Udaan Learning Center in collaboration with ‘Life Meets the Lens’

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment.” -Maria Montessorie

“No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” -David Attenborough

About Udaan Learning Center:

We believe that the purpose and effect of education should be such that it enables children to develop critical thinking and a curious mind. Children should be conscious citizens of the society who are aware of what is going on around them. The method includes discussion through workshops, theatre, art, movies, games and other non-conventional means of teaching. Our Learning Center has a library, a room for puzzles, indoor games, art & craft, and a playground. There is a space for carpentry, pottery, and bamboo structuring. All these facilities are used by children on a daily basis after their school hours and all-day during weekends and other school holidays.

Udaan Learning Center is also passionate about spreading awareness on different environmental issues.  We organize field trips/nature camps for children to be able to learn from the outside world as much from the world inside of the learning center.

Our regular effort in sensitizing children towards the environmental collapse includes workshops and camps for children those who haven’t got any opportunity to explore the natural world and understand its biodiversity and the need to preserve it, as children are isolated from the natural environment and fail to recognize the sheer abundance of other life forms that exist on this planet.

About the camp:

This camp provides a mesmerizing experience of exploring, discovering and studying life sciences in a natural ecosystem.

Children often perceive Life Sciences as a difficult subject that requires immense rote learning and a knack for jargons, however, they need to experience the natural abundance by being in nature rather than a classroom. Once students find out about the delicate balance with which our ecosystem functions, they will begin to care and appreciate the existence of all life on earth.

In these 5 days of camp, children will observe nature from a scientific lens and try to understand the beautifully woven web of interdependence in which no living being is more important than the other, including humans. This experience will also help children consider adding a naturalist, a biologist, or even an explorer to the list of their dreams for the future.

Above all, the camp provides the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and motivation necessary to become environmentally-responsible citizens – all in a playful manner. Our pedagogy brings an opportunity for a child to build critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills; they help young people to form a bond with the natural world, encouraging them to be better custodians of the landscape

Key Features/ Highlights of the camp:  

• Exploratory nature walks: Children will get a considerable amount of time close to natural eco-systems while making free-minded and guided observations
• Specimen Collection, Documentation and Discussion on discovering the life of insects and other creatures.
• Documentation on iNaturalist app:- This app helps them to connect with the larger scientific community through our citizen science project.
• Mushroom foraging with respect to understanding the world of fungi in our ecosystem. Identifying poisonous, edible and medicinal mushrooms (This will be a guided experience, children will not be allowed to consume mushrooms from the wild, during this camp).
• Mushroom cultivation with local materials.
• Discover and make 100% natural alternatives to harsh chemicals we use in our daily routine, that work!
• A magnified view- Using Eye Loupe Lenses and microscope is perhaps the biggest asset to any budding naturalist to explore the magnified world of micro-organisms, flowers, plants, and insects!
• Museum: Participants also get a chance to see our biodiversity collection that includes hundreds of things from the forests of Palampur! And create one of their own
• Meaningful Conversations about Interdependence and Human Intervention:
• The entire workshop helps weave an image in the minds of participants that describes the vast and beautiful web of interdependence that all creatures have on one another. We also discuss ways in which humans have changed the natural course of this planet and all life forms on it.
• Exploring the village and landscape around through walks and treks.
• Watching movies and documentaries to strengthen our understanding.
• Spending evenings at bonfire and storytelling.
• Lots more fun and learning will emerge from the energies that children would bring together.

 About the facilitators:

Vikram:. He is an avid Life Sciences enthusiast and a self-trained naturalist, with a special interest in insects. In 2017, he started a project called Life Meets the Lens that attempts to encourage people to explore the natural world and witness its remarkable biodiversity. He is a National Geographic Explorer and uses his self created nature museum to share the story of different life forms that exist around us. Although he has an undergraduate degree in Botany and a masters in Human Genomics, his love affair with bio-diversity began when he was a little child. He transfers his knowledge and love for nature to people through his initiative ‘Life Meets The Lens’

Life Meet The Lens: Facebook Profile

Video of the previous camp: Facebook Video

Shrey Gupta: Shrey is helping people build harmony between self & nature while collectively exploring the hidden world of microbes. He has a master’s degree in Microbiology with 10+ years of self-taught and academic experience. Currently, he helps people to grow mushrooms at home and help them switch to a chemical free lifestyle. He also helps connect people with nature through biodiversity, mushroom foraging and identification.
Shrey Linkedin

Who is the workshop for: This camp is specifically designed for children interested in diving deep into the natural world to understand the life sciences and are fascinated with the mesmerizing discovery of the life of a living organism.

Language: A mix of English and Hindi

Suggested Contribution: The expected contribution towards workshop is 7,500/- for 5 days which includes food, accommodation, material, facilitation and travel expense during the camp if any.

For more information write to clc@sambhaavnaa.org, or Call on 8679475925 (Fatema C, Coordinator at Udaan Learning Center )

Venue: Udaan Learning Center (Sambhaavnaa Institute campus) at VPO Kandbari, Tehsil Palampur, District Kangra, PIN 176061

How to reach: Please visit: https://www.sambhaavnaa.org/contact/how-to-reach-us/

Our Goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures – Gaylord Nelson

To register please fill the application form here: