Date: 11 May, 2019

Venue: HDRC, St. Xavier’s, Navrangpura

Resource Persons: Ms. Falguni Joshi, Mr. Mahesh Parmar, Ms. Manasvi and Mr. Drupad (‘Mukammal’team)

No. of Green Catalysts: 24

Training agenda:

  • Improving the reports and media content quality for magazine and website.
  • Improving planning and management of public events and introducing new events.
  • How to start social media campaigns and marketing to reach larger audience.
  • Basics of letter writing and RTI filing for Green Catalyst.

Overview:

  • Lecture by ‘Letter Writing’ by Mr. Mahesh Parmar.
  • Lecture and Discussion on ‘Content Writing and Reporting’ by Ms. Falguni Joshi
  • An activity done by Green Catalysts to write an article on air pollution.
  • Lecture on ‘Experience sharing on Event Management’ by ‘Mukammal’ team. They also stated the importance of Social Media and how to reach to larger audience with social media.
  • Open session with students to discuss and come up with their strategies as a Green Catalyst.

Conclusion:

The program ended with strategy to ahead with various awareness drives and programs along with advocacy and strengthening social media and develop social media campaigns.

Date: 29 & 30 December, 2018

Venue: Serenity Library and Botanical Garden, Gandhinagar

Resource Persons: Mahesh Pandya, Manish Vaidya, Manisha Patel, Mahesh Parmar

No. of Green Catalysts: 40

About Venue:

  • Serenity Library and Botanical garden is located on Bhat-Motera Road, Koteshwar and at a distance of 20kms from Ahmedabad. Developed over 40,000 square meters of land, it is an open piece of land, a botanical garden, and a nature library.
  • There are around 800 species of indigenous & exotic plants which have been planted over the last 20 years.  There is also a butterfly garden and two excavated water bodies with natural surroundings attracting dabchicks, spot bills, common quails & black winged stilts.
  • The library building has a reading room with 3,000 books and 350 documentaries on environment, wildlife & conservation.

Training agenda:

  • Providing basics knowledge about Environment and Pollution to new Green Catalysts.
  • To impart knowledge on role of democracy in relation environment and its protection.
  • Imparting knowledge on “Environment laws and Environment Protection Act, 1986(Umbrella Act).
  • Providing in-depth knowledge about Environmental Public Hearing and Environmental impact assessment.
  • Enhancing communication skills for awareness.

Overview:

DAY 1:

  • The training started with the introduction of Green Catalyst team members.
  • First session was on “Environment, pollution and its protection” given by Mahesh Pandya, Paryavaran Mitra.
  • Sharing of experiences by Green Catalyst members who took part in capacity building program.
  • Second session by Mahesh Pandya, Paryavaran Mitra, on various Environment laws and EIA notifications.
  • Manish Vaidya, Loris Associates, introduced with the Loris activities and the motive of Serenity Library and Botanical Garden, Gandhinagar.
  • Foram Jhaveri, an intern at Paryavaran Mitra, shared her knowledge of basic functions and usefulness of social media.
  • The first day activities were concluded with a great experience of night trek covering wide area of botanical garden led by Narendra, associated with Serenity Library and Botanical Garden, Gandhinagar.

DAY 2:

  • The second day was started with bird watching activity guided by Prashant sir who is actively associated with Youth Hostel organization.
  • A lecture covering the topic of Environmental Public Hearing (EPH) by Mahesh Parmar, Paryavaran Mitra.
  • Manisha Patel Paryavaran Mitra, introduced with the EIA structure and its reviewing methodology.
  • Mahesh Pandya covered the role of people after Environmental clearance in the next session.
  • Open session with all the Green Catalyst members on formulating upcoming events and activities.

Conclusion:

  • Each and every member gave his/her strategic plans and views on drafting base for succeeding events. Team members showed their dedication in expanding the productivity of their performance.

