The Young Naturalists Club
“In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” – Baba Dioum
The Young Naturalists Club aims to bring children and nature together through long term engagement. YNC was initiated in 2010 in the outhouse of a bungalow in Aundh, Pune and over the last decade we have engaged with several children who have now gone on to pursue careers in alternative fields and many still remain associated with PEF. In order to leave a sustainable planet to our children we believe that we must strive to leave kinder children to our planet.
The main aim of YNC is to foster curiosity, respect and compassion for nature and its sentient beings through a free learning environment in a safe space. Activities include (not limited to) meditation, trekking, walks, trails and hikes, screenings, reading, arts and nature, bird watching, field trips, animal interaction, mindfulness, listening circles, yoga, guest speakers, team building and a lot more. During YNC the children engage with each other, nature, animals and themselves. We also have dedicated free play time during every session where children foster peer-to-peer and independent learning.
Over the years kids also came up with their own code of conduct
Who and When:
SATURDAY: 9:30AM – 1:30PM at The Farm
Children between ages 4 to 11
We do take children younger or older after a trial session.
Prerequisites:
Potty trained / potty aware and parent independent. Parents can wait at The Farm or nearby but will not be involved in the activities.
Registration is for 3 months:
Rs 4,500 per child, trial sessions at Rs 500 adjusted if enrolled for quarter.
Care & Safety
- YNC is led by experienced team members, interns and volunteers who have been with PEF for a number of years and have experience in nature based education.
- All facilitators are trained in handling basic First Aid emergencies and a first aid kit is available at all times at The Farm.
- All facilitators go through training for ethics, consent and safety associated with children.
- The club location is child friendly and safe.
- All the activities are tried and tested by our team on a regular basis to ensure the highest level of safety.
- YNC is a safe space environment for holistic emotional development.
- All animals at The Farm are vaccinated, cared for and are our family.
