By Jyoti Patale, Eastern India Team Consultant
Satyajeet Sabar, a community resource person with Keystone Foundation from Purulia, West Bengal, led a series of interactive forest education sessions with children from community learning centres (CLCs) and girls from the Paschim Banga Kheria Sabar Kalyan Samity (PBKSKS) hostel. After undergoing specific training and orientation in forest education, Satyajeet designed his lessons to resonate with the students’ daily experiences and local surroundings. With the assistance of CLC teachers, he translated the names of various birds into the Bangla language, making the content more accessible and meaningful to the children.
His sessions, which focused on students from grades 1 to 8, revolved around the diversity of bird species in their forested environment, highlighting their ecological significance. The objective of the session was to connect children to their local ecosystem and encourage them to observe things from the forests. Using different posters, Satya Jeet introduced a variety of wild and uncultivated foods that are commonly found in the region, enhancing interest and curiosity among the students. Many of them responded enthusiastically to the visuals, recognizing the foods from their own surroundings.
In another aspect of his lessons, Satya Jeet used bird posters to explore the different types of bird habitats and their dietary preferences. The bird-themed activities served as effective icebreakers, as the students, already familiar with many aspects of nature due to their proximity to the forest, shared their own insights. Recognizing their knowledge, Satya Jeet facilitated discussions that bridged the gap between formal education and local wisdom, creating a context-based learning environment.
