The Suttha Muttha project takes experiences and stories of local ecology and biodiversity back to school.
‘Unfortunately the children of today – who will be the grown-ups of tomorrow – are likely to have very different memories of their childhood and the outdoors. Children increasingly grow up disconnected from and fearful and suspicious of the natural world that they are part off.’
Importance of Nature Education
By making meaning of serendipitous encounters with myriad creatures that visit their schools the project hopes to facilitate deeper connections for students with their immediate natural world. Jane Sahi, Founder Fig Tree learning center and Roshni Ravi, Nature conservation foundation are going to design and create locally relevant and accessible teaching-learning material, curate stories, songs and sayings in consultation with parents, teachers and students. They will develop and offer immersive nature education and nature learning workshops for students and teachers. Material emerging from this will be made available freely under the creative commons understanding. Children’s nature education goes a long way in the fight against climate change. For the citizens of tomorrow, they need to learn to love nature so that they know what they’re fighting for.
Please reach out to Jane or Roshni if you are interested in this and if you would like to use any of the ideas and material in a school you know.
Project Start Date: May 2020
Contact:
Roshni Ravi, roshniravi@ncf-india.org
Vena Kapoor, vena@ncf-india.org
Jane Helen Sahi, janehelensahi@gmail.com
Status Report & Updates:
This project has been successfully completed.
Publications based on the Project:
There’s nothing there (Book)
The final resource was conceptualised in the form of a picture book that highlights biodiversity in a rapidly changing and dynamic peri-urban landscape. It is a bilingual picture book titled “There’s Nothing There!”/ “ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಏನೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿ !” The book was illustrated and designed by artist Karunya Baskar.
Connecting Learning to the Natural World
Suttha Muttha Plant poster on the Giant Milkweed was featured in an article written by Nature Classrooms, published in issue 7 of iWonder magazine [Teaching as if the Earth Matters] that is brought out by Azim Premji University.
Newspaper Articles
Teach ‘Em Young: Appreciating Biodiversity Through Our Classrooms (April 2022, The Bastion)
Suttha Muttha Project is introducing children to local biodiversity (February 2021, The New Indian Express’ Edex Live)
All the posters and worksheets below are available to download and use for free. You can download them in your preferred language on the Nature Classrooms website. You can reach out to Roshni or Jane with your thoughts and queries on the resources.
Plant Poster Series (Click to download):
Sample Activity Sheets about nature in and around our homes. Click on the image to download, print and play.
