Nature and You - A Beginning
Young Naturalist Camp
Jan 21-22, 2012
Your child's school teaches a lot of skills. But is enjoying Nature one of them? Not likely.
There are some things that cannot be taught in the limiting confines of a classroom. They need emancipation, and a venture into the outdoors for the learner to feel, experience and glean lessons first-hand. And through the Young Naturalist Camp, that is exactly what we now enable your children to do. This special 2-day Camp has been designed bearing in mind the importance of imparting natural history education to young minds, and doing it in a fun and effective way.
Gift your child this workshop today and you’ll gift them a toehold to learn something that only Nature can teach.
Where and how is this Camp?
Virtually in the backyard of bustling Bangalore, the Bannerghatta National Park is a unique one, in that it is one of the world’s closest wildernesses to a metropolis and is home to wild Elephants. The park also hosts Leopards, Wild Dogs and Sloth Bears apart from the commoner mammals, and boasts of over 170 species of birds including the rare Rufous-bellied Eagle and Yellow-throated Bulbul.
Designed to let budding young naturalists explore these riches, this camp is a journey of discovery into parts of this park that are seldom seen by tourists.
Staying at our new property by the edge of a gleaming lake that seems straight out of a fairy tale, the group of budding naturalists will, in this idyllic setting, learn fishing, play nature games, and enjoy singing around a bonfire to have a whole lot of fun in unsullied environs.
And there can be no better time than the winter for this expedition, when the forest is green and the days dry and cool, allowing your young naturalist to discover the wonders of nature while exploring different regions of the park, tide over the hills, snake through the valleys and reflect quietly by the lakes on each day for maximum enthrallment.
Meanwhile our Skipper will keep the children enthused and entertained so while learning a wealth of new things on a journey of fascinating discovery, they also have a whale of a time.
What your child will take back:
This winter, if you’d love your child to go beyond the stifling confines of the urban grind, this Camp is just what the doctor ordered. For, apart from imbibing an appreciation for all things natural, this event will help your child -
- Enjoy a refreshing holiday in the pristine backyard of a jungle close to the city;
- Develop a basic understanding of ecosystems amidst nature;
- Learn exciting new skills and earn fascinating knowledge under the tutelage of a Toehold Skipper;
- Participate in an interactive, inclusive event that will expose them to new experiences; and
- A chance to blossom into a responsible, green citizen and vibrant young naturalist!
CAMP LEADER/PHOTOGRAPHER
Phillip is without a doubt the 'little master' of wildlife photography. Barely out of college with a commerce degree, Phillip already has a very impressive portfolio under his belt. He has traveled through wilderness areas across India, volunteered as a naturalist and has been doing a bird survey in Bannerghatta National Park for the last three years. His conservation inputs toward saving this National Park earned him a Wildlife Conservation Award in May '09. When out in the wild, luck always seems to favor Phillip, so he always has captivating stories of rare wildlife sightings to bring home. Phillip is an avid angler, and spends season after season down by the river.
Phillip possesses the uncanny ability to turn nature into art through his photographs, which have been published in various magazines, newspapers, journals and calendars. With his incredible skill with the camera combined with his extensive knowledge of wildlife, he is truly a force to be reckoned with!
- Day 1, January 21:
Our young aspiring naturalists arrive at the Toehold Office in Jayanagar, Bangalore, where our will be eagerly waiting to take them on a great excursion.
We leave Bangalore at 9a.m, and a mere hour later we arrive at the campsite amidst hills, forests, a lake and clean air!
On arriving at the campsite we get to know each other through an introduction and a fun ice-breaking game.
Then it’s time to show the children around the property, which is set amidst a beautiful hill range with a little lake in the middle, which, like an oasis, makes for a perfect gateway in the wonderful wilderness.
Angling at the lake is heaps of fun, with an almost assured catch. Our participants will learn to assemble and set up their own fishing rods, so that the next day’s fishing session is not delayed.
