Vandana Aggarwal, 

ENVIS Head

Economic Adviser

MoEF, GoI

Extending the Country’s support to the declared UN Decade on Biodiversity 2011- 2020, India announced an annual theme 2012-13 of “Biodiversity Conservation” under National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC), a sub-programme under the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ flagship Plan Scheme on Environment Education, Awareness and Training. Separately, a Science Express - Biodiversity Special train was flagged off from New Delhi on June 5, the World Environment Day, which in its seven-month journey so far has exhibited the rich and unique biodiversity of India across the country.


The year also marked the assumption of 2-year Presidency by India of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and India hosted the Eleventh Conference of Parties (COP-11) to CBD as also the sixth Meeting of the Parties (COP-MOP-6) to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety during October 2012.The concurrent event of ‘Interactive Fair for Biodiversity’ provided opportunity for presentation of projects, initiatives, ideas and issues related to bio-diversity as well as interaction among national and local governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, non profit organizations, academic institutions, private enterprises, etc. from around the world.

The year also saw the declaration of Western Ghats as a natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO and their being recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity.

For 2013-14 also, the theme has been retained under NEAC and increase in Plan allocation to the Environment Education, Awareness and Training Scheme for 2013-14 bears testimony to its importance.

Volume 18 Contents 

1.    Biodiversity COP 11: Key Outcomes Interview with Shri Hem Pande, MoEF

2.    Reinventing Nature Conservation Education as a key tool for EE and ESD 

     Dr Erach Bharucha, BVIEER

3.    Environment Education at the Higher Secondary Stage in Maharashtra Interview with Dr Shivaji Shelke, Research Officer, MSBSHSE

4.    ESD Expert Network

5.    Season Watch: Building connections with nature through observing trees

                Dr Suhel Quader, Season Watch

6.    Science Express Biodiversity Special Train

7.    Reorienting Biodiversity Education for Sustainable Development, the need of the hour Dr Shailaja Ravindranath, CEE

8.    Our nature, our land, our people…. Let us learn to valueand conserve

                Dr Ganesh T and Abhisheka K, ATREE

9.    The Shikra

                Shatanik Kasab

10. Integrated sanitation and hygiene management inresidential institutes in Medak District

Vanita Kommu and Indira Prakash, CEE

11. UNFCC’s Doha Climate Summit updates Rixa Schwarz and Praveen Prakash, CEE

12. Events

13. Organization

14. Resources

15. Abstracts

16. Environment Service Scheme 

17. Western Ghats (Sahayadri) Special Eco-Club Scheme

Biodiversity COP11: Key Outcomes

Interview with Shri Hem Pande, Additional Secretary MoEF

Sanskriti Menon, Programme Director, CEE Central Regional Cell and CEE Urban

Shri Hem Pande,
Additional Secretary, MoEF

The eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and its sixth meeting serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, was hosted
by Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI from 1 to 19 October 2012 in Hyderabad. Post conference Shri Hem Pande, Additional Secretary MoEF shares the key outcomes of COP 11 and ESD and Presidency for the Convention in an interview with Sanskriti Menon, Editor, Education for Change.

What are some of the key outcomes of COP 11 from India’s point of view?

India successfully hosted the eleventh CoP to the CBD, and the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as Meeting of the Parties (CoP/MoP-6) to the CBD’s Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in Hyderabad from 1-19 October, 2012. The event provided India with an opportunity to consolidate, scale-up and showcase our initiatives and strengths on biodiversity.

CBD CoP-11 adopted 33 decisions on a range of strategic, substantive, administrative, financial and budgetary issues. These include: the status of the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing (ABS); implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and progress towards the Aichi biodiversity targets; and implementation of the Strategy for Resource Mobilization; issues related to financial resources and the financial mechanism; cooperation, outreach and the UN Decade on Biodiversity; operations of the Convention; and administrative and budgetary matters. Delegates also addressed: ecosystem restoration; Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge); marine and coastal biodiversity; biodiversity and climate change; biodiversity and development; and several other ecosystem-related and cross-cutting issues.

India is quite satisfied with the outcomes of these meetings.We are particularly happy with the meaningful decision on resource mobilization of doubling the total biodiversity-related international financial resource flows to developing countries

by 2015 and at least maintaining this level until 2020. This is a significant achievement that would add confidence to this process and hopefully assist developing countries in their efforts to protect biodiversity.

Some other contentious issues which yielded good outcomes during CoP-11 are: geo-engineering, guidance on safeguards for biodiversity with regard to REDD+, and marine and coastal biodiversity.

