Green Schools in : Developing Young Leaders for a Sustainable Future

Progress Report

(January-March 2015)

Submitted to Welthungerhilfe (WHH)

Submitted by Friends of Nature (FON) Nepal

Summary

This report is the plain documentation of progress made between the periods of January- March 2015. Green School Team carried out varied sort of activities within these three months. Agro-hike, Nature Bus, Training on Composting, Visit to local model farms, Student Exchange program, Training on herbal medicine preparation, School gardening etc. are some of the notable features. Green School’s outdoor learning program has been remarkable to participants and has lowered absenteeism among schools as opined by head masters of the model green schools.

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Contents

Summary ...... ii 1. Agro-Hike: ...... 4 2. Nature Bus: ...... 4 3. Training on Composting: ...... 5 4. Visit to Local Model Farms: ...... 6 5. World Wetland Day 2015 Celebration: ...... 6 6. Nature Hike: ...... 7 7. Student Exchange Program: ...... 7 8. School Gardening: ...... 8 9. Training on Herbal Medicine Preparation ...... 9 10. Conservation Sign Posting (Hoarding Board and Painting): ...... 10 11. Green Voice Update:...... 11

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1. Agro-Hike: On January 18 & 19, 2015 Green School Team carried out Agro-Hike with students of Shree Rastriya Ma Vi, Swamitar, Korak-9 and Shree Rastriya Primary School, Chaughara, Charkilla, Korak-5, Chitwan. Mr. Man Kumar Chaudhary, Technician (Rural Reconstruction Nepal, RRN) facilitated the hiking. The session included information on kitchen garden, model plots, organic farming, bio-pesticide and so forth.

Hike to Naulapur, Korak VDC

2. Nature Bus: On January 31, 2015 Green School Team carried out Nature Bus program with Eco-club students of Shree Rastriya Ma Vi, Swamitar and Shree Rastriya Primary School, Chaughara, Charkilla, Korak VDC, Chitwan. Nature Bus is something like going on a safari in the wild seeing flora and fauna while learning the importance of biodiversity and conservation. Mr Uday Chandra Aryal, The President, Nature Guide Association, led the excursion as prime facilitator. The trip followed the route from , Tandi - Beeshazari Lake - Kasara (Gharial Breeding Center) - Milijuli Community Forest (Kumal Lake) - Elephant Breeding Center - Kumroj VDC to Birendranagar, Chitwan. The participants were delighted to join Nature Bus since they happened to observe wildlife in the woods at closer distance and natural heritage sites.

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Enroute to

3. Training on Composting: On February 24 and 25, Green School Team provided Training on Composting to Eco-clubs/committees of Shree Rastriya Ma Vi, Swamitar and Shree Rastriya Primary School, Chaughara, Charkilla, Korak VDC, Chitwan. Mr Man Kumar Chaudhary, Agriculture Technician was the lead trainer of the program. Participants of the training gained hands-on experience of composting from digging a pit to fill in the same with organic residues. The end product (manure) will be ready in three months time.

Composting training at Charkilla

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4. Visit to Local Model Farms: Last Saturday (February 28, 2015), Green School Team carried out visit to local model farms in with Eco-club members of Shree Rastriya Ma Vi, Swamitar and Shree Rastriya Primary School, Chaughara, Charkilla, Korak VDC. Purpose of the visit was providing information to students about organic farming, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), integrated farming practice and so on by taking them directly to the field plots. The field trip followed the route from Birendranagar - Chainpur, Baheri - Fulbaari - Rampur Campus - Abloom Flora Farm to finally Birendranagar.

Penning down the information about IPM farm

5. World Wetland Day 2015 Celebration: On the occasion of World Wetlands Day 2015, Green School Team conducted Pampha River Clean Up program at Korak-9, Swamitar, Chitwan with students from Shree Rastriya Ma Vi. Participation reached a total of around 200 students, teachers and staffs of FON Nepal. They lend helping hands in cleaning up the litters over a 2 km stretch of the Pampha River.

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Group photography after clean up of Pampha River

6. Nature Hike: Green School Team took students of Shree Rastriya Ma Vi, Swamitar and Shree Rastriya Primary School, Charkilla to Nature Hike on March 11 and 12, 2015. The hike started from respective schools to nearby forest and covered varied themes, viz. Birding, Plant Identification and Butterfly watching.

Students handling binoculars to see birds

7. Student Exchange Program: Students from both Rastriya Ma Vi (Rastriya Secondary School) and Rastriya Primary School made contribution for Nepal Owl Festival (March 6-7, 2015). They provided owl paintings which were displayed in the exhibition. Around 1500 visitors from all walks of life were acquainted with Green School project along with.

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Visitors peering over Green School Information

8. School Gardening: Last March, Green School Project built a school garden in coordination with Eco-club/committee members at Shree Rastriya Primary School, Chaughara, Charkilla, Korak-5, Chitwan. Flowers like Croton, Rose, Marigold, Morning glory, Hibiscus, Petunias etc have been planted at the garden including others as Juniper, Christmas tree and varieties of Cynodon dactylon (Dubo). A kitchen garden runs sideways that has seedlings grown of vegetables as Bitter gourd, Sponge gourd, Snake gourd, Okra (Lady’s finger), Cucumber, Beans etc.

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School Garden at Charkilla School

9. Training on Herbal Medicine Preparation: On March 13, Green School Team carried out one day ‘Herbal Medicine Preparation Training’ to Eco-clubs/committees of Shree Rastriya Ma Vi, Swamitar and Shree Rastriya Primary School, Charkilla, Chaughara, Korak VDC, Chitwan. Mr Dipak Gurung - MD, Life Care Hospital, Bharatpur was the lead trainer of the program. He stressed the importance of herbal medicine, healthy diet and focused over practical session of preparing Triphala churna, Trikatu churna, Nisamalaki churna, Amalaki churna and so on. Participants of the training were pleased to gain hands-on experience of preparing such Ayurvedic medicines.

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Preparing herbal medicine

10. Conservation Sign Posting (Hoarding Board and Painting): On March 2015, Green School Team hired professionals and completed wall painting at both green schools and set up hoarding board on Green School theme and waste management at Korak VDC.

Wall painting at Swamitar School

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11. Green Voice Update: Green Voice is a radio program on Green School Project. It covers contemporary environmental issues, highlights views of local people from Korak VDC, Chitwan and features activities of Green School Project. Until now, six episodes of Green Voice have been aired on Kalika FM 95.2 MHz.

Episode VI - Green Voice

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