Actor Arjun Kapoor brand ambassador kick starts EARTH HOUR campign in Mumbai. Elsie Gabriel

Actor Arjun Kapoor brand ambassador kick starts EARTH HOUR in Mumbai. Elsie Gabriel

 Celebrated actor Arjun Kapoor along with Ritika  Bhalla and Rituparna Sengupta of WWF and Elsie Gabriel founder of Young Environmentalists programme trust NGO kick started the EARTH HOUR campaigne today March 25^th 2014 in Mumbai at Grand Hyatt .

At 8.30pm local time on Saturday 29th March, Earth Hour 2014 will see hundreds of millions of people around the world cross borders of race, religion, culture, geography and society to unite in a single moment of contemplation for the planet and celebration of their year-round commitment to protect it.

Now in its eight year Young Environmentalists Programme trust and WWF together celebrate the annual lights out event in Mumbai.We congratulate the WWF in its earth hour mission worldwide.

Actor Arjun Kapoor spoke about his association for the Earth Hour cause and invited citizens to come forward and participate .” Earth hour is the largest campaign in history, balance development and respect environmental concerns.”Arjun also shared that he planted trees and used water and electricity sparingly during his daily life routine.

This conservation event which has grown from a single-city initiative in 2007 to become the world’s largest display of environmental action, with citizens of 135 countries and territories across every continent coming together for Earth Hour  indicating a growing global movement of positive change in environmental attitudes.

 “Buildings and homes in entire Mumbai are requested to switch off all lights just for one hour to help conserve energy and spread the sustainability message. Unite and harmonise with the rest of the world,Use your power of individuality and join forces to become world citizens through the Earth Hour.”, says Elsie Gabriel founder Young Environmentalists.”Adopt renewable energy and save the planet for our children and their children.The youth of today can move mountains and the power of youth must be paid attention to. Powai Mumbai leads in motivating citizens to wake up and join the EARH HOUR."

The Young Environmentalists uses interactive conservation events rather than preaching to the public,involving the public turns them around in converting to adopt a green living lifestyle.

Says Ritupuran Sengupta of WWF, “ Go beyond the one hour.Switch  off  non essential  lights  at  8:30pm to 9.30pm. It’s  about  making  a  commitment  to  ongoing  change  that  reduces  your  impact  on  the  environment  and  celebrating  your  commitment  to  the  planet  with  the  people  of  the  world  during  Earth  Hour. .”

This year join Earth Hour for a mega Classical Dance extravaganza by Young Environmentalists Programme trust NGO  at Meluha ecotel Powai at 7pm March 29^th 2014.

   

And this year, after the lights have gone off, Earth Hour will continue to see the mobilising of people around the world taking action and using the movement as a platform to create some of the most inspiring digital and on the ground solution driven activities in its history.

This year as millions of people watch lights going out around the world, famous landmarks confirmed to participate in the event include the Empire State Building, Tower Bridge - London, St Pauls, Edinburgh Castle, Brandenburg Gate, the Eiffel Tower, The Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, the Bosphorus Bridge connecting Europe to Asia, the world’s tallest building the Burj Khalifa, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and many more.So switch off and join the movement!

At the press meet Actor Arjun Kapoor  and WWF took the Young Environmentalists Programme pledge for Earth hour,

 “PLEDGE-

“We the patrons of EARTH HOUR promise to switch off for a sustainable future for ourselves and our children.We pledge today to leave behind greener footprints in all our daily living habits.”

Young Environmentalists Curriculum Elsie Gabriel

Young Environmentalists Curriculum which:

· Develops the essential skills of: reading, writing, mathematics and science

· Has a green aspect evolving from ecology to sustainability through a ‘getting your hands dirty’ and ‘getting mud between your toes’ approach.

· Recognizes and appreciates the local geographical and cultural context.

· Is based on an academic scope and sequence

The Outline of our Young Environmentalists Curriculum are:

To nurture respect for the natural world

To heighten students’ environmental awareness and to promote stewardship

To develop deep ecological values

To understand and practice permaculture as the harmonious integration of land and people to provide food, shelter, energy in a sustainable way

Formation of Young Environmentalists Nature Club-

This includes awareness school classroom/campus projects for Junior:

· Plant/food/fruit/green gardens

· Aquatic systems

· Nature trails

· Waste usage

· Water usage

· Energy conservation

· Employing management systems

· Animal /pet corner

· Local community Eco Fair

· Give ideas to design the school with with renewable resources/energy.

· Young Environmentalists Year end certificates for all .

To offer a curriculum that is holistic: integrating all aspects of the child’s nature, multiple intelligences and curiosity for learning. This is approached through a hands-on practicum model that is part of a FUN program where learning is integrated into the natural and permaculture environment

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How is Young Environmentalists Programme trust Environmental education taught in schools? Elsie Gabriel

How is our Environmental education taught in schools? 

 

Environmental education uses environmental issues and topics as a theme to weave into all subjects and grades. This ensures all students will have many opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices they need to become environmentally literate citizens. There will also be opportunities for students to address environmental issues in their homes, in their local communities, or at the global level. 

--Our mission at Green School is to deliver a generation of global citizens who are knowledgeable about and inspired to take responsibility for the sustainability of the world.

Mission of Young Environmentalists Programme --

· Emphasizing hands-on learning

· Developing social responsibility

· Instilling integrity, honesty, ethics and compassion as core underlying values

· Recognizing the importance of a holistic education

· Building natural habitat and green spaces within the school

· Inculcating Green leadership

· Grooming Civic habits

· Engaging student sin research,measurement and  deductions.

· Making Education fun and a happy experiecne.

· Craeting solid proactive happy memories for each student.