The decision to have a third meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Nagoya Protocol (ICNP-3), alongwith intersessional work on outstanding issues, as well as supporting initiatives to promote ratification and early entry into force and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol is also an important outcome.

The UNGA has since also adopted a resolution on ‘Implementation of Convention on Biological Diversity and its contribution to sustainable development’ highlighting the achievements of CoP-11.

India holds the Presidency for the Convention for the years 2013 and 14, till the next COP. Which are some of the priority areas that India would seek to further develop in the duration of the Presidency?

In its two-year term as the CoP Presidency, India would like to see progress on the delivery of decisions adopted at CoP-11 and CoP-MoP-6. After the important set of decisions taken
in COP-10 and COP-11, the priority for the international community must now be on Implementation. India looks forward to the continued support of all the Parties in this regard.

We would also like to work towards encouraging Parties
to expedite ratification of the Nagoya Protocol, so that the requisite number of ratifications are received in time for the first CoP-MoP of the Protocol to be held concurrently with CoP-12. Expeditious ratification and entry into force of the Protocol and implementation of its provisions related to Access and Benefit Sharing are important key deliverables.

At CoP-11, a call was made to Parties and other stakeholders by the Executive Secretary, CBD to pledge urgent action towards achieving Aichi Biodiversity Targets and become one of several Biodiversity Champions. While inaugurating the High Level Segment, the Prime Minister of India has announced the earmarking of a sum of US$ 50 million during India’s Presidency of CoP to strengthen institutional mechanisms, enhance technical and human capabilities for biodiversity conservation in India, and to promote similar capacity building in other developing countries.

India would like to see other governments join the Hyderabad Call for Action on Biodiversity, by pledging support for biodiversity at domestic, regional or global levels. Towards
this a joint letter signed by the Minister for Environment and Forests as the CoP-11 President and Executive Secretary, CBD Secretariat has been sent to Ministers in charge of all countries.

Some of the other initiatives taken by India in the run-up and during CoP-11 could also be worthy of emulation and follow- up. The brand Ambassador of CoP-11, namely the Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS) train, an innovative mobile exhibition mounted on a specially designed 16 coach AC train which traveled across India from 5th June to 22nd December 2012. This train received over 2.3 million visitors in its journey and played a key role in creating awareness about biodiversity in the country. After the resounding success of SEBS, the possibility to increase the reach of this train to even more remote corners of the country to increase awareness on biodiversity is being explored. Many visiting CoP-11 delegates who visited SEBS in Hyderabad during CoP-11 expressed desire for something similar in their countries.

India has also decided to establish a Biodiversity Museum and a Garden in Hyderabad at the site where our Prime Minister unveiled a commemorative Pylon during CoP-11. The Prime Minister planted the first tree on behalf of India. Representatives of the participating countries at CoP-11 also planted trees. Hyderabad is the first host city of CBD CoP to establish commemorative Pylon, garden and museum.

India would like to play a leadership role during her Presidency by supporting and hosting capacity building in the developing countries. We have offered to host inter-sessional meetings such as the meeting of the Inter Governmental Committee of Nagoya Protocol, expert meeting on biodiversity and poverty eradication, capacity building workshops of developing countries to help them take legislative/administrative measures, and regional/subregional workshops on protected areas etc.

We have also offered to meet part of the cost of the meeting of the Working Group on Art. 8j on Traditional Knowledge.

We would continue to work proactively at the national level as well in our continued quest for mainstreaming biodiversity conversation and protection.

What are some of the key outcomes as regards Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) efforts? What are the specific areas that ESD professionals should focus on to help achieve the Aichi Targets in the coming years?

Target 1 of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets is about making people aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably.

Addressing the direct and underlying drivers of biodiversity
loss will ultimately require behavioral change by individuals, organizations and governments. Understanding, awareness and appreciation of the diverse values of biodiversity, underpin the willingness of individuals to make the necessary changes and actions and to create the “political will” for governments to act.

Given this, actions taken towards this target will greatly facilitate the implementation of the Strategic Plan and the fulfillment of the other 19 Aichi Targets, particularly Target 2.

The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) efforts would play an important role in achieving this target, which in turn would help in contributing to achieving other Aichi targets.

Biodiversity is not widely understood and as a result its economic, social and environmental importance is often poorly recognized. The values of biodiversity, should be interpreted in the broadest sense, including environmental, cultural, economic and intrinsic values.

While a better understanding of the values of biodiversity is important in building the motivation for action, it is not enough. Individuals also need to be aware of the types of actions they themselves can take in order to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity. Different segments of society can take different actions depending on the types of activities they have control or influence over. Such information can help to empower individuals to take action. The target 1 applies to all people in society.

