The Suttha Muttha project is a collaboration between Nature Classrooms and the Fig Tree Learning Centre in Silvepura Village to take experiences and stories of local ecology and biodiversity to school communities in peri-urban Bengaluru. The goals of this project are as follows: i) To provide access to good quality nature related teaching-learning material, ii) To increase awareness and curiosity about local ecology and biodiversity, and iii) To foster ecological relationships and identities. Suttha Muttha Connecting school communities in peri-urban Bengaluru to their local ecology and biodiversity The Suttha Muttha project is a collaboration between the Nature Learning Team at Nature Conservation Foundation and the Fig Tree Learning Centre in Silvepura Village to take experiences and stories of local ecology and biodiversity to school communities in peri-urban Bengaluru. Suttha Muttha in Kannada translates to ‘our surroundings’. This work supported by a Bangalore Sustainability Forum small grant will engage and collaborate with school communities and learning centres in and around Silvepura village to bring the natural world and ecological processes around them closer. Government schools in peri-urban Bengaluru are unique in their needs, opportunities and challenges. The school, classroom space and campuses are often small, with one or two rooms for the entire primary school and one teacher for 40 students across classes I-V. Few schools are fortunate to have access to a tree or two within or just outside the school compound. Learning in these schools is disconnected with the rapidly changing neighbouring landscapes of farmlands, gardens and fruit orchards. Many students come from families that have migrated from other parts of India to Bengaluru in search of work, making both the Kannada language and the local landscape something they have to contend with and acclimatise to. How do animals eat? Students observing cows in a shed near their school to find the answer. Students going on a nature walk! However, these are sparsely equipped, small, learning spaces are not without excitement and serendipitous opportunities to engage with nature though; during one of our school visits we were lucky to observe a pair of skinks frolic on the sunbathed school steps. The skinks captured the students’ attention and sparked many conversations about the similarity with snakes, superstitious beliefs and questions about their behaviour. By making meaning of these kinds of serendipitous encounters with myriad creatures that visit their schools, and then designing and creating relevant and accessible teaching-learning material, curating stories, songs, and sayings and offering immersive nature workshops we hope to facilitate deeper connections towards the natural world for teachers and students.We hope that consistent and meaningful experiences, conversations in and about nature will enable school communities to be more connected to their surroundings (Suttha Muttha) and encourage them to include nature learning as an integral part of their school culture and ethos. The goals of this project are as follows: To provide government schools in peri-urban Bengaluru access to good quality nature related teaching-learning material The creation and distribution of teaching-learning material that reflects local ecology and biodiversity is likely to increase the richness and diversity of EVS and nature studies in government school classrooms in the area. This will help teachers transact lessons in EVS as well as help students better understand concepts through local examples that can be easily observed. Students playing "Colours in Nature", a game designed to observe the variety of colours that can be found in the natural world To increase awareness and curiosity about local ecology and biodiversity Good quality, factually and ecologically sound nature learning material has the potential to inspire and motivate students to be more curious about their surroundings and natural phenomena around them. Students are likely to ask more questions, experience moments of wonder in nature and be more open to learning about biodiversity in their immediate surroundings. To foster ecological relationships and identities among school communities Through classroom discussions, stories, observations, nature immersion workshops and nature walks around the school(s) we hope to encourage school communities to engage with their local environments more regularly and meaningfully. Children playing nature games during an immersion workshop in Silvepura Partners ................................... ................................... Back to Projects Funders ............... ...............

