By M Ahmad
World Nature Conservation Day acknowledges that a healthy environment is a foundation for a stable and healthy human society. It is celebrated on July 28 annually. The main purpose of celebrating World Nature Conservation Day is to conserve the animals and trees that are on the verge of going extinct from the natural environment of the Earth. This day also recognizes that a healthy environment is a foundation for a stable and productive society and to ensure the well-being of present and future generations, we all must participate to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage our natural resources. Conservation of resources has an important role in protecting our mother Earth. The balance in the natural beauty of the earth can be maintained by preserving various components of nature – water, air, soil, energy, vegetation, minerals, fauna, etc.
The world is facing many challenges related to environment. On one hand, world is developing at alarming rate while on the other hand the destruction of natural resources are going on. Today, the human society is facing severe environmental problems like climate change, greenhouse effect, energy crisis, depletion of natural resources, biodiversity loss, pollution of air, water, soil, etc. The scope of the problems is from local level to global level. The ever-increasing population and changing life styles are increasing the severity of the environmental problems. The time has come to protect the natural environment through precise efforts.
Education is one of the key solutions for this situation. It is very important for any individual’s success in life. It provides skills that prepare an individual physically, mentally and socially confident to solve many problems in society. Education is a major aspect of the development of any modern society. It is generally seen as the foundation of society which brings economic wealth, social prosperity and political stability. The best way to spread awareness regarding the Conservation of World nature is through education. A carefully designed learning system through which youngsters are exposed to various aspects of environmental conservation would help them develop a deep understanding of it. Children shall become aware of the threats of environmental degradation and encourage to act responsibly. Education does not only teach the name of a flower but also its importance for ecosystem.
A well designed environmental education system gives both theoretical as well as practical exposure to environment conservation. A child would think a thousand times before plucking a flower if he knows its importance in balancing the ecosystem. Children learn and if they are made aware of their role in environmental conservation they would turn out to be green ambassadors. Involving school children in environment-friendly activities will help them grow into aware citizens of the planet who can also make a difference to their communities. Our educational Institutions can form environmental clubs and conduct activities around environment preservation.These could include setting up a recycling system in the school cafeteria, planting a small organic garden that will provide fresh vegetables for the cafeteria. Children can also support local wildlife and reduce CO2 in the atmosphere by planting trees, shrubs, and flowers in the school playground.
Schools can have cleanliness drives on campus where children make sure that everything is kept clean and litter-free. From classes to school playgrounds – they should be made to feel responsible for keeping all areas spotlessly clean. They should also be encouraged to participate in cleanliness drives in their communities.
Schools can also make sure children start learning about environment preservation from an early age. If children are being taught about water as an EVS (environmental studies) topic then teachers can cover local water bodies like lakes and rivers. They can appraise the children about water scarcity and ask them to creatively think of ways to conserve water by water harvesting, innovate means to keep water bodies clean, and so on.
Writer: M Ahmad, Principal (I/C), Abhedananda Home- Higher Secondary Institution for Specially-abled Children, Solina, Srinagar, Kashmir