In order to progress towards this target, Parties will need to develop and implement coherent, strategic and sustained communication, education and public awareness efforts. Different types of education and public awareness activities or campaigns will be needed to reach the different audiences in a country as activities which are effective for one group, may not be for others.

Learning occurs in formal contexts of learning, such as in schools and universities, as well as in informal contexts, such as through the guidance of elders, as well as in museums and parks, and through films, television and literature. Learning also occurs through participation in events and other opportunities for information exchange between stakeholders. Therefore there are a variety of communication and outreach vehicles which could be used. Where possible, awareness and learning about the values of biodiversity should be linked to and mainstreamed into the principles and messages of education for sustainable development.

The Convention’s Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) programme is an important instrument for this target. The establishment of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity by the United Nations General Assembly represents an opportunity, throughout the implementation period of the Strategic Plan, to link national awareness raising activities with a broader international process as a means of developing greater visibility and traction for such actions. Likewise the International Day for Biodiversity, on 22 May, provides a similar opportunity.

For more information contact:

Hem Pande, Additional Secretary

Ministry of Environment and Forests

Room No. 622, Paryavaran Bhawan

CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110 003

Telefax: 011-24361308, 24363967

Email: hempande@nic.in

Reinventing Nature Conservation Education as a key tool for EE and ESD

Dr Erach Bharucha, Director, Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research

A surgeon by profession, Dr Bharucha has been active in wildlife and nature conservation for nearly fifty years. A well-known wildlife photographer, he has traveled extensively and studied Indian National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. In 1993, he began developing the Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research (BVIEER). He has been engaged in implementing a variety of environmental education programmes for schools and colleges and for the public at large.

The educational processes of the life sciences have had a long tradition of Natural History. Taught to children as ‘Nature Education’, it was primarily done through developing their observational skills in the field. This
led to some people developing a deeper interest in Natural History, Botany and Zoology. Others became professionals in specific fields of biosciences. For some it continued as a hobby and some even became great amateur naturalists, or researchers. The educational inputs were primarily taxonomic. However, in more recent times this has led to an interest in behavioral ecology of species and finally habitat and ecosystem studies.

Globalization has led less-developed nations to damage their own natural resources, including degradation of soil and water resources. The growing impacts of economic development during the last few decades required
a change in the nature education approach. Ill effects of climate change and other disturbances of Nature such as biodiversity loss, serious human health issues and abject poverty were portrayed to society through a gloomy perspective of approaching doom.

In many instances this grew into a negative feeling, especially among children and young adults. It provided a sense of guilt, unhappiness, and an inability to act against the enormous load of degradation changes that the Earth was suffering on their account. It paralyzed rather than created pro- conservation action.

During this period, the beauty of nature was overshadowed by the need to reverse human impacts on our earth. This trend in Environment Education which was followed in the ‘70’s and into the ‘90’s through formal curricular processes, was expected to lead to corrective measures through societal change. In our country EE was also furthered at the behest of the Honorable Supreme Court, giving a directive to the Ministries of HRD and MoEF to introduce EE into curricula. This infusion of EE based on issues such as pollution control, tree plantation, and energy conservation thus seeped into school curricula. Nature Education was left behind as being essentially non-formal and unimportant.

A new paradigm for Sustainable Development emerged in the 80s
and 90s. It also created the need for newer learning tools, which could demonstrate the linkages between ecological issues, societal concerns and environmental aspects, embedded in an overarching umbrella of governance. For many individuals Education for Sustainable Development was seen as EE in another form, and was perceived as a vehicle for unnecessary complex and quazi scientific jargon. It was yet another ‘turn off’, leaving behind the need for empathy to Nature.

At the turn of the century the approach of a possible biodiversity extinction spasm began to be viewed as a major environmental catastrophe. Biodiversity conservation, as a key concern for humanity, has led to the need for a new and currently relevant approach to Nature Education that can recreate empathy with Nature. The old educational pedagogy will have to move away from
a purely taxonomic approach (as in the past) to a deeper understanding of the linkages between species, ecosystems, landscapes and human beings.

Understanding Biodiversity Knowledge

The growing trend of wildlife tourism in India and the popularity of Discovery Channel and Animal Planet are evidences of growing interest in nature in India.

Studies at BVIEER show that there is a need for reinventing connected-ness between individuals and the ‘natural world’. As part of a BVIEER outreach
project, flash cards of animals were shown to rural and urban children to appreciate, which they knew, what species interested them or excited their curiosity. The children who lived around a Protected Area and had a personal exposure to the wilderness, (unlike children from an urban background) did not have the advantage of appropriate formal education, or other extracurricular inputs. They had a heightened awareness of local wildlife as they saw these animals around their settlements.

