This presentation is on outdoor nature education. It includes techniques and tools which teachers could use to improve their classroom experience for their students.

2. MY INSPIRATION
THIS PRESENTATION IS INSPIRED
BY THE BOOK- LAST CHILD IN THE
WOODS BY RICHARD LOUV
“ I like to play indoors better ‘cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are”- Fourth grader in San Diego

3. PLAY VIDEO CLIP

4. DEFINITIONS
• Nature: The phenomena of the physical world
collectively, including plants, animals, the
landscape, and other features and products of the
earth, as opposed to humans or human creations.
• Outdoors: Not part of man-made world but part of
nature
• Biophily : Humans possess an innate tendency to
seek connections with nature and other forms of life
• Wilderness: An uncultivated, uninhabited, and
inhospitable region

5. “
”
We know things aren’t right when your only neighbhor is another human
being and there is no tree, no bird, no butterfly in sight…all isn’t well
around us anymore
We know things aren’t right when the tree on your way to home gets
axed, a bird home is destroyed and fishes die in a water body near you,
yet we continue our life….like all is well…when it isn’t
- SHUBHALAXMI
SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH US

6. GIFTS OF NATURE
Nature comes in many forms: A newborn calf; a pet that lives
and dies; a worn path through the woods; a fort nested in
stinging nettles, a damp. Mysterious edge of a vacant plot.
Whatever shape nature takes, it offers each child an older,
larger world separate from parents
• Nature is a healer for child living in destructive family or
neighbourhood
• Nature inspires creativity a child by demanding
visualization and the full use of senses
• Nature can frighten a child, too, and this fright serves a
purpose
• In nature, a child finds freedom, fantasy and privacy: a
place distant from the adult world, a separate peace.
Finally its only during childhood that a child could get smitten with the ‘nature bug’

7. WHERE ALL THE ELECTRICAL OUTLETS ARE
• THEN • NOW
Nature was fun, adventurous, relaxing and bonding time
Nature is unproductive, offlimits, alien, harmful and
dangerous

8. GENERATION GAP
FITTER GRAND PARENTS OVERWEIGHT GRAND CHILDREN
Blame it on Nature Deficit Disorder

9. CONTAINERIZED KIDS
OUTDOORS YET INDOORS COMFORT ZONE OF TV OUTDOORS YET NOT FREE
Most kid-containerizing is done for safety concerns, but the long-term health of these children is compromised.
Research shows physical restriction of childhood reduces the activity level in a toddler

10. BENEFITS OF BEING OUTDOORS
• Direct exposure to nature is essential for physical and emotional health
of a child.
• Exposure to nature reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Improve child’s cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stresses
and depression.
• Supports creativity and problem solving
• Improves academic performance
• Increases physical activity
• Improves nutrition
• Improves eyesight
• Improves social relations
• Improves self-discipline

11. CONTACT WITH
NATURE: SO CLOSE,
AND YET SO FAR
In number of urban regions humans
and wild critters are coming in close
contact in ways that have been
unfamiliar to us.
Leopard- the most tenacious cat
refuses to leave its territory which it
shares with city people.

12. SPEAKING TWO LANGUAGES
• SPOKEN • UNSPOKEN
Parents, educators, other adults, institutions- the culture itself- may say one thing to children about nature’s gifts, but so many of our
actions and messages- especially the ones we cannot hear ourselves deliver- are different. And children hear very well.

13. CHILDREN NEED
“VITAMIN G”
• “Green environments are an essential component
of a healthy human habitat”
• Humans benefit from exposure to green
environments (parks, forests, gardens, etc.) And
conversely, people with less access to green
places report more medical symptoms and poorer
health overall.
• “Vitamin G” (G for “green”) to capture nature’s
role as a necessary ingredient for a healthy life.
Evidence suggests that, like a vitamin, contact
with nature and green environments is needed in
frequent, regular doses.

