Summer camps turn tiny tots into gardening enthusiasts
PUNE: Don’t be surprised if you see tiny tots pottering about with a shovel, trowel or a watering can in tow. No, they are not up to some mischief but only trying their hand at gardening.
This summer, kids as young as five are ‘going green’ with a gusto. They are not only picking up skills from ace gardeners in the city but also trying them at home with elan and coming up trumps.
Egging them on in their pursuit are summer camps that have sprung up across the city to introduce children to gardening and organic farming. And if the response to these camps is anything to go by, organisers already have a winner in their hands.
“In April, we conducted two workshops at the Millennium National School in Karve Nagar and the response was tremendous. The children were eager to learn about the food cycle as they grew vegetables and fruits. After the workshop, they practice what they have been taught and share their progress with me,” said Hemal Patel of UrbanSoil.
At these camps, children are taught the basics of caring for plants, organic gardening, types of soil, watering of plants, seeding, among others. The camps are generally held during the weekends or are half-day, full day or three-day courses.
The children not only learn about nature but also how plants live, where and what do they need to survive.
“Through creative play and exploration, children develop a connection with the land and also an appreciation for nature. They learn by example and get inspired by nature to choose a healthy lifestyle,” said Archana Mohod of Cryptic Hues.
But such camps are not only about plants and trees. Children learn how to set up bird feeders and self-watering plant pots with simple do-it-yourself tricks and with materials available in every household, said Mojod.
Besides, children learn how to create seed banks. “During summer, children love to eat different types of fruits, including mangoes, watermelons and jamuns. At the workshop, we have taught them to reuse the seeds of fruits by drying and storing and later seeding in pots to grow plants,” she added.
So far, the efforts of the gardening experts have not been in vain as most children have gone back to their homes and grown vegetables and flowering plants in their balconies and on their terraces. Quite have a few have kept their ‘teachers’ posted about the growth of plants in their homes through regular WhatsApp messages from their parents’ cell phones.
Source : The Times Of India