Content analyses of school text books showed that greater and more relevant inputs on biodiversity are needed at school level. However urban children who do not get a chance to experience nature first hand are not necessarily unaware of the richness of biodiversity in our country. Much of this information is from electronic media and non- curricular books. This understanding of the ‘existence value’ of wild species cannot be expected to be as effective as real life ‘experiential learning’.

College students’ knowledge base
on biodiversity which has been tested through semi structured interviews and visuals of wildlife, demonstrated the poor level of knowledge of biodiversity in college students. Content analysis of the UGC Text Book for the Core Module Course prepared by BVIEER showed that if this text book is read carefully, and understood by students at the undergraduate
level (in all subjects) they will be adequately informed about biodiversity conservation and relevant ecological concepts. During the survey it was observed that students did not take the subject seriously, which was either because of the incompetence of their teachers to deliver the course in an interesting way, or the fact that it is 
not a subject that contributes to their grades.

The study of Nature Interpretation sessions by NGOs and nature tour operators was found to be inadequate to fulfill the needs of the participants. They followed a taxonomic approach which cannot be expected to further a greater interest and concern for biodiversity that could lead to action.

The findings revealed that the knowledge of biodiversity in school children, college students and adults was inadequate to create a pro-biodiversity conservation ethic in a majority of respondents.

Reinventing Nature Education

Innovative strategies have been conceptualized and tested to reinvent Nature Education. For example, participants may be introduced to the intricacies of the web of life on a nature trail and facilitated to explore those on their own too. Sessions that build upon the charisma of the tiger and other species, and emphasize the beauty of nature can be introduced into nature trails. Field exposure must be incorporated into formal and non- formal education systems for enhancing awareness on the values of biodiversity, and creating empathy towards Nature. This leads to actions for sustainability in an individual’s daily life.

At school level the approach to reinvent Nature education may be two-fold. Improving the skills of identification of locale specific species that people can observe, and bringing in a sense of appreciation for the beauty within Nature. This is of prime importance during early childhood when there is a natural interest in animal life. The knowledge
of intricate ecological concepts needs
to be built into the learnings of older school children. School text books should discuss the need for wildlife and nature conservation in great detail. There should be short field trips that foster an appreciation for Nature and help them relate classroom teaching to their own environment.

At college level, experiences in Nature and a scientific documentation of observations made in well planned Nature Awareness Areas should be a

focus. Ecological concepts of a higher level of complexity such as island biogeography and eco-restoration, eco- sensitive areas, the need for Protected Area Networks, as well as threats due
to habitat fragmentation and wildlife poaching need to be discussed in the classroom by their teachers and explored in the field.

Capacity building in adults from different walks of life at various levels is essential. Non formal Nature Education must become more accessible and affordable for all sections of society. Using the feeling of discovery at experiencing nature’s wonders produces a strong empathy towards nature. This initiating ‘Ah ha!’ must be used by an interpreter to take the individual closer to nature, appreciate ecological services, and link this to human impacts that can destroy the splendor of the wilderness.

These initiatives, when put together, reorient Nature Education towards current needs. The empathy for Nature produced through these newly developed strategies for Nature interpretation and education must move through the thread of Natural History into Environment Education and Education for Sustainable Development. Nature herself provides the trigger and real life experiences of wildlife and an appreciation of its beautiful habitats. It provides the key to an empathy with the earth.

Thus, reinventing Nature Education can create a better and deeper understanding of the concepts related to EE and ESD and lead to sustainable lifestyles.

For more information contact:

Dr Erach Bharucha, Director

Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research

Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University,

Katraj, Pune – 411043

Ph: 020 – 24375684; 24362155

Email: bvieer@vsnl.com http://ieer.bharatividyapeeth.edu

Environment Education at the Higher Secondary Stage in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is one of the first states in the country to take up in letter and spirit the Supreme Court guideline of making Environmental Education a compulsory subject in schools from Classes I to XII. 

Savita Bharti, Education for Change speaks to Dr Shivaji Shelke, Research Officer, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education to know more.

In what way has Maharashtra taken up the Supreme Court directives? 
In Maharashtra we have decided to introduce Environment Education as a separate subject with a weightage of 50 marks. This is because there is no subject common to all the streams. The subject EE is assessed at the school level in the manner recommended by the Supreme Court, through projects and seminars. In addition, we have introduced the idea of Journal Assignments as an alternative to seminars to make learning and assessment more feasible in very large class sizes. The student’s attainment out of 50 marks is to be carried on the marksheet and will be added to the grand total to compute the percentage. This, we hope, will help students, teachers and parents to take the course more seriously, as we realized that awarding grades was not a very effective way in this respect.

