1 Campaign, 40 Lakh Children – Transform 1000 Rural Libraries into Nature Learning Hubs by Jan 2025

We want to equip 1000 rural libraries across Karnataka with nature and climate change education materials benefiting over 40 lakh students. We need to raise ₹15,00,000 by 15 January 2025 to make this possible. Your generous donations will help students understand their changing world, recognize and take pride in nature, and advocate for its preservation.

We live in a rapidly changing world shaped by climate change. Our children will grow into a world where climate change and biodiversity loss will define their daily lives. But we are not here to spread despair. We are here to bring hope. Hope that starts in their very own backyards.

In collaboration with the Karnataka Government, we are equipping Gram Panchayat libraries across the state with nature education kits and training librarians to spark children’s interest in nature. But we need your generous support to make this mission a reality. This is what we hope to achieve through this project: 

• 40 Lakh + children will benefit from experiential learning about birds, biodiversity and climate change.
• 1000 rural libraries will receive Prakrutiya Pettige - nature education kit in Kannada curated for the libraries.

A ₹1,500 donation will cover a Prakrutiya Pettige kit for one library and train librarians to be nature educators. Each Prakrutiya Pettige that we provide will contain.

• What's that bird! - A set of 40 sets flashcards on common birds of Karnataka.
• A portable folding pocket guide to birds of Karnataka
• A Handbook for Bird Educators with engaging activity ideas
• Five habitat-specific bird posters
• Three plant posters for classrooms
• Educational games (All in a bird's life, Bingo, Matching game sheets)
• Creative activity sheets (Join-the-Dots, Folk art bird, Coloring booklet)
• Natural history booklets and story books about birds and nature.
• Climate change comics and educators handbook

Why This Project Matters

Today’s children hold the blueprint for tomorrow’s sustainable world. At Early Bird, a public engagement project under the Nature Conservation Foundation, we believe that nurturing children’s curiosity towards nature is essential to building a community that has the ability to address biodiversity loss and the climate crisis.

We believe that every child deserves to find joy in nature around them and learn what it means to protect it. Libraries, especially in rural areas, offer a unique space for multi-generational learning and community engagement. Time in nature builds happier and healthier children.

Testimonials

This project is Phase II of a highly successful pilot project conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Karnataka Government. Between March to May 2024, we partnered with Karnataka Panchayat Raj Commissionerate (KPRC) to take nature education to 500 Gram Panchayat Libraries (Arivu Kendras). As a result of this collaboration, 500 rural libraries in 31 districts of Karnataka are now equipped with nature learning resources, and librarians managing these libraries are trained as nature educators who are now spreading the joy of nature to local children. Read more about this pilot project here.

Hear from our project collaborators:

"Kids are learning about birds & nature, drawing & coloring pictures of birds, and going on nature walks. Many are making bird feeders and putting out water for birds. Acquiring such sensitivity for nature at this early age is very important. This is a generation that will understand about the environment and sustainability" - Uma Mahadevan Dasgupta, Additional Chief Secretary & Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka

"We love playing dumb charades the most. We choose a bird and enact the call or convey other features so that others can guess" - says Malesh Nadur, a high school student attending the sessions at Chadchan Gram Panchyat Library, Vijayapura District

Veena, librarian in Tumkur district’s Nagasandra Gram Panchayat says “Sometimes a bird would catch my eye momentarily, but I didn’t observe them or even know their names. Today I can identify 20 birds and teach children about them. Once we engaged with these activities, we realised what we had been missing. Birds are all around us, and we are surrounded by nature, but it’s disappointing to realize we don’t know much about them. The students would come back with questions about the birds, their nests, and what they eat. The children also loved the flashcards, which taught them about different birds.”

In Phase II we are collaborating with KPRC, Adhyayan Foundation and Children's movement for Civic Awareness to turn 6000 Gram Panchayat libraries into Child Friendly Libraries. We are currently working with 350 Master Trainers who are introducing nature education to all the 6000 libraries.

News Mentions

Our rural library program has been featured in various media outlets for its innovative approach to blending conservation and education. These articles highlight the positive impact on local communities and the excitement it’s sparking among young readers. Here are some of the notable mentions:

1. Deccan Herald – "Books, birds & beyond"

Puneet, a software engineer and nature educator who conducted training sessions for librarians calls the exercise a conservation effort at the micro-level. “This project might inspire children to develop an interest in ecology and take it up as a career. Awareness is the key, and this is what we have been working on."

2. The Hindu - "How Early Bird is using birds as a window to nature education"

Early Bird’s focus on using libraries was surprisingly effective. “The enthusiasm I saw in the librarians was addictive,” says Abhisheka Krishnagopal, Programme Manager - Early Bird, recalling how the librarians told her about children hanging in the library all day and not wanting to go home. “There is so much happening. It is not just about books, but also about activities and interactions.”

3. The Times of India - "500 GP librarians turn bird educators, to teach kids"

4. South First - Making nature education accessible to children through rural libraries

5.The New Indian express - Giving wings

Deepa S Shetty, the librarian at Tallur Arivu Kendra, Kundapur taluk of Udupi district says "more children are coming to the library now after their class hours, and on Sundays too"

6. Mann ki Baat - Prime Minister's address to the nation

"...the organization has created a ‘Nature Education Kit’ to instil a sense of responsibility towards nature in children. The kit includes storybooks, games, activity sheets and jigsaw puzzles for children… Because of the efforts of this organization, children have begun to identify many bird species… “ - Prime Minister of India, 24 Nov 2024

The future of our planet depends on the next generation of environmental stewards. With your help, we can equip every rural library in Karnataka with the tools needed to inspire a generation that sees nature as its first home.

Donate today and be part of the movement that shapes tomorrow’s environmental leaders!

If you would like to contribute CSR funds for this project or if you would like to sponsor kits for all the libraries in any specific taluk (40 libraries per taluk), please write to us at earlybird@ncf-india.org

Stay Connected with Early Bird on Social Media

Facebook · Instagram · X/Twitter · YouTube · WhatsApp