The United Nations General Assembly initiative observes the 5th of June every year as World Environment Day. Arya Gurukul School hosted a virtual event on this day to discuss matters concerning the Environment, restoration of nature, curbing pollution, bringing about sustainable changes, making the earth greener and a better place to live in.
The theme for this year’s Environment Day is Ecosystem Restoration and the event by Arya Gurukul resonated this theme in its event.
Around 500 students participated in the Online event where they depicted the beauty of nature through their art, posters, songs and dances. The event watched live on YouTube and Facebook by friends and families, garnered more than a 1000 views, likes and shares.
A mix of talent with a deep-rooted message-
The event was impactful as students discussed practical and simple steps that one can take towards conservation of resources.
As the children sang, “The Earth is my home, I promise to keep it healthy and beautiful..”, they meant every word of it. The meaning and implications of “Ecosystem restoration” were clearly articulated in every speech and every presentation. Children practically watered plants while singing the songs denoting that they practise what they preach.
For example- The beautiful Art Presentations touched upon various aspects of saving the nature starting from Wildlife Conservation addressing poaching of tigers, solutions to ecosystem imbalance, conservation of resources and keeping the Earth healthy.
An in – house Musical extravaganza-
Arya Gurukul’s very own music video, which was released on World Environment Day 2020 – Teri Raksha was played for everyone. The song gives goose bumps each time you listen to it. The brilliant visuals and the heart- rendering lyrics motivates one to re-evaluate one’s habits and make a change. The amazing voice of the members of the Music Department touches your heart each time.
Various other performances such as a Dance performance had inherent messages that were very nicely depicted. It brought out the efforts taken to collaborate remotely to put up such a wonderful show.
Various elements of nature were depicted through Rhythmic Yoga that brought out the close co-relation between nature and man.
The recitation of poems and Hindi and Marathi created a sense of reverence for the brilliance of nature.
An inspiring speech by the Environmental Editor-
Arya Gurukul’s Student Council member and Environmental Editor- Ms. Rugma Biju, shared her views on the theme. Her speech was ‘solution-oriented’ and spoke more about what we can do better rather than the problems with the way in which we treat our environment.
Some heart – warming stories-
We can live vicariously through stories. In this event we heard stories of Jharkhand’s Lady Tarzan- Jamuna Tudu who has dedicated her life to Forest conservation. Jamuna Tudu and her supporters’ courageous acts to fight against illegal logging are awe-inspiring. It is no wonder that she is honoured with the Padmashree award.
Similarly, another Padmashree Awardee, Jadhav Payand and his motivating story was narrated. They truly are, what might be called “Nature Warriors”
Closer to our city, Mr Rajesh Bhavsar, a nature enthusiast and social worker, gave highly insightful presentations on how to make ‘Seed Balls’ and Compost using household garbage.
A pledge for a lifetime!
The students of Arya Gurukul, right from an early age, have been discussing about curbing the use of plastic, they are encouraged not to waste water, to reuse waste and to take care of their surroundings. On this day, they were reminded that every small act that they perform whether it is making posters, singing songs or voicing their opinion through speeches, they are making an impact. Every tiny drop makes a majestic ocean!
Students in Arya Gurukul believe in actions. They believe that you need to be the change that you want to see. The World Environmental Day event ended on a positive note with students declaring a Pledge- A step that they will take that will have its effects on building a healthier and greener planet for our future generations.
“We hope that the students and their depiction of the wonders of nature stirred a feeling of concern towards the environment. At Arya Gurukul, we believe that children learn when they ‘do’ and events such as these sensitize the performers, the audience and the organisers in some way or the other. It is therefore, our endeavour to try and make an effort towards contributing to the change that we want to see around us”, expressed Mrs. Neelam Malik, Director, AryaGlobal group of schools.