Maharashtra is the first state that has made it compulsory to mark the subject. A child has to clear the exam in order to go to a higher grade. The subject was introduced in Standard XI in the academic year 2012-13. It will be introduced in Standard XII in the academic year 2013-14.

Special textbooks have been prepared for the EE course by the MSBSHSE, through its Board of Studies. The textbooks are based on the Handbook for Environment Education developed by NCERT. Our Board of Studies has taken great efforts to take the concepts presented in the NCERT handbook and to convert them into activities, case studies, assignments and illustrations which would be interesting for students.

Initially, in the 2005-2012 phase, we had introduced the subject as a separate and compulsory one at Standard IX to XII level. Now, the infusion approach is adopted till Standard X. The turning point for the new improved implementation of EE in Maharashtra has been the adoption of the State Curriculum Framework and a workshop we organized with Dr Jaishree Sharma from NCERT who clarified the NCERT Affidavit and the Supreme Court’s latest directives. All this has been possible because of the efforts of the Board of Studies for EE and ultimately the support from the Education Dept.

What has been the response?

The 11th std textbook that was introduced last year is very well received by people as evident from the feedbacks I receive. The responses otherwise have been very encouraging. The contents, projects and activities are much appreciated. It is used not only by Standard XI students, but also by students preparing for civil services and other entrance exams.

What about teacher preparation and training?

For in-service training, a two-day state level Master Trainers’ training is planned in April 2013. The master trainers will subsequently conduct training at district level.

The State Government has taken the view that anyone can teach the subject. Now we are considering that EE should be taught only by teachers who have had training in Environment Education or Environment Science. 

Currently, the BEd course does not have a place for training on EE. We are suggesting that content and methods related to EE be introduced in B Ed itself. Without BEd a person cannot be a qualified teacher. Likewise with no knowledge of Environment Studies there cannot be a qualified EVS teacher. Even DEd teachers are now taking graduate courses in environment studies. We may also think about a certificate course in EE in the future.

What kind of projects are students taking up?

At school level, students have to take up projects in different subjects. The emphasis after introduction of EE has been more on environment related projects. Almost 80-90 percent of the projects now are taken in the environmental field. Children are more interested in action oriented projects, such as related to school waste management, keeping the toilets clean, places where there were less or no toilets now demands are coming for these to be part of the school infrastructures, more greening in the school campuses, construction of soak pits to take care of waste water and ensure excess water percolates in the ground etc.

To ensure that duplication does not happen, the projects are submitted to the Board. The school is expected to maintain a record of the projects done by students.

For a big project, a group of students may work together and for smaller projects students can work individually. 

Our Board of Studies also practices what it teaches so we have also taken up small actions at our campus - we don’t drink tea in plastic glasses anymore. At their recommendation, we have planted many trees all around our campus.

For more information contact:

Dr Shivaji Shelke

Research Officer

Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and

Higher Secondary Education

Survey No 832 A, Final Plot No 178 & 179

Bhambhurda, Shivajinagar, Pune 411 004

Ph: 020 25705000

http://www.msbshse.ac.in

ESD Expert Network 

The ESD ExpertNet is a trans-national network of experts and leaders from state and non-state institutions that is developing strategies to help enhance the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the participating countries. Currently, experts from four countries are members of the network: Germany, India, Mexico and South Africa. The Network is supported by the GIZ, a federal enterprise in Germany that supports the German Govt in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and education. The main elements of the ExpertNet and its work are:

1. The ExpertNet itself, which through its periodic meetings and conferences, facilitates exchange of ideas and functions as a think tank
2. Course for capacity building of multipliers or teacher educators, which focuses on ESD at school level with a whole school approach for school management.
3. International ESD Leadership Training for young professionals.

Courtesy: TERI, Delhi

From India, the organizations represented in the Network are the NCERT, Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research (BVIEER), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and CEE. The Network works together in developing and testing new concepts and instruments for ESD. These aspects of the continued collaboration in the international and inter-institutional setting make the Network unique.

International Conferences

ESD ExpertNet runs a series of conferences on ESD to share the Network’s experience with other experts and practitioners. The conferences bring together a mix of practical and theoretical experience, research insights and new approaches. The Network encourages participants to enter into discussions and help draw conclusions on how to fuse ESD into educational work. Six international conferences have been held so far that have helped showcase the efforts of the ESD Network, including in Pretoria (South Africa, 2010), Mexico (2011), Pune (2011), Delhi (2011), Berlin (2012), and Ahmedabad (2013).