· Involving outdoor.activity based/campus education into curriculam.

· Making part of the curricular text books active through the Environmental programmes.

· Involving Parents and Guardians into the life of the students and environmental programmes.

· Reaching out to the Community as leaders in the environmental movement. 

· Celebrating Environment International Dates.

What is Young Environmentalists programme trust education? Elsie Gabriel

What is Young Environmentalists education?

Environmental education teaches students about how the planet's physical and biological systems work, and how we can create a more sustainable future. 

In India, as a country we have always been dedicated to our environment, worshipped our elements and have been dependant on the environment.

   

Article 48 -A of the Indian constitution has stressed on environment awareness and protection-"take measures to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country” ().

It also makes it a -“fundamental duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forest, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have ecological compassing for the living creatures” (Article 51 A (g)).

Therefore the Young Environmentalists Programme believes that Environmental education is a process aimed at creating awareness in the youth rather than preaching to the population. Environment education aims at-

· Basic details and understanding of the environment and its relationship with man and biodiversity;learning through a fun way for Junior students.

· Social  and civic values which are in tandem with environmental quality;

·  Skills to solve environmental problems;

·  Ability to evaluate environmental measures and education programmes;

·  A sense of responsibility and urgency towards the environment so as to ensure appropriate actions to solve environmental problems at high school levels.

·  To enable the community to understand the interdependence of all the life on this planet and how to sustain it through our green living habits.

· To increase people’s awareness of the economic, political, social, cultural, technological and environmental forces which foster sustainable development by networking together.

‘Y’ for YAK! Elsie Gabriel

 

‘Y’ for YAK!

Elsie Gabriel

After an overnight train drive from Kolkatta to Jalpaiguri, we eventually leave behind the  West Bengal flat preamble in the east. We drive down by car, the hills leading out from New Jalpai Guri to Sikkim abruptly change into two beautiful but distinct landscapes, rounded  mountains  thick in evergreens  and some sharp mean mountains ribbed with rocks. A tangle of winding mountain roads lead towards the extreme North East of India, lower Himalayan ranges  and away from the base.

Oh, to just drink in the pure air of the mountains, perfumed with the breath
of pines and mountain ferns, and a thousand aromatic shrubs and plants that render every hillside ever green from base to summit, is being truly a blessed traveler.

I could feel myself laying aside the bondages of social conditions, and getting back to nature, pure and unadorned, except with nature's charms and graces.

The road is a narrow zigzag, making an ascent of 4000 feet in a distance of three to four hours depending on traffic around the mountain roads. It starts with the North Bengal forests and then onwards to the road alongside the mighty aqua marine coloured Teesta River. Primula flowers and other alpine plantations are a special feature of the beautiful vegetation leading  closer up  to the top ,to  this magnificent Changu lake in Sikim.

Be warned of the narrow turns which are so short that a long car like the Innova is compelled to back up to negotiate with other vehicles.. When the top is finally reached, the view of the surrounding country is simply beyond description.

Changu Lake known as the ' source of the lake' in Bhutia language is located around 35 kms away from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. Steeped in holiness, the Tsomgo lake or more popularly known as Changu lake is a popular tourist destination,if you ever visit the North East of India. Nestled on Gangtok Nathu La highway, the lake towers to an altitude of 14,400 ft. Numerous devotees come here to worship the lake. The beautiful towering jaggered mountain terrains surrounding the peaceful lake add more charm to this massive water body. Placid water, cool breeze and picturesque location make it an ideal picnic spot for people.

Thousands of tourists flock here to experience the peace and tranquility. The lake is held in high esteem by both the Hindus and the Buddhists. Kyonqnosia, Kyonqnosla Alpine Sanctuary, Tseten Tashi cave, Nathula pass, river Lungtze Chu and a little Shiva temple are some of the other added attractions close by the lake which may want to visit.

Enjoy watching or even riding the Yak around the lake, fury mountain buffalow like animal which is a big attraction with kids and adults alike. Seeing the Yak for the first time brought back childhood memories of ' Y' for Yak! It is a gorgeous fury creature which lives only in regions which have temperatures below ten degrees.

There is a beautiful temple near the lake . It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The melting snow from the mountains surrounding the lake is the source of water for this lake. Tsomgo Lake gives birth to a river called Lungtze Chu which meets the river Rangpo-chu further down its way. It is said that Lamas used to make predictions about their future by studying the colour of the lake. The dark colour of the river used to indicate problems in future while light colour reflected peace and happiness. But fortune favoured me on this trip to the Eastern Himalays and I was gifted with this wonderful rainbow just above the lake which was mesmerizing!

Being located in the restricted area of the Indo China border, the Tsomgo Lake can be visited only by obtaining Inner Line Permit from the Police through the Tourism Department,your taxi driver or travel agent. The best time to visit the lake is from March-May and October- December.

Some of the other major attractions of Sikkim are Orchid Sanctuary, Yumthang Valley, Pemayangste Monastery, Rumtek Monastery, Pelling, Khecheopari lake, Yuksom, Namchi, Tashding, Dudbi Monastery and the adventure sports, waiting for you to explore every aspect of Sikkim.

Gangtok city is a perfect example of synchronization between traditions and modernity. The discotheques, fast food outlets, posh markets and other modern amenities gel so well along with some of the important Buddhist religious sites.It is heady mixture alright, and sometimes you wonder if you are in India or else where at this heavenly adobe.

Your Changu lake trip can not be complete without eating 'Maggie' or noodle soups on your way downhill, from all those stalls lined up by Bhutanese people. Ofcourse snowfall greeted us to a wonderful surprise on our descent downhill and I couldn't resist having a snow ball fight with my children, husband in tow, making life time ‘mountain’ memories forever.