Snippets from Starter Course – Batch 1 – UNLESS
“The earth is what we all have in common.” – Wendell Berry
🌏In the spirit of interconnectedness, 16 nature-aware and eco-conscious participants took part in a starter course on Nature & Sustainability on 30-Mar-2025. Adults are the decision makers and hold the key to combating climate change as well as educating their families, businesses, colleagues about the dangers posed by the environmental degradation that we all are facing – even though we may evade it temporarily by switching on our ACs and like!
The purpose of the session was to get together like-minded, nature-aware participants who are already doing some bit for the environment and help them connect more strongly with nature through slow and mindful activities and interactive discussions. It was a challenge designing the session as it was even our first time doing this for adults who are already concerned about nature and thinking about sustainability.
It was a highly insightful session that began with the customary ice-breaker allowing all to get to know each other through the question, “if you could be an element of nature, what would you like to be and why?” It brought out some very beautiful thoughts and reflections from our participants and friends. Most of all, participants wanted to be either a tree or a water body, a river or ocean due to life-giving and life sustaining properties. Some wanted to be a tortoise as they like its slow pace, while some wanted to be a fish for its speed and agility.
The participants then participated in an unguided nature walk with a few questions to ponder and reflect upon. Post the slow and mindful nature walk experience, everyone shared their thoughts on at least one question that they took with them during the nature walk. It was just the time constraint that we had otherwise we could have had this reflection session going on for long!! May be later.
Understanding what brought them here to participate in this session, formed the crux of the next part of the session. Here, we listened a few thoughts and then moved to showcase the challenges that India has been facing due to global warming and climate change as well as “unthoughful” and environmentally-degrading “development’. We had some passionate thoughts that came forth and people who wanted to act against acts like tree cutting.
One participant shared how she tied a “chunri” and “threads” around a tree to save it from bring chopped down, while others shared their helplessness and frustration at the state of environmental degradation that we are living in.
The last act of the session was to understand our own personal sustainability journey and where we stand on our environmentally sustainable practices. See images below
This was an engrossing session but this is just the start. We would like to see this community growing and taking forward some sustainable practices and see how we can continuously raise awareness and take action.
We looked at few more instances of how the extreme weather events (even in Vadodara) are rising and how the number of days with higher temperatures are on a rise.
Overall it was a session filled with fun, excitement and knowledge that our participants can apply in their lives. Do keep sharing your feedback.
Sustainability Wheels of Some Participants