The latest International Conference was organized in March 2013 at Ahmedabad to have a “Dialogue on School Education for Sustainable Development.” The event was inaugurated by Mr Shigeru Aoyagi, Director and UNESCO Representative to India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka and Dr. Kabir Shaikh from Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education and Peace, New Delhi. The conference included sessions on:

•  ESD for Biodiversity Conservation
•  Gandhian Way and ESD
•  Beyond the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

One of the outcomes of the conference was a submission to UN Secretary General’s Education First Initiative. The submission was prepared jointly by the ESD ExpertNet, the Ahmedabad conference participants and CEE. The submission commends the initiative for recognising education as a major driver of change and drawing attention to the lessons from the Decade of ESD which could support the Education First Initiative. In particular, the submission points to

• the role of action-based, experiential learning in nature
• recognizing the role of both modern science and indigenous knowledge the need for schools to reflect the ethics and values appropriate to sustainable development
• encouraging students to participate in ‘handprint’ activities which are positive actions towards sustainability
• support to students to develop competencies for sustainable living and of teachers for ESD.

International ESD Leadership Training

The ESD Leadership Training (ESD LT) programme offers young professionals from the participating countries a platform to investigate ESD concepts, learn from other institutions and implement innovation projects in their home organizations. The training, which is about 6 months long, consists of several modules in Germany combining ESD as well as management/ leadership skills, an internship phase in one of the participating countries (other than the home country) and the innovation project that is implemented in the home country when participants return. Two iterations of the ESD LT have been offered already. Four interns from TERI, and two each from BVIEER and CEE have participated in the ESD LT.

The participants and alumni of the ESD LT are in the process of forming an intra-country network and also to popularize the ESD LT among other organizations involved in ESD in India. The Network members have also hosted Leadership Training interns from the other partner countries, providing a valuable opportunity to young professionals to learn about ESD in India and hence to change perspective. 

“The benefit of the program is to create a global common understanding of an educational policy for Education for Sustainable Development and have a look at strategies for implementing ESD in our respective countries. The program give the participants a chance to be in a third country and have an insight of what is done similarly and differently as far as ESD is concerned. Finally, the program strives at establishing a great network between the four countries (Germany, South Africa, Mexico and India).” Nomvula Thabethe, South Africa

 “This training is an opportunity to rediscover the scope of sustainable development. Academically and practice in multicultural relations as well as informal experiences. Discuss the concept of Gestalt in the morning, singing Shosholoza in the Berlin underground cooking Indian food in the afternoon, taking a 3 wheeler to work in Delhi and work in the Innovation Project. This program has great potential to change people; my understanding of sustainable development will always be based on this experience.” Manuel Arredondo, Mexico

“The ESD leadership training program has been an incredible journey for me as it helped me realize my potential both professionally and personally. The intercultural learning at the training helped understand that the concept of sustainability is local specific and you need to adapt it to your own situations. My personal experiences at the TOTs helped me understand that communities play a major in triggering and driving a variety of initiatives for action at the local level that lead to sustainability. I hope to be able to contribute to this journey of learning by introducing a credit course on Sustainable Development with one credit on ESD for the Masters Course in Environmental Science at the Department (BVIEER) in the coming year.” Shalini Nair, India

Conduct and Adaptation of Course for ESD Multipliers

The Course for Capacity Building of Multipliers or Teacher Educators,

developed by the ESD ExpertNet has a core curriculum and a compilation

of methods and materials for some of the sessions. The course focuses on ESD at school level with a whole school approach for school management.

This approach takes into account that the important factors for success of ESD within the school context are not only curriculum, teaching staff and their lessons, but also the parents and local surroundings, education policies, teaching materials and many other aspects that all play a major role in the success of ESD.

The course has been pilot tested in each country. In India, the course is now offered through its members, with adaptations for particular types of multipliers. BVIEER along with NCERT has adapted the course for working with textbook writers and also for addressing biodiversity conservation concerns (See box on page 8). CEE is offering it as a 5-day ‘Module for Multipliers: Whole School – Whole System Approach to Education for Sustainable Development’. TERI has offered the course for teachers, non-formal educators and youth groups and is currently further developing the course to specific regions in India Apart from participation in these main elements of the Network’s activities, the experts from India are also contributing to the on-going development of papers on different aspects of ESD. These include ESD and the whole school approach, dimensions of sustainable development, competences for sustainable development and gender and ESD. Once these materials are finalized, they would be available on the website of the ESD ExpertNet.