14. WHERE TO START
BOOKS
Textbooks v/s Field guides and
Encylopedias
PLACES
Classrooms v/s Gardens and
Playgrounds
ACTIVITIES
Written/Reading Assignments
v/s DIY Activities

15. FIELD GUIDES
ENCYCLOPEDIA
ACTIVITY BOOKS

16. DIGITAL RESOURCES

17. BRINGING NATURE TO SCHOOL

18. CREATING SOILED ENVIRONMENTS

19. Naturalize outdoor learning environments

20. CREATE GARDEN FOR WILDLIFE
BUTTERFLY/BEE GARDEN POND
ANIMAL
SHELTERS/FEEDERS

21. ACTIVITIES
NATURE TRAILS PROJECT WORK NATURE CAMPS

22. NATURE TRAILS
• Find out nearest national park/wildlife
reserve/wildlife sanctuary
• Check out their educational tour plans
• Find out nearest garden or public
parks
• Check their open and close timing
• Survey for points of interests
• Find out nearest nature education
centre/natural history section of a
museum
• Check out their educational tours
TIPS: Avoid taking tours to tourist place, crowded places and curated spaces

23. HOW TO MAKE A
NATURE TRAIL
• Components: Few trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers | pond |
animal shelters/feeders | pile of rocks | vacant wild corner|
weedy grassy patch
• Identify point of interests e.g. tree, bird nest, pond insects,
invasive species, insect homes so on
• Make a pathway to ensure it passes through the point of
interests
• Make small signages for each point of interests
• Research for information about each of point of interests and
weave interesting stories around it.
• Incorporate topics from syllabus such as adaptation,
classification, soil erosion and so on.
• Duration: 30 to 45 min. Best time: Early morning or late
afternoon. Best season: Monsoon and Post Monsoon. Group
size: upto 25 students. Age Group: All ages

24. MAKE A SCHOOL
WILDLIFE CALENDAR
• Make a poster calendar
• Mark days with wildlife sightings from the school
environment
• Engage students in reporting on wildlife
• Track the annual sightings and check whether
you get repeat visitors
• Publishing these findings on school website and
social media accounts will generate good amount
of interest in the community

25. PROJECT WORK
PLANT-ANIMAL
ASSOCIATION
• Identifying plants and
animals which interact with
each other for food, shelter
or protection
• Analysing the interaction and
categorizing them
• Researching on the
interaction and verifying the
facts
URBAN BIODIVERSITY
• Recording sightings of
plants and animals
• Identifying them using
reference books
• Observing their behaviour
• Recording seasonal
changes
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
CHECK UP
• Making list of environmental
parameters (abiotic/biotic)
• Studying landuse patterns
• Collecting climatic data
• Collecting data on health
issues
• Understanding environmental
literacy among the residents
Duration: Mini. 3 months, Max. 1 year

26. NATURE DETECTIVE AGE OF A TREE BIRD NESTING MATERIAL BIRD FEEDER

27. NATURE CAMPS
NATIONAL PARKS &
SANCTUARIES
• Find out nearest national park/wildlife
reserve/wildlife sanctuary
• Plan longer nature camps with help of
local tour operator
CAMPING SITES
• Find out nearest camping site
• Do safety check out
• Plan overnight camps with help of
campsite owner
DAY NATURE CAMPS
• Find out day camps being held
within your region
• Check out their offerings
TIPS: Avoid taking tours to tourist place, crowded places and curated spaces

28. DESIGN YOUR OWN CAMP
OBSERVE
• Include 1-2 Nature trails during the
day
• Invite an expert to lead the trail
• Keep field guides handy
ENGAGE
• Include 1-2 hands on activities during
the day
• Games, songs and skits
• Organize more group activities
REFLECT
• Organize quiz, debates and
competitions to reflect back on the
learning from the camp
• Make Camp diary

29. EMPOWERING TEACHERS
PARTICIPATE IN NATURE
WALKS/TALKS
• Check out who conducts nature
walks in your locality
• Join these walks and get
acquainted with like-minded people
• Learn about experts leading these
walks
• Attend public lectures organized in
your locality
• Subscribe to their events
JOIN FACEBOOK GROUPS
• Indian Birds
• Indian Trees
• Butterfly India
• Insect India
• Wildflowers
• FungiIndia
• Reptiles and Amphibians
BECOME A MEMBER
• Become member of BNHS/WWF
• Subscribe to wildlife magazines
such as Santuary Asia, Saveus
• Join citizen portals such as
inaturalist, India Biodiversity Portal,
ebirds and feed your wildlife
sighting data to these global sites.
• Take up to nature photography
Passion for nature is an infectious dieseas- you could infect your students provided you have it

30. JOIN OUR ONLINE COURSES
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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE
3 Months
Complete Online
Designed for non-science people
Graded Certificate Course
KITCHEN GARDENING
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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE

31. Contact
Dr. V. Shubhalaxmi
iNaturewatch Foundation
www.inaturewatch.org
info@inaturewatch.org
9987013144
THANK YOU