The Challenge of Nature Study in an Indian city

“An observant child should be put in the way of things worth observing.”

There are no woods or hills or pleasant meadows in the near vicinity.  Lodhi Gardens is about the only most apt and perfect place but it is a journey to get there and so a 15/20 minute or even an hour excursion is not worth it.  School hours are longer now.  There is more to cover plus there is all the house work to see to, meals to fix, dishes to wash, errands to run, laundry to tend, dusting and cleaning, plus all the other organization projects that tie into our domestic roles.  Not to forget lesson plans, tennis classes, or piano or my own exercise…it all adds up!

But I have since learned a thing or two from Charlotte Mason and other mothers who have adopted the practice of Nature Study.  Its necessity is vital.  I wish I had a yard where I could turn the children out.  But I don’t.  I wish I could let the children go down to the local park by themselves (but I daren’t – one look at the Delhi newspapers will confirm that fear).  Not to forget the packs of stray dogs and the roving monkeys (who have of late, decreased in our neighborhood – thankfully!) So what do I do?

I just have to plan it in.  Simply up and go.  Not plan a big extravaganza but just “let’s see what we can find.”   The world may not open to a great discovery or an artistic masterpiece but it has just opened the minds of a 7 and 10-year-old to something beautiful and unfortunately ignored.

“It is infinitely well worth of the mother’s while to take some pains everyday to secure, in the first place, that her children spend hours daily amongst rural and natural objects; and in the second place, to infuse into them, or rather to cherish in them, the love of investigation.”

We may haul the bicycles and scooters down the stairs or we may take just ourselves and a bottle of water and it really is quite therapeutic.  I find that when I start heading  to the scrambled brain phase – retreating to Mother Nature’s bosom is always calming – even though it may not be the most pristine!  Sometimes we take our notebooks with us, other times we bring our samples in and lay them on the table and put our discoveries to paper.

Just for the record, there are those one or two days a week when I am just too exhausted or the day does not afford the time to go out.  That is when we let loose imagination indoors, with home play.  Sometimes they will even enact what they have been studying (which can be quite amusing!)  My children really enjoy this as well.  I have also at times conducted nature study in my ‘conservatory’ – in my balcony amongst my potted plants!

I had the privilege of growing up in a beautiful compound where birds, flowers, plants and insects were all freely within reach.  My mother, who passionately loves flowers and is extremely knowledgeable passed on a lot of information in a casual manner.  Due to this great love, she would paint them artfully whenever she could.  She was famous for her floral arrangements!  It was only natural to tell the difference between Canna’s and Mimosas, Roses, Jasmine, Myrtle and Flame of the Forest (to name a few).  Even when she visited friends in England, they were astonished at her knowledge of the English wild flowers!  We would bring home blossoms and branches from the wild. We were not permitted to pick those that were planted for decorative purposes – Roses and Dahlias were out of the question! The fallen Frangipani’s made excellent tiaras;  Drunken Sailor petals were fake nails and Laburnum petals ornamented our ears with gold!  I do not remember my mother asking us to pen all the names down.  It was the interest we showed and her defining it that did the trick.  I just wish I had paid more attention then!

Drunken Sailor (Quisqualis Indica); Should have been named Blushing Bride instead! We found a tiny unusual white spider - you have to look closely to see it!

But I guess in the same manner, my children could learn these things and more.

Christine who has recently moved to India asked how I did Nature Study.   This post is really in response to that query. I can understand the reluctance to let your child explore – when heaven knows there are germs EVERYWHERE!  Especially in the little local parks.  Again, I highly recommend Lodhi and I know some other friends also enjoy Deer Park although I find that too dusty.  As far as germs go, hand sanitizer and wipes go everywhere with me!  Insect repellent help keep those pesky Malaria/ Dengue carriers at bay and yes, you do have to watch where you step – it’s India, after all!  But beyond all the difficulties, there can be enjoyment!  A bit of a challenge in the making but possible nonetheless!  A good reading of Rudyad Kipling may also help keep the atmosphere positive and add a sense of adventure.

Ria admiring a lovely Hibiscus blossom

Barb, in her Outdoor Challenge Blog, will be a boon to those wanting to implement Nature Study for the first time.  Not only is it is a beautifully done website, it’s very inspiring!  This site is recommended on Ambleside Online.  It is an excellent resource!  My friend, Lynnisha also shares the same link in her blog, evocativepress.com.

I picked up a great little book at the Oxford Book shop in Kolkata called Backyard Wildlife, by Bikramadittya Guha Roy.  If you want a local guide and some Indian orientation, then, this is perfect.  Brandon loved this book because he is fascinated with Geckos and Lizards and I am past jumping and squealing when Adam and he decide to study one (up close and personal!  Let’s NOT talk about germs!) It’s well written and holds attention.  Great photographs too and tips on nature study and observation.

Another book I found and am enjoying is Common Indian Wild Flowers by Isaac Kehimkar.  It is well cataloged and the clear photographs make this a lovely coffee table book.  Some of the prettiest flowers are the tiniest ones!

Any of Salim Ali’s books are wonderful for the aspiring ornithologists and DV Cowen’s book, Flowering trees and shrubs in India is also a helpful resource online.  Also if you make a trip to the zoo, almost every tree is labeled. It would be worth it to make a botanical trip there!  Make sure you wear comfortable shoes.  It’s a LOT of walking and the animals are widely spaced.  Again, lots of trees in between!

One mistake I initially made was expecting my children to maintain a diary the same as Edith Holden.  Not only was it unfair, it was almost destructive!  While leafing through my copy of her The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, my admiration was immediately tainted with forcing my children to adopt such a style and manner.  It is such a lovely book and her illustrations and writings are exquisite!  Exposing them to such style and detail is lifting their eyes to the beautiful and will only encourage them in their endeavors but let them not have to duplicate that!  I have learned to never scoff at their drawings and to respect the individual flavor of each child’s notebook.  I too keep one and sometimes we like looking through each other’s.

When we first attempted Nature Studies I lectured the children through the entire process.  Having confessed that, I will add one more wise quote from Charlotte Mason that has not only infinitely helped my vocal chords, it has caused me to enjoy Nature Study –

“The mother must refrain from too much talk….The less she says, the better…The mother’s real difficulty will be to keep herself from too much talk with the children, and to hinder them from occupying themselves with her.”

You get the point! I did!

Brandon inspecting Banyan roots.

So, although the corrupt urban hand has played its part- especially in our Indian cities, the work of the Creator still stands and flourishes.  What a marvel!  So, may we let nature have its way, however crude or however rustic.  There is beauty to be found and often it is the more obvious to that young innocent eye, ignorant of all the dangers, guided by his  intimidated mother!  Hopefully that spark of inspiration will be the blessing that she seeks in her situation.  That is how it has often been with me.   Just when I am skeptical and ready to recoil, Ria is holding out a flower with the sweetest smile on her face and pointing to the chipper sparrow, and I am instantly revived to the right strain of thought.

“All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small. All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.”