For more information visit: http://www.esd-expert.net/

ESD workshops by BVIEER

Dr Shamita Kumar, Professor, BVIEER

Workshop for Textbook Writers:

In the year 2013 the BVIEER conducted two workshops for textbooks writers from across India to discuss approaches to infusion of concepts related to sustainable development into textbooks of various subjects. The workshops were conducted in January (Pune) and February 2013 (at the CPR Environment Education Centre in Chennai) in collaboration with the NCERT, TERI and CEE. Fifty three textbooks writers from 23 states of India participated in these workshops. Ten states in India follow the NCERT curriculum in full. These workshops in effect have thus covered all the states of the country. The content included:

• Sustainable development, global issues and local connections
• Need for bringing these concepts into textbook
• The role of education for sustainable development especially revolving around textbooks
• Competencies for ESD/Getting nature into the textbooks

The workshop methods included group work, field visits, curriculum analysis and expert talks. Participants were taken into the field where BVIEER faculty interpreted several concepts in textbooks through a very different perspective. A comparison of German and Indian textbooks to analyze textbook and lesson structure as well as evaluation was presented by two German teacher educators Stephanie Leder and Matthias Stahele.

The methods and results of a study of infusion of environment concept in school textbooks done by BVIEER was shared. Methodologies for infusion of SD as well as activities for developing critical thinking and problem solving skills were discussed. Using a list of guidelines developed by BVIEER, participants evaluated Indian textbooks for their potential to infuse ESD thus thoroughly grasping the intricacies of infusing concepts and building skills for sustainability. On the last day each group presented the structure of a model lesson they developed infusing sustainability concepts as well as competencies for ESD.

Workshop on Biodiversity Conservation

Maharashtra has five major landscape types which include the deciduous forests of Deccan Plateau, the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, the semi-arid grasslands of the Deccan, the coastal belt and the several freshwater ecosystems across the state. BVIEER organized two-day workshops in each of these five ecologically distinctive regions. The workshops had a total of 181 participants including school teachers, community members and village leaders, forest department personnel and local experts. The workshops focused on

• Complementarity of traditional knowledge and scientific understanding
• Values of wilderness ecosystems, floral and faunal values
• Endangered habitats and species
• Locale specific management
• Wildlife conflicts and possible short term and long term solutions including income generation from varied ecotourism initiatives, setting up of Biodiversity Management Committees, etc.

A key component of the workshops was discussion on implementation aspects of projects that could be taken up by schools and communities along with the Forest Department and the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board for conserving biodiversity. These include

• Setting up Biodiversity Management Committees at the local level
• Initiating organic farming
• Local ecotourism initiatives
• Developing field interpretation skills among local youth to act as ecotourism guides
• Setting up indigenous plant nurseries
• Initiating locale specific plantation and public awareness campaigns.

Each village/school has taken on a set of activities to be implemented over the next six months with the help of BVIEER, the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board and the Forest Department.

I have been writing textbooks for so many years.. but now I really understand how to do it” - Shri Prasanna Sahoo, SCERT Orissa

I always thought that the grasslands are for the Great Indian Bustard only. I never knew the grassland is so beautiful and so full of life” - Jaywant Sathe, Teacher, Madhyamik Prashala, Wadala, Solapur

SeasonWatch: Building Connections with Nature through Observing Trees

Dr Suhel Quader is a Senior Scientist at the Nature Conservation Foundation, and Head of Citizen Science at the National Centre for Biological Sciences. One part of his work is on investigating the adaptations that animals have to survive and reproduce; the other is on designing programmes, like MigrantWatch and SeasonWatch, to involve members of the public as participants in ecological research.

The natural world is changing so rapidly that entire landscapes are being unrecognisably altered within a few decades. The need has never been

greater for individual and collective action to stem this tide of change. Only then will future generations be able to wonder at the beauty of a coral reef, the grandeur of a rain forest, or the hypnotic stare of a wild tiger. What is required for this action to occur? Simply put, we need an emotional and intellectual engagement with nature. We need to have an emotional connection, through which we value nature for its own sake; and we need to use our intellect to understand the problems facing the natural world, and to devise solutions.

How do we begin to engage both the hearts and minds of children in nature? One way is through school-based activities that encourage children to become careful observers of nature. What is it that they can observe? 

Climate change and phenology

One of the dramatic effects of climate  warming is on phenology – the timing of seasonal events in the natural world. Seasonal cycles in temperature and rainfall influence bird migration, the flowering and fruiting of trees, and the reproduction and growth of virtually every living organism. The change in phenology in response to changing climate has been well documented in North America and Europe. Summing over various phenological measures, including migration time and the emergence of leaves and flowers, Spring is calculated to be arriving 3 days earlier every decade in these regions.

In the tropics and the developing world in general, and in India in particular, very little is known about decade-to-decade changes in phenology in response to changing temperature and rainfall. There are anecdotes about drastic shifts in flowering, for example of the Amaltas (Cassia fistula) in Kerala, but we simply don’t know how widespread such patterns are.

