Volunteers:

Place and time: Nagaswatta, Building Hope Children’s center | 12.30-2pm (please be at the class 15 minutes early)

Intro:

Nature gives us everything we need, but it also needs our help in a bustling city. Today we'll explore the school grounds, discover the plants and living things around us, and learn how everyday "waste" can become something useful to do start small in giving back to nature. By the end of the session, each pair will have created a small planter from a recycled plastic bottle and planted a seed that they can care for and watch grow. (And potentially later plant to grow into big trees in the school grounds!)

You will need:

For every pair of students:

•⁠ ⁠1 clean plastic bottle (1–2 L mega bottle)

•⁠ ⁠Small stones or gravel (from garden)

•⁠ ⁠Compost

•⁠ ⁠1–2 seeds or cuttings (Mango, Jak or another easy-growing local plant) (I will try to bring some if I can)

•⁠ ⁠Scissors or a craft knife (adult use only if bottles need cutting beforehand)

•⁠ ⁠Markers or paint to decorate bottles

•⁠ ⁠Small sticks for plant labels

•⁠ ⁠String if bottles will be hung

Main Activity:

Step 1 – Nature Walk (15–20 minutes)

•⁠ ⁠Walk around the school together.

•⁠ ⁠Ask students to look for:

Different shapes of leaves

Flowers and insects

Birds or butterflies

Different textures (bark, rocks, grass)

•⁠ ⁠Encourage them to notice rather than collect. If something has already fallen naturally (like a leaf), they can pick it up to examine.

Questions to ask:

1.⁠ ⁠What colours do you see?

2.⁠ ⁠Which plants are growing in the sun? Which are in the shade?

3.⁠ ⁠Why do you think plants grow differently in different places?

Step 2 – Building the Planter (20 minutes)

Each pair:

•⁠ ⁠Place a layer of stones in the bottom of the bottle.

•⁠ ⁠Fill with compost or soil.

•⁠ ⁠Make a small hole.

•⁠ ⁠Plant the seed or cutting

•⁠ ⁠Cover gently.

•⁠ ⁠Water lightly.

•⁠ ⁠Write their names on the bottle.

ADDITIONAL: Students can keep a little notebook and document the progress of the plant's growth through the weeks, perhaps with some photo journals from the volunteers

Step 3 – Caring for the Plant (10 minutes)

Discuss:

"What does your seed need to survive?"

Explain that plants don't grow overnight. Just like people, they need time.

Reflection (10 minutes)

•⁠ ⁠What surprised you during the walk?

•⁠ ⁠Did you notice something you've never seen before?

•⁠ ⁠How did turning a plastic bottle into a planter make you feel?

•⁠ ⁠What do you think would happen if everyone planted just one seed?

•⁠ ⁠What will you do to help your plant grow?

Aug 16: Special workshop with Liteira - Mini Garden Workshop