a comprehensive review on it. I have documented every step so that I could take you, the reader, throughout the entire process. In total there are three activities. In each activity there are nine squares through which one must play a game of Bingo by finding and observing what is written on three squares either down or across. After this, there are creative tasks given for every square. The player can do the tasks given for the squares they have completed. There is also additional material provided for each and every square to give the player an understanding of what exactly they have seen and how it relates to the natural world at large. I decided to divide the activity into two days. On day one, I would play the Bingo Game and try to find what was described in three squares. I opted to find squares 1, 2 and 3. These were - finding a bird on a pole or wire, a motif or pattern with a nature-theme and mosquitos buzzing about in the evening. On day two I would complete the activities for these squares. Day One First up was a bird on a pole or wire, so I began to look for one. The instant I looked out of my window to spot a bird, I knew it would not work as there are no poles and wires within sight. I decided to set out with a camera around brunch time. This was not a good time to go birdwatching at all, as it was too hot and there was lots of human activity around. However, I was still able to find a Red-Whiskered Bulbul in a relatively peaceful area of my neighborhood. The next activity was to find a Nature Motif. I found several within my home. Nature Motifs and patterns are everywhere. This led me to think more carefully about nature found in designs. So much of design is based on flowers, trees, leaves and animals. My wallpaper, bedsheet and curtains yielded nature motifs. So many books, paintings and objects depicted nature as well. I have chosen a part of my bedsheet and a decorative watering-can as examples here. Can you give a quick glance to your surroundings and try to find a nature motif near you? There must be at least one. A walk around your house can get you dozens! Yet, we hardly pay attention to the source of these designs or appreciate how simplest things in nature like flowers and leaves look gorgeous on our furniture. The next and final square which I needed to spot were mosquitos buzzing about at evening-time. Thanks to the persistent showers we have been receiving as of late, mosquitos could be found almost every hour of the day. I found no issue in finding multiple mosquitoes trying to bite me in the evening. Unfortunately I was unable to click any pictures of them as I was too busy trying to zap them with my mosquito racket. However I do assure you, they were there. Now that I had finished the Bingo Part of the Hidden Housemates activity, the more engaging and hands-on tasks suggested in the activity sheet followed. Day Two On day two I decided to begin my work on the tasks suggested in the Hidden Bingo Activity Sheet. The first was to describe the bird which I had seen, make note of its behaviour and make an attempt at thinking from the birds point of view. What did the bird see around itself? Did it watch the humans as we watched it? Next, I had to draw a picture of what this bird would have seen around it. When I read this part of the activity I felt a wave of panic come over me, as art is something I’m definitely not talented at. However, I then realized that it adds to the challenge of Hidden Housemates. This series of activities encourages children to employ a variety of skills, which was something I grew to appreciate. We may not be good at everything, and our outcome may not be up to our standards, but the important fact is that we have attempted it. This sentiment is incredibly common and is always told to children, but rarely do children have the luxury to appreciate their own efforts within an academic setting. It was very refreshing to simply work towards a goal without worrying about additional criteria. Thus, I was able to produce a drawing. It may be rough and strange, but it was what I could come up with. And it was very enjoyable to do so. The next activity was to write a story about two nature motifs, draw them and then do a puppet show of them. I wrote about a bear catching a fish from a river and called it ‘Winston’s Hunt’. I found this activity to be my personal favourite, as it held massive potential for different stories. A child could easily repeat this activity over and over again, and they would not get bored. The last activity was to draw what I thought a mosquito sounded like. This activity took me by surprise in the best way possible. It posed an interesting challenge, and it took some thinking and planning before I began to draw it. I drew a lightbulb with an electrical wire attached to it it, as the buzzing of a mosquito reminded me of electricity. After finishing the drawing, I was almost done with my first play-through of the Hidden Housemates Activities. I still had to go through the ‘Further Reading’ page included. For each square I did, I visited the links provided. These are fantastic sources which really help in adding depth to each square and activity. I had a lot of fun going through each source, whether it was a video or an article. After doing this, I was now truly at the end. This brings me to the next section of this article - what did I think of this? My Thoughts on the Hidden Housemates Activities Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed completing the activity. I found every step of it to be engaging, from trying to spot different creatures to completing creative tasks on them to reading more about them. I believe that these activities will encourage children to pay more attention to their surroundings long after they have completed it. The first part - The Bingo game - helps develop children’s observational skills and ability to identify the details within their surroundings. The creative tasks then allow children to look back on what they saw and concoct wild stories, colourful drawings and have meaningful experiences with their friends and family. The extra material then ties the three elements together. These activities are very well designed. They are comprehensive and educational, and provide a wholesome experience. The accessibility of the activity really appealed to me. There is no previous preparation required. Even if you live in a city, you will be able to spot and learn about the nature around you through these activities. I think an activity such as this one will spark interest within children about nature, which they can then progress through on their own. It acts as a stepping-stone. To further catalyse this interest, I believe that more informative activities which can be completed after this one (perhaps as a series) will truly allow children to harness their talents within the world of nature. In terms of any improvements which I believe will benefit these activities - I think more variety will interest children more. While the contents of each activity is different, the structure is not. Instead of a game of Bingo, there could be another type of puzzle which children can solve. This way, each activity will feel more unique, and it can motivate children to finish all three activities to gain the ultimate Hidden Housemates Experience. To conclude, completing a Hidden Housemates activity was thoroughly enjoyable and it has been a wonderful learning experience. These activities provide a balance between learning about the biology and ecology of children’s surroundings and having fun by unleashing their creativity. In my own free time, I will definitely be completing the remaining two activities, and I look forward to seeing what the team at the Nature Conservation Foundation will design next! About the author: I’m Anvita, a high school student at Legacy School Bangalore. I’m very fond of biology and chemistry, and I plan to pursue them in the future. Apart from that, my hobbies include video gaming and music. I play the bass guitar :)