SeasonWatch

To document these possible changes we have a started a project called SeasonWatch, in which we invite children (and indeed anyone interested)

Courtesy: SeasonWatch

to contribute their observations on the timing of fruiting, flowering and leafing of trees. The basic activity consists of choosing a tree to monitor, visiting that tree once a week, and noting down simple details of its leaves, flowers and fruits. The tree can be anywhere – in your garden, along your street, at your office, or in your school premises. A year’s observation allows you to draw up a calendar for your tree; which can then be compared with other trees of the same kind, with other parts of the country, and with other years. Here is an example of a year-by-year comparison, taken from phenological observations of trees at Rishi Valley school.

Forty individuals of each species have been monitored fortnightly since end 2007. Each dot represents a tree with fresh leaves. Clusters of dots mean that many trees had fresh leaves. You can see that the emergence of fresh leaves begins a little later for Wrightia than it does for Neem each year. For both species fresh leaves emerged over a longer period in 2008 than in 2010. Wrightia shows a particularly shortened period with fresh leaves in 2010. The difference between the years might be because of differences in rainfall in the previous years: total rainfall was around 900 mm in 2007, but only 600 mm in 2009. The reduced rainfall in 2009 may have led to lowered food production and storage by these trees, and therefore a delayed and shortened leafing period in the following year.

Courtesy: SeasonWatch

What can these observations tell us? At their most basic, they build up a basic documentation of seasonality. But they also allow us to compare yearly changes in phenology with year-to-year changes in climate, and to warn us about potential disruptions in ecological networks. The possible disruptions arise from the fact that plants are the backbone of any ecosystem. They produce food out of carbon dioxide, water, sunlight, and little else. Everything else depends directly (herbivores) or indirectly (carnivores, decomposers) on the food that plants produce. Since much of this food is produced seasonally (as leaves, flowers and fruits), any change in plant seasonality can profoundly affect the animals that depend on plants.

So SeasonWatch helps to document potential changes in phenology and

to provide a warning if things are not going so well. But how can it contribute to an emotional connection with nature? The idea here is that, by noting down what a tree is doing, week after week, a person develops a bond with that tree. As I begin to understand the various inter-connections affecting my trees – the rain that stimulates fresh leaf growth, the soil that provides nutrients, the birds and butterflies that visit it, and the constant threat of the road-widener’s axe – my sense of responsibility broadens out from the individual tree to the larger world around. Whether, in fact, such an emotional connection develops in those who participate in SeasonWatch remains to be seen. This may not happen spontaneously, and so we must develop additional tools and activities that encourage it.

SeasonWatch in schools

In our schools programme, children monitor trees, and teachers coordinate the activity. The activity can be class based, or it can be carried out as part of a school nature club, as in many of the schools we work with in Kerala. The basic activity is standard: a child chooses or is assigned a tree, and then spends five minutes at the tree every week, noting simple information about its leaves, flowers and fruits. This information is written down in a notebook and eventually transferred through a free account on the SeasonWatch website.

This basic activity is just a first step in getting children outdoors and making observations. Teachers play a crucial role in reinforcing the connections with nature by encouraging children to do other things around the tree: observing ants, butterflies or birds; making bark rubbing and leaf paintings; comprising works of verbal or visual art inspired by the tree; and so on.

Education for Change • Volume 17

For more information contact:

Dr Suhel Quader

Head, Citizen Science Division

National centre for Biological Science

GKVK Campus, Bellary Road

Bangalore – 560 065 Karntaka

Website: www.seasonwatch.in

Email: sw@seasonwatch.in

More about SeasonWatch

SeasonWatch is a Citizen Science project run by the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, and the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, with support from Wipro Applying Thought in Schools. Anyone who is interested is invited to help monitor flowering, fruiting and leafing times of trees, and track changes that are expected as the climate changes. All you need to do is choose a tree, visit it for 5 minutes once a week, note down a few basic observations on flowers, fruits and leaves, and upload your observations through your account on the SeasonWatch website. The project covers about 100 species of trees, but for our schools programme, we focus on a subset of 25:

Jackfruit,Jamun, Pride of India, Indian Gooseberry, Campbell’s Magnolia, Box Myrtle, Mango, Banyan, Mast Tree, Himalayan Cherry, Himalayan Maple, Himalayan Rhododendron, Devil’s Tree, Purple Bauhinia, Indian Coral Tree, Flame of the Forest, Indian Laburnum, Pongam, Tamarind, Neem, Walnut, Gulmohar, Egyptian Mimosa, East Indian Walnut, Red Silk Cotton Tree