In collaboration with Azim Premji University, this study looks to understand how children in the city relate to, frame and consume ’nature’. This will generate baseline information on the nature literacy levels of urban children which will aid us in identifying areas that need addressing as part of our own interventions. We hope to explore the city through the lens of children and learn more about their lives as situated and on-going; with children framing their own narratives. Children and Nature in the City A research project to explore the city through the lens of children It is now common to speak of children in the city as being vulnerable to a ’nature-deficit disorder’; a term that has foregrounded social movements that attempt to bring children ‘back to nature’. Children in the city, in this sense, are twice removed from ’nature’-once by being spatially distant from ’nature spaces’ and then through the digital worlds that they inhabit even within the cityscape. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has further marked a pronounced shift in how the everyday is experienced-shaping our mobilities and increasing our dependence on digital technologies. For many children, the space of the school has been brought to the home and interactions with outdoor spaces have become sparse. These pronounced shifts in how the everyday is experienced could have lasting implications on the development of children’s affective attitudes towards nature. ’Nature’, however, is not only consumed through embodied experiences but through varied forms- from cultural artefacts such as toys and posters to nature documentaries. For children enrolled in schools, Environmental Studies (EVS) is another medium which presents an opportunity to be introduced to and learn more deeply about nature around them. But often, these syllabi too present a nature that is distant from them. Children are often seen to be more acquainted with. charismatic species that are ‘far away’ than those closer to home. A research project designed in collaboration with Azim Premji University, this study looks to understand how different children in the city relate to, connect with, frame and consume ’nature’. The study will generate baseline information on the nature literacy levels and connections of 10-12 year olds in the city; which will aid us in identifying areas that need addressing as part. of our own interventions at Nature Classrooms. We look to employ a range of research methods in our study to present avenues through which participants can articulate and express the relationships that they have with the non-human world. Through the study, we also try to attend to the socio-material lives of children by looking at how their mobilities and spaces have been shaped and transformed by the pandemic. We hope to explore the city through the lens of children and learn more about their lives as situated and on-going; with children framing their own narratives about their lives, neighbourhoods and communities. Team Members: Aashish Go khale Kaustubh Rau Vena Kapoor Roshni Ravi Ovee Thorat Suhel Quader Download ................................... Partner ...................................

If you are an educator looking to engage with articles and opinion pieces on nature education and pedagogy, a student looking to explore discourses in nature education, or just curious about these things - this page lists essential readings available online. Many of these articles and essays have inspired and influenced discussions within Nature Classrooms, and we hope to share this inspiration with many more. NC in Media Articles and Publications We share our learnings and experiences through articles and blogs, opening up conversations on nature education and exchanging ideas with educators, researchers, and practitioners. Building a Community of Nature Educators in Bengaluru (The Hindu ) Nature Classrooms Feature Exploring Children’s Relationships with Nature Project Report by Aashish Gokhale Nature-based S ocial Emotional Learning Internship Report by Priyanka Prakash Uncovering the Potential of Learning at Home Vena Kapoor and Roshni Ravi Nature and Art - A Natural Synergy Roshni Ravi and Vena Kapoor Samuhik Pahal - a monthly journal by Wipro Foundation: Nature Education (June 2022) Vena Kapoor, Roshni Ravi, Mythreyi K Connecting Learning to the Natural World (iWonder) Vena Kapoor and Roshni Ravi Age Appropriate and Locally Relevant Nature Learning Modules for Schools Vena Kapoor and Roshni Ravi Nature in Syllabus (Deccan Herald) Nature Classrooms feature The Suttha Muttha Project in Bengaluru is introducing children to the local biodiversity. Here's how. (EdexLive) Nature Classrooms feature Bringing nature back to classrooms (idr Feature) By Vena Kapoor Podcasts We participate in podcasts to discuss nature education and exchange ideas and experiences with students, educators, researchers, and practitioners. Women for Nature - Heart of Conservation Podcast Vena Kapoor in conversation with Lalitha Krishnan The Thing About Nature Education - Podcast Vena Kapoor in conversation with Ishika Ramakrishna Back Blog

The Suttha Muttha project is a collaboration between Nature Classrooms and the Fig Tree Learning Centre in Silvepura Village to take experiences and stories of local ecology and biodiversity to school communities in peri-urban Bengaluru. The goals of this project are as follows: i) To provide access to good quality nature related teaching-learning material, ii) To increase awareness and curiosity about local ecology and biodiversity, and iii) To foster ecological relationships and identities. Communities of Practice An online series on ideas, experiences and practice of nature learning In 2021 Wipro Foundation and Nature Classrooms discussed facilitating and hosting an online space to enable for a Communities of Practice (CoP) in Nature Education and Learning for Wipro Partner organisations and other organisations and practitioners working in education. The CoP in Nature Learning offered us an opportunity to come together as a community to discuss, present, learn from each other and then explore areas for collaboration. The purpose of CoP is to enable exchange of ideas and discuss, share training tools we are developing to make nature learning, and nature immersion a part of our long-term education interventions. We are now making these learnings available to all through a series of seven sessions that have now been uploaded on our YouTube channel . CoP Session 1 : Introduction and Understanding Needs CoP Session 3 : The philosophy and history of Environment Education CoP Session 2 : The role of Libraries in Nature Education CoP Session 4 : Nature Learning for Children with Special Needs CoP Session 5 : Nature Learning for Children with Special Needs - Part 2 CoP Session 6 : Using Theatre in Nature Learning CoP Session 7 : The Small Science Process, Textbooks and Beyond

