CHENNAI: Even a four-year-old can contribute towards conserving the environment. This World Environment Day, that’s the message storyteller Priti Sudarsan is out to convey. After conducting several eco-storytelling workshops, Priti surprises most parents when she tells them that kids contribute in unexpected ways. “The other day I saw a small boy advising a waiter in a restaurant not to fill his glass and waste water as he was carrying a bottle in his bag,” she recalls. And then there was the time when she heard an eight-year-old sweetly lisp to the person sitting next to her about washing vegetables in a way that conserves water.
According to Priti, kids today are environmentally conscious and receptive to ideas about conservation. So how can people sensitise their child to think in an eco-friendly manner? “Kids can remind their parents to carry paper bags whenever they’re shopping, close taps when not in use, switch lights and fans off when not necessary,” she responds.
To spread the word, Priti will be conducting a two-hour storytelling session, filled with fun activities and interactive sessions today. And the focus will be on simple ways in which little ones can do their bit. “I will be talking to them about how street lights work. And what will happen if an over consumption of electricity results in the whole city shutting down,” she elaborates. She believes that storytelling is one of the best mediums to help children understand an issue as important as conservation in a manner they can relate to.
The session today will be conducted to make them wear their thinking hats and question what they see around them. “If they want to know why the Adyar river is so polluted, we should take our time and explain that it is a result of careless dumping of garbage,” she says. After all, they do deserve an answer, don’t they?