Date: 15 October, 2018

Venue: AMA, Ahmedabad

No. of Green Catalyst present: 28

Training agenda:

  • This year we have given special focus on school by collaborating with schools to carry out awareness programs throughout the year.
  • Green Catalyst has already started the programs in 5 schools and organized 25 awareness programs in school. After these programs we needed feedback from school principals about their performance and also want them to guide for further programs.

Overview:

  • The training started with registration and self-introduction of the participants.
  • Introduction of workshop by Siddharth Pandey, President, Green Catalyst and Viral Joshi, Head of School Program
  • Presentations by Green Catalyst of respective schools, SKUM, Divan Bhallubhai School, Kameshwar School, Ognaj School, Vastrapur School.
  • Feedback and suggestions by School principal/Guests:
    • Ms. Ameeben Desai, SKUM School
    • Mr. Anilbhai Raval, Diwan Ballubhai School
    • Ms. Komalben, Ognaj Primary School
    • Ms. Bhavnaben
    • Ms. Priyanka Bhatt, CERC Envis, Ahmedabad
    • Ms. Urviben
    • Mr. Rajkumar Parmar, Kameshwar School
  • Experience sharing by Mr. Mahesh Pandya, Ms. Manisha Patel, and Mr. Mahesh Parmar in working with Green Catalyst in School programs.
  • Open session with students for discuss and come up with their strategies as a Green Catalyst. A succession plan was made by participants and team of Paryavaran Mitra.

Conclusion:

The program ended with strategy to ahead with suggestions and feedback given by Principals and Guest
which are as follows:

  1. Forming a team of 5 to 10 students as Green Catalyst juniors in the school who can take lead to do environmental awareness programs in the school.
  2. Taking the school students to do activities outside the premises or in community on social and environmental issues.
  3. Raising vegetable garden in the school through students.
  4. Placing E-waste collection and used-Pen collection bins throughout the year and get it collected.
  5. New ideas of for environmental awareness:
    • Skit on pollution of rivers: Showing the students the place of origin of river to its end and also the places where the river get polluted.
    • Traditional practices religious beliefs, rituals, that signify conservation of environment
    • Conducting tree parliament in the school.
    • Homework or projects before taking new topics or awareness program. Giving students stars for good work.
  6. Celebrating No mobile week with students.

Date: 13 September, 2018

Venue: Gujarat Vidhyapith, Ahmedabad

About Venue:

Gujarat Vidyapith was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. It has been experimenting Gandhi’s principal and established environmental friendly ways of living within campus.

Training agenda:

  • Introducing basic environmental concepts and terminology.
  • Enhancing their knowledge about sustainable living by showing them live at Gujarat Vidhyapith (rain harvesting, waste composting, waste segregation, plantation etc)
  • Providing understanding about environment is common resources and responsibilities by minimum use of resources.
  • Sharing information about environmental status of Ahmedabad.

Overview:

  • The training started with registration and self-introduction of the participants.
  • Welcome by Siddharth Pandey, President, Green Catalyst
  • Introduction of the Paryavaran Mitra organization and Green Catalyst program was given by Manisha Patel, Paryavaran Mitra.
    Lecture by Mr. Mahesh Pandya on basic environmental concepts and laws.
  • A tour to Gujarat Vidhyapith campus showing them :
    • Natural water coolers saving energy in the whole campus.
    • Eco-friendly auditorium with 750 seating capacity
    • 7 Water harvesting structure to accumulate rain water.
    • Terrace and kitchen gardens
    • Solar panels for street lights and steam cooking system.
    • Biogas at canteen for cooking
  • Lecture by Registrar of Gujarat Vidhyapith about Gandhian ways of sustainable living and its
    implementation in life.
  • Open session with students for discuss and come up with their strategies as a Green Catalyst. A succession plan was made by participants and team of Paryavaran Mitra.

Conclusion:
The program ended with strategy to ahead with various awareness drives and programs, and immediate initiative was for ozone day celebration.