Lodha World School, Palava(at Casa Bella Gold), planned a bright, green, and conscious World Environment Day celebration this year. On Sunday, June 5, 2022, the students took a trip to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) at Nariman Point to participate in the ‘Kids for Tiger Fest’ organized by Sanctuary Asia.
Nestled in lush green surroundings, NCPA welcomed them with tweeting birds, sunny skies, and towering trees to lend a perfect start to a memorable morning! Settling in on arrival, the students began the day with the morning nature trail organized by Sanctuary’s ‘Kids for Tigers’ fest.
Guided by Renee Vyas and other naturalists, they hugged trunks and barks, smelled flowers, and spotted birds within the campus. The trail was followed by a spectacular ‘Nature Photography Workshop’ conducted by Saurabh Sawant, personnel of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation, and a community cleanliness drive. The students also engaged in fun activities such as tying ‘Tiger Friendship’ bands to pledge solidarity with the mighty jungle cat and painted their faces to become their favourite animal!
The chief guest for the morning was Aditya Thackeray, the Cabinet Minister of Environment for the Government of Maharashtra, who greeted the students. Our student Srishti Kamat, dressed as ‘The Giant Panda’, was awarded the consolation prize for her inspiring performance. Taking home a few more awards in the art-making competition, our students Sharvari Chavan won the 3rd Prize in the Junior category, and Sinchana Batgeri and Nishtha Tripathi won the 1st and 2nd Prize respectively in the Senior category.
The star attraction of the fest was a magnificent art installation of a ‘Tiger’ made from discarded cardboard waste by Lodha World School Palava’s art teacher, Vishaka Mathur. It was a sight to behold, and renowned environmentalist Bittu Sehgal chose it as his favourite installation.
In addition to the competition, the event had life-size snakes and ladders game, wildlife movie screenings, an award-winning wildlife photo exhibition, and curated workshops that enlightened students about the expanse of the incredible wildlife in the country.
As the day concluded, our young ones took a pledge, signed the scroll to ‘SAVE THE WAGHOBA’ (save the tiger), and wrote a few letters to the authorities with suggestions on protecting our wildlife.
While it had been an adventurous morning, the ride back home turned into a storytelling evening filled with anecdotes and the best memories made by those on the bus!
At Palava, ongoing sustainability efforts are made at various levels. We believe that instilling these values early in life is the best course of action. The teachers at the Palava schools do their utmost to make sure the children are exposed to, comprehend its significance, and incorporate it into their daily lives in any modest way feasible.