Soon, lunchtime arrives and our chef reveals the delicacies he has prepared. After properly pampering our taste buds, we pull our cameras out and a session on nature photography will ensue. The group will also be taught how to approach and photograph wildlife in order to get those fantastic images they admire in magazines and books. This will be followed by another group game.
Then, after enjoying some refreshments, we depart on an exciting bird-watching and animal tracking session. We will trek to a hill from where the trekkers will get a panoramic view of the forests of Bannerghatta, from where great landscape pictures can be snapped, and one never knows what wildlife might be seen in the valleys below. It’s a great place to spend the evening and practise what the children have learnt from the photography session. On the way down, we will set up a camera trap, and hope that some of Bannerghatta’s nocturnal wanderers choose to walk by when we’re cosily tucked in for the night.
Once back at the campsite, we enjoy an entertainment session over a bonfire, and hit the sack soon after a delicious dinner. - Day 2, January 22:
We awake to the songs of birds and open our eyes to an amazing view of early morning mist lying low over the lake and the hills. It’s time to grab the rods and the bait, and hit the road to lake, where the group will be taught how to cast, set the hook and carefully retrieve the catch without hurting the fish. All the fish caught will be released back into the lake.
After a couple of hours of an intense angling experience we give in to the enticing smells from the kitchen.
After a good breakfast, we eagerly leave on a bird watching hike. What will probably be playing big on everyone’s mind is what may have crossed the camera trap. So, we first retrieve the trap and see what pictures have been taken through the night, before continuing on our bird watching trail. This is a great opportunity for us to learn how to identify and study the diverse birdlife and how to approach the birds we see, without disturbing them.
Soon after, we find ourselves back at the campsite for lunch. We review photographs taken during the camp, while Phillip, the Tour Skipper, presents a session on "taking great photographs".
We spend our last hour at camp taking about wildlife, conservation, and the steps we can take in order to make a change.
Finally, since all good things come to an end, we bid farewell to beautiful Bannerghatta. On the way back we reminisce about all the highlights of the camp and return to Bangalore as budding naturalists!
TOUR COST
INR 4,900/- Per Child.
Inclusions:
- Dedicated Transfers to/from Toehold Office, Jayanagar to the camp.
- Accommodation
- All meals as per the itinerary.
- Mineral Water
Exclusions:
- Aerated Drinks
- Anything not in the Inclusions list above
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is eligible to join the Camp?
Anybody between 10 and 16 years of age is welcome to join the Camp. There are no other eligibility criteria. - How many participants can be expected on this Camp?
Your child can expect a maximum of 14 other kids for company. The Camp strength has been kept down to ensure smooth running of the camp and quality time with the Skipper for each kid. -
What about my child’s safety during the event?
Your child’s safety is of paramount importance to us. The Skipper leading this Camp has been trained by Toehold on child protection; child behaviour and development; health and safety; activity programme delivery; and Toehold’s code of conduct, policies and procedures. The Skipper will be with the children during all activities and the camp will have at least one staff member qualified in administering First Aid, at all times. -
What things should my child bring to this Camp?
» Water bottle
» Cap or hat
» Shoes and slippers/floaters
» 2 sets of sober-coloured outdoor clothing (including shorts and swim wear), night clothes, towel and woolens
» Toiletries and other personal essentials
» Notebook, pen, pencil, crayons and watercolours (if possible)
» Torch
» Mosquito repellent
» Camera and binoculars (if possible)
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Refund/Cancellation Policy:
1. 15% : Between 30-45 days from date of the camp
2. 50% : Between 7-30 days from date of the camp
3. 90% : Between 2-7 days from the date of the camp
4. No Refund within 48 hours from date of the camp
QUICK INFO
- Date: Jan 21st - 22nd, 2012
- Tour Cost: INR 4,900/- per child
- Camp Leader: Phillip Ross