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Arbutus, working for a greener tomorrow
Twenty-five years ago when Meera and Arwind
Bondre admitted their son to school, the lack
of intellectual stimulation in a regular classroom
environment bothered them. While they noticed that
the city had several schools catering to the special
needs of handicapped children there was not much
attention paid to the developmental needs of normal,
intelligent enthusiastic children. Not the one's
to sit back and blame the educational system; they
decided that as concerned parents they needed to
take the initiative. Arbutus was set up by
the Bondres to help nurture the all round
development of the child & youth. Like Arbutus,
an evergreen tree, the Bondres hope to make one
think green forever, in mind and in spirit.
 Arbutus,
an NGO, was registered as a public charitable trust,
a non-profit organisation comprising of children,
parents and teachers. The aim was to develop the
talents of children through environmental education.
The key issue reckons Arwind, is to catch them young,
as children besides being highly receptive, are
the citizens of tomorrow. At Arbutus, the focus
is on stimulating young minds. This could take the
form of challenging and verifying a scientific fact,
teaching Maths creatively or getting children to
express their thoughts on environmental issues through
poetry, essays, debates and discussions. In the
beginning, the group met on Saturdays, they have
now changed that to informal meetings with no strict
schedules. Vacations are peak activity time.
However, for the Bondres, there is never a period
of inactivity. Environmental concern is an issue
close to their heart and they are always thinking
of ways to promote it. This includes activities
such as distribution of leaflets and handbills requesting
citizens to refrain from burning garbage or fallen
leaves and getting school children to campaign for
the nonuse of plastic bags. Meera, an ecologist,
has brought out a booklet on environmental education
that serves as guidelines to teachers of environmental
studies. She has also devised highly innovative
games, study material and projects to promote environmental
education. A remarkable example of how Arbutus helps
children think of environmental issues in the right
perspective has been the preservation of the water
quarry lake in Model Colony. In 1985, the
lake was being taken over for commercial purposes
and Meera, a PhD in hydrobiology, spearheaded a
mini revolution, almost a 'Model Colony Lake
Bacchao Andolan.' Lecture and discussions with
experts were arranged, articles written. Arbutus
organised an 'Open air laboratory’, where
with the help of microscopes, experiments and colourful
charts, the concepts of eco-balance and the interdependence
of the life forms were explained and the importance
of water bodies in the fast industrialising cities
emphasised. The fact that the lake area had tremendous
diversity and had the potential of being treated
as a Bioreserve was highlighted. Ultimately,
because of the collective efforts of aware citizens
and environmental groups the lake was preserved.
Arbutus has also established strong links with several
persons and institutions in Bremen, Germany,
with a regular exchange of ideas and experiences
and common environmental projects being initiated
in both places. Primarily an open forum for children
and youth, Arbutus is keen to have parents and teachers
participate too, as adults often exhibit an indifferent
attitude to environmental issues. Casual tossing
of food wrappers from the car window, indiscriminate
use of plastic bags and indulging children with
fire crackers during Diwali are hardly the right
signals to transmit to impressionable minds.
At Arbutus, entertainment is the focus of learning.
For the coming academic year; Arbutus has planned
an exciting drama competition in educational institutions
with environment as the theme. As Arwind succinctly
puts it, "Harmony in nature is sought through
dance, drama and music."
According to Meera and Arwind, 'Exposure' is crucial.
They wish to get children to think about solutions
to environmental
problems and jointly find the answers. "We
act as mere catalysts making things happen for the
children without coming in their way,"
says Arwind modestly. The unassuming couple have
indeed served as catalysts with remarkable candor.
The Bondres can be contacted at: 'Megdooth',
12th lane,
Prabhat Road, Pune 411 004;
Phone: 5677452; Fax: 5463959;
E-mail: arbutusccc@yahoo.com
Shabari Shetty |
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