A docu to get the green message across

Thiruvananthapuram: Students of Government LP School, Kilimanoor, guided by their teachers, have come up with a documentary about the natural ecosystems in their locale. The highlight of the documentary is its focus is on a serpent grove at Chevalamadam near Kilimanoor.
The students struck on the idea of the the documentary after the general education department issued an instruction to all schools to celebrate the World Environment Day online.
“During the pandemic, it is impossible to get all the students together and to conduct special programmes. So, we thought of making a documentary based on this year’s theme for World Environment Day. Besides teachers, two students of the school, Asin, a Class II student and Aamy, a pre-primary student also contributed in making the documentary a great success, said MC Abhilash, teacher, and Harithasena co-ordinator.
The teachers of the School were thinking of a unique learning exercise to make the students aware of ‘Ecosystem Restoration’, which was this year’s theme for the World Environment Day. The theme reminded them of Chevalamadam village in Pazhayakunnumel panchayat.
“Often as part of the environment day celebration, we used to plant tree saplings. But this time around, we wanted our children to experience something different. When we came to know about the theme, we decided to choose Chevalamadam village that had implemented the concept of ecosystem restoration years go,” said Abhilash.
The serpent grove in the village, a miniature model of biodiversity, is a treasure house of varied herbs. Thanks to the protected grove and the water sources, which are more than 1,000 years old, the local climate is cool. According to studies conducted by the children, the water sources around the grove survive even in the harsh summer. Above all, the children were also excited to see the natural beauty of the grove.
“We were cooped up in our houses for so long, so, I was happy to go out. The grove is home to many organisms, including butterflies and birds. Besides small trees, it contains big trees that are usually found in forests. And in the pond adjacent to the grove we can see tortoises and fishes too,” said Asin.
By making a documentary on the grove, the teachers and students have brought to light how interestingly the biodiversity has been protected in a small village in an age when such ecosystems face threat from all corners.
In fact, several activities carried out by the school show its firm commitment to protect the environment. The school has formed a club ‘Harithasena’ with an aim to nurture in young minds the importance of protecting the environment and conserving it for the future.