“We love playing dumb charades the most. We choose a bird and enact the call or convey other features so that others can guess”
Malesh Nadur, high school student, member of Chadchan Gram Panchyat Library, Vijayapura District, Karnataka
“Sometimes a bird would catch my eye momentarily, but I didn’t observe them or even know their names. Today I can identify 20 birds and teach children about them. Once we engaged with these activities, we realised what we had been missing. Birds are all around us, and we are surrounded by nature, but it’s disappointing to realize we don’t know much about them. The students would come back with questions about the birds, their nests, and what they eat. The children also loved the flashcards, which taught them about different birds.”
Veena, Library in-charge, Nagasandra Gram Panchayat, Tumkur District
Between March and May 2024 Early Bird partnered with Karnataka Panchayat Raj Commissionerate (KPRC) to take nature education to 500 Gram Panchayat Libraries (Arivu Kendras). As a result of this collaboration, 500 rural libraries in 31 districts of Karnataka are now equipped with nature learning resources, and librarians managing these libraries are trained as nature educators who are now spreading the joy of nature to local children. Read more about this pilot project here.
“Kids are learning about birds & nature, drawing & colouring pictures of birds, and going on nature walks. Many are making bird feeders and putting out water for birds. Acquiring such sensitivity for nature at this early age is very important. This is a generation that will understand about the environment and sustainability”
Uma Mahadevan Dasgupta, Additional Chief Secretary & Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka
Building on the success of this pilot project, in June 2024 we were called by KPRC to expand the project to all 6000 Arivu Kendras of Karnataka. With the Arivu Kendra’s vision in mind, KPRC invited three NGO’s – Early Bird programme of Nature Conservation Foundation, Adhyayan Foundation and Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) to develop a course to create child-friendly libraries. The year-long course is divided into three distinct modules and will be delivered in person at the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) centers in Mysuru, Dharwad, and Kalburgi. The in-person training will be interspersed with online meetings to reinforce concepts and support the master trainers to become mentors for librarians in their respective taluk.
The library activation course developed in collaboration with Adhyayan and CMCA follows the train-the-trainer model. A total of 178 librarians from all 31 districts of Karnataka were chosen as Master trainers. They were supported by District Training Co-ordinators (DTC’s) to train the remaining librarians in their respective taluks.
During Module 1 training held in August 2024 we introduced librarians to basic concepts of bird education through stories, games and creative activities. Through interactive session master trainers understood the importance of Nature Education and Birds in our lives. They had a basic introduction to Indian birds and learnt about the Ecology and behavior of birds. A total of 360 master trainers participated in half-a-day program held at three SIRD centers. These master trainers and DTC’s lead taluk-level librarians training, ensuring that all 6,000 libraries were reached with this enhanced training.
In Module 2 training, held in December 2024, we expanded the training to include practical approaches and engaging activities. The half-a-day training held at three SIRD centres included games such as “All in a Bird’s Life” to explore a bird’s life cycle, memory game using flashcards to learn about bird habitats and food habits and outdoor activities like birdwatching to spot common birds, and nature journaling to express observations through drawing and writing.
Nature Education Kit (Prakruthiya Pettige) was provided to all the master trainer librarians to facilitate their learning. Equipped with Prakruthiya Pettige, these master trainers taught bird related games, nature journaling and monitoring of common birds to the librarians in their respective taluks.
Many librarians shared how children have become more engaged, visiting more frequently and even bringing their friends along. Some libraries and homes have been turned into bird-friendly environments, inspiring the community to participate.
“The number of children visiting the libraries has increased significantly. Those who come regularly are bringing their friends, excitedly sharing about the bird games and activities conducted at the library.”
“Children are transforming their homes and surroundings to be more bird-friendly, and in some cases, even encouraging their parents to take up membership joining the library.”
“Through this training, children are shifting their focus from mobile phones to observing the natural world around them. They’re exploring stories, poems, and art while learning from nature.”
“Previously, children hardly visited the library. Now, they refuse to leave! The training has really brought them here.”
Libraries are now evolving into vibrant spaces where children can explore, learn, and nurture their connection with the natural world. Children’s enthusiasm for birds continues to grow, with many eager to learn more and take part in additional bird-related programs.