Gujarati Alphabet Chart Walk into any classroom and you'll often find charts featuring exotic animals. But what about the unique life thriving in our own landscapes? Our Gujarati Alphabet Chart celebrates the rich biodiversity of the Surendranagar district in Saurashtra, Gujarat. Featuring names in the Kathiawadi dialect, this resource brings the vast savanna grasslands and thorn forests right into the learning space. It highlights unique local life—like wolves and indigenous breeds of livestock—that are essential to the region's ecology and pastoral culture. Developed collaboratively with pastoralists, botanists, and artists, this chart helps children and teachers discover the beauty, diversity, and cultural value embedded in Gujarat's grasslands. Download Gujarati Alphabet Chart Activity Sheet 1 Download Activity Sheet 2 Download Activity Sheet 3 Download

An exploration of the integration of movement and nature education, Nature Moves is an attempt to diversify nature education resources by creating and documenting movement-based nature learning resources inspired by fascinating movements in nature, and the performing arts. We have created a resource bank of movement-based activities that educators can choose from in their nature education and environmental studies classes. Nature Strokes ............................................ Nature has always been our greatest muse. From the earliest forms of communication, we've looked to the natural world for inspiration- a world rich in color, pattern, texture, design, movement, and more. The Nature Strokes module is an Art and Nature handbook designed to help you explore this timeless connection through hands-on, fun, and exploratory activities! This working module is filled with activities, resources, and ideas that use art as a vibrant medium for learning about nature and, in turn, learning about art through nature. It serves as a guide for educators to help learners of all ages see the artistic value in everything around them, adding a new dimension to how we perceive and appreciate the world. Look out for updates from us as we release more units of this module in various themes!

We are working towards creating a holistic nature learning framework and modules that will become an integral part of the child's school learning and curriculum. To ensure that our ideas and interventions are pedagogically sound, appropriate and contextual, we partner with education groups and individuals who have experience in nature education. We also work closely with designers to create easy to use and replicable learning material, tools on nature that teachers and children can use. Working With Schools Partnering with Schools to develop age and place appropriate Nature Learning In collaboration with education professionals, designers, schools and teachers we are working towards creating a holistic nature learning framework and modules that will become an integral part of the child's school learning and curriculum. A Nature Learning Programme for Schools and Teachers The last few decades have seen a number of schools and conservation groups conduct nature-based activities, but most often these are outside of the school hours, and separate from the school syllabus and requirements. Typically, these involve taking children for nature camps, bird watching trips, tree planting drives, creating nature clubs and organising talks on nature. These programmes, conducted by various conservation groups and individuals over the last couple of decades arguably have been instrumental in getting a whole generation of people in India interested in nature, conservation and wildlife, with some following careers in these fields. While these education and outreach programmes are useful and important, teachers and parents tend to view and find these burdensome (often unnecessary) and considered ‘extra-curricular’. This is why we believe that it is important to understand and design a nature learning framework in partnership with schools and school teachers so we can transact locally relevant and age appropriate concepts on nature and the environment. The idea is that these nature modules and concepts can then be incorporated as a part of the school curriculum, and leveraging the fact Environment Education (EE)/ Environmental Sciences (EVS) is a compulsory subject in the school curriculum. Currently, we work with children and teachers of Grade I-V across different school types (Govt., Private, Alternate) and boards In partnership with Educators and Designers To ensure that our ideas and interventions are pedagogically sound, appropriate and contextual, we partner with education groups, professionals and individuals who have experience in nature education. We also work closely with designers to create low-cost, easy to use and replicable learning material, tools on nature that teachers and children can use. Partner Schools since 2018: 1. Government Lower Primary School, Tarabanahalli 2. Parikrma Centre for Learning, Nandhini Layout 3. Parikrma Centre for Learning, Sahakara Nagar 4. Government Urdu Higher Primary School, Ganganagar 5. Geddalahalli Government School

Behaviour Tales This resource delves into the amazing world of animal hygiene exploring how animals - from birds preening their feathers to mammals licking their fur and insects maintaining their exoskeletons - employ unique strategies to stay clean.This resource can be effectively integrated into science lessons focusing on animal adaptations or health and hygiene units. The activity around it can be adapted to increasing or decreasing complexity for older or younger students, respectively. Animal Grooming Charts English Hindi Kannada Note for Educators Begin by asking students how and why they keep themselves clean. Introduce the concept that animals also groom themselves using different organs and behaviours that we do not have or use! Use the poster to discuss specific examples, and explore other animal grooming behaviours students might have observed of domestic animals around them. This resource is a direct example of how local nature and ecology can be incorporated into our EVS textbook chapters. Questions to Explore Why do animals need to keep clean? How do their methods compare to ours? Students can be encouraged to observe pets or local birds for grooming behaviors, draw different animals grooming, roleplay/enact different grooming behaviours, or even research other unique animal cleaning habits (e.g., ants grooming each other, fish cleaning stations).

Kashmiri Alphabet Chart Walk into any bookstore and you’ll find alphabet charts filled with giraffes, penguins, and macaws. But what about all of nature that is right around us? Use this alphabet chart to explore Kashmir’s landscape and language through this fun twist on the regular A to Z chart! It can also be used as an anchor chart to base various other activities on. To find other small fun activities, such as puzzles, flip the chart! Download Kashmiri Alphabet Chart Colouring Sheets Download Alphabet Chart Cut-Outs Download Activity Ideas Download

Seasonal Bingo Seasons bring about remarkable transformations in the natural world, influencing how plants and animals adapt and thrive. The Seasons Bingos are a delightful and engaging way to explore these ever-dynamic changes right in your surroundings. Each bingo sheet guides you to discover the unique ecological responses that define every season. English Rain Bingo KANNADA Spring Bingo English Kannada Winter Bingo English Kannada English Spring Bingo - For Kashmir English Kannada Summer Bingo Note for Educators This activity is a fun way to encourage repeated observation of the same environment throughout the year, helping students notice how plants, animals, and their associations respond to seasonal shifts. Use the below observation sheet to take your observations a step further, and log and monitor seasonal changes in the plants and trees around you. Visit www.seasonwatch.in to explore resources, activities and data on some of the most common and widespread trees around you! Questions to Explore What new things did they notice about the season? Why do you think these changes occur in relation to the season? Why do mushrooms pop up after rain? What causes the 'petrichor' smell? Why is there a large blooming of flowers and new leaves during spring? Why do birds like Black Kites circle overhead during hot days? Why does the sun set early during winter?

Gojri Alphabet Chart The Gojri-English Alphabet Chart is a powerful cultural and ecological bridge designed for the children of the Gujjar and Bakarwal pastoral tribes in the Kashmir Himalayas. Gojri, their mother tongue, is rich with expressions reflecting their nomadic life and deep ecological knowledge. Since Gojri finds little space in formal schooling, this chart was created to affirm the child's identity and make learning relatable. By connecting English and Gojri alphabets to local flora, fauna, and pastoral life—like Bakri (goat) or Jaberd (water pond)—the chart ensures that literacy celebrates and preserves their unique language, culture, and environmental wisdom. It serves as a portable, visible, and culturally relevant teaching aid for mobile schools and homes, empowering the next generation to see their world reflected in their learning. This resource was created in collaboration with the Himalayan Pastoral Trust. Gojri Alphabet Chart Download Gorji Alphabet Booklet Download

Plant Poster Plants are always bustling with life - they entertain bees, provide resting places for various insects and birds, food for caterpillars, and whatnot! It takes just a few extra seconds of observing to find them! Print and use them as Anchor Charts in your classrooms and homes to start conversations about them! English Kannada Giant Milkweed Hindi TAMIL Fishtail Palm English Kannada Singapore Cherry English Kannada TAMIL English Lotus Poster English Kannada Neem Hindi TAMIL Lotus Kashmiri English Note for Educators Here is a sample activity to use this poster with students: Choose a plant near you and dedicate 5-10 minutes to quiet observation. Look closely at its overall form and its individual components- leaves, flowers, bark, and any fruits. Try to find other organisms using, living on, or visiting the plant. What interactions do you notice? Are there tiny insects, larger creatures, or even signs of homes on its branches? Use the relevant poster as a guide to discuss the diverse life forms you observed and their unique relationships with the plant. What unexpected discoveries did you make that aren't on the poster? Could the students collectively make a poster like this for another plant, based on their local observations and research?