Going beyond activism
NEW DELHI: The three-day-long Ek Prithvi- National Panda Fest 2020, organised by World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India) started on February 5 where students from across India have been presenting various environmental projects they executed throughout the year, showcasing positive impact t h e y m a d e o n t h e environment.
WWF India has been in existence for 50 years now and it started with the environmental education division, including the movement called the Nature Club India. In 2015, they came up with an education strategy document and launched five programmes which included Ek Prithvi, a conversation leadership programme started in 2016 with eight schools, 800 students. Today, it has extended to ten states and two UTs. “We aim to create models for governments to show how environmental education should be. And this National Panda Fest is a culmination of the year-long activities and the children who have exhibited the best role out of Ek Prithvi are coming for the national event. It is also a great platform for the children to meet other students from different states and learn from each other,” said Radhika Suri, Director, Environment Education,
WWF India. Since most of the students are coming to the capital for the first time, they will be taken on a tour to Sunder Nursery and Humayun tomb along with a drive around the Rashtrapati Bhavan, giving them a taste of Delhi. “On the second day, we will be taking them to a nature trail at the Lodhi Garden where they will also be participating in the activity of tree-tagging; they will learn about the different trees in Delhi and put the name cards on the respective trees. Post this, we will have a leadership programme where we will discuss environmental problems and ways to solve them. We want children to believe that they are the solution because we often underestimate children but there is Greta Thunberg moving the world,” added Suri.
The final day will also have an exhibition by the children along with a presentation on Ek Prithvi. Through such initiatives, they want the children to go beyond activism and learn to solve the problems along with giving suggestions. “These 140,000 children that we are working can alter their behaviour and start being environmentally sensitive. Imagine the change. We want to leave these children with the ability to think and put things into action with the power to influence,” she added. ON: Feb 7, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm AT: WWF-India Auditorium, 172-B, Lodhi Estate