By Jyoti Patale, Biodiversity Conservation
Young Birders’ Month (YBM) was celebrated in November 2025 as a month-long campaign bringing together bird-enthusiasts and organizations from across India. Around 200-plus events were conducted across 88 different locations in the country. As part of this initiative to connect children with birds and nature, Keystone Foundation organized a YBM event at Jonha Falls, Ranchi. The theme for the event was “Exploring Birds Through Art.”
Akay Jharia Toppo, a pressed-botanical artist, conducted the session as the resource person. 35 children aged 10 to 17 participated from the Koynardih village. GreenHub fellows from the village, Shiveshwar Bediya and Chamru Bediya, coordinated the event at Jonha. The day began with an engaging ice-breaking session where we discussed the seasons and their characteristics.
After the introduction, students were given the task of observing seasonal colours and collecting natural materials from their surroundings. For many, this was their first experience creating art with pressed flowers and leaves. They explored a children’s literature exhibition, selected bird-themed picture books for their reference of drawing birds, and then created the bird images using the natural materials provided. Throughout the activity, children shared stories of birds they commonly observe in their forests and around their schools. The event concluded with snacks, bird conversations, and a group photograph with the waterfall as the background. The event celebrated the curiosity, creativity, and beauty of connecting to nature during Young Birders’ Month in Jharkhand.
