By BWS-School of Birds Team, Jyoti Patale
Through Keystone Foundation’s Forest Education initiative in Eastern India, we conducted a workshop on storytelling and puppetry to engage children in learning about nature and traditional knowledge. This workshop was conducted in collaboration with Birdwatchers Society (BWS)–School of Birds Kolkata. Titash Chakrabarti, Anandrup Bhadra, Santanu Kar and Dipesh Roy were the facilitator for this workshop. We were hosted by Paschim Banga Kheria Sabar Kalyan Samity (PBKSKS) at their office in Rajnoagarh, Purulia. The participants were a group of 42 children of the Kheria-Sabar community, a sect of the Munda Adivasi people. We used birdwatching, illustrations and puppetry as our tools to conduct the sessions. And the children participated wholeheartedly and with unending enthusiasm.
These children grow up enveloped by nature! They are connected to a deep pool of traditional knowledge. Yet, they are currently more isolated from their rich tradition of folk stories and songs due to the changing socio-cultural landscape.
The workshop was the first step towards addressing these gaps through storytelling. We hope this will empower them to become active stakeholders who can address their own environmental challenges in the future.
From the listening activity during a Nature Walk to illustration sessions outdoors and storytelling and puppetry indoors, throughout the three days across all sessions, the children went beyond our planned duration to gain as much as possible from this experience.
This workshop, centered around bird watching and storytelling, engaged children in understanding ecological interdependence and traditional knowledge. It began with identifying birds using field guides and illustrating them through watercolours and pastels, nurturing curiosity and awareness through hands-on exploration. Narratives about nature’s diversity, wildlife behaviour, and ecological connections enriched the experience, while Sabar folklore brought tales of nature to life. These stories were creatively recontextualized to address modern environmental issues through roleplay using 3D puppet masks and kinetic 2D puppets. The workshop progressed towards an exhibition showcasing children’s artwork, including paintings and puppets, and a play based on Sabar folktales reimagined with a modern environmental theme. The children also used puppets to discuss bird behaviours in Bengali and Sabar languages, and the event concluded with a mesmerizing communal music and dance session celebrating local traditions. This workshop was a highlight in our journey to spread awareness about nature among children, blending creativity, culture, and ecological education.
During the workshop, six birdwatching checklists were generated, recording 63 unique species. Notable sightings through the scope included the Blue-throated Barbet, White-throated Kingfisher, Red-naped Ibis, Eurasian Collared Dove, and Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark. Highlights also included the Baya Weaver’s nest, Eurasian Hoopoe, Bronze-winged Jacana, and Asian Green Bee-eater. Here is the detailed trip report from the ebird: https://ebird.org/tripreport/298467.
Keeping the ears open to the sounds of nature!
Play your role in the classroom without walls!
From image to imagination!
A celebration of colors, music and motion!
Group photo of participants and facilitators at PBKSKS
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“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Dr. Jane Goodall
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