Sunday guided walks help urban residents reconnect with nature

Time of India

7 days ago

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Pune: Did you know trees 'communicate' using a network of fungi below the ground, just like we do with the internet? This 'mycorrhizal network' is also referred to as the 'wood wide web'!
Several such interesting trivia and information about the fascinating natural world regularly come to light during the Nature Discovery Walks conducted every Sunday in the city by the Ecological Society.
The purpose, said organisers, is talking about nature while walking through it — a refreshing, energising and educational sojourn for city folk.
The organization, which works in the sphere of nature education, began these experiential trips to 16 locations across Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in Jan this year. These destinations are typically rich in biodiversity, such as the Ramnadi-Mula river confluence, Taljai hill, Vetal tekdi, Pashan lake, Empress Garden and more.
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"Ecological literacy is our goal. We hope to provide an experience that stays with participants, as we believe this is the first step to connecting deeply with nature," said Aniket Motale, head of the school and college vertical at the Ecological Society.
The target group is absolutely anyone — participants have been as young as seven years old, and each session has had at least 25 people joining in. "We have had a total of 520 participants since we began, hailing from all walks of life.
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Children, teachers, architects and even IAS officers, among others, have attended the walks," said Motale, adding, "Our motive is to introduce the urban population to the rich natural resources and heritage of the city.
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During each walk, participants are introduced to various plants, insects and birds residing in that space by a dedicated guide.
"Students are taught about the environment in school, but it's a whole other thing to soak it in first-hand.
It is important to learn about it in class, but equally important to see flora and fauna, touch and smell them, play in mud and realise that nature is not limited to forests or city outskirts, but can also be found in the heart of a metropolis," Motale said.
According to the Ecological Society team, research has shown that exposing individuals to nature in their early years makes them more eco-conscious as adults — this forms the core of their purpose in conceptualising and executing the nature walk series.
Retired marine engineer and current faculty at the maritime institute in Lonavla, Neehar Lowalekar, said that attending these curated ambles has been the best way to spend Sunday mornings.
"I attended the walks at Pashan Lake and on Taljai hill. The walks are a great way to understand how we are destroying nature and why we need to be more conscious about living in harmony with it. I learned how forgiving nature can be and that we must protect it to protect ourselves, too," Lowalekar told TOI.
"I climb the Tukai Mata tekdi in Baner daily, but never really observed the things around me, which I now do. As adults, we tend to forget what we learned in school and each walk acts as a refresher course," he added.
Nature educator Ganesh Jagdale, who helps conduct the walks, said Lowalekar's experience is exactly what their group aims to achieve.
"The goal is to help citizens better connect with their immediate natural surroundings.
The ecosystem in cities is just as important as that found in forests. Besides adults, even the younger generation feels quite disconnected from nature. In schools, fundamental concepts are taught, but there is a gap when it comes to experiential learning — children can learn by doing, observing, and engaging directly with the natural world," Jagdale said.
"Every walk, even if conducted at the same location, is different.
It has a lot to do with seasonality. There is a lot of co-learning involved, too. The questions children ask can sometimes be extremely enlightening and offer a different perspective on things," he said.
City resident Madhura Godbole is another participant, who attended a walk with her two teenage children and niece, and loved the experience. "It's a great initiative to get people out in nature and explore a completely different facet of the city.
The walks are extremely detailed and feel inclusive, even if participants don't have prior knowledge of the natural space. The session was also well organised and planned, and there was so much to see and learn," said Godbole, a biomedical engineer and theatre enthusiast.
Ecological Society members also said that environmental literacy is a vast concept that cannot be imbibed over a few walks — but they are a veritable step in the right direction, igniting a spark to learn more. The society also conducts a detailed postgraduate diploma course and various short-term courses with a focus on nature and sustainability.