The students noticed that adults were plucking flowers from public gardens and decided to take action. They created separate designated areas for flower picking and planted flowers there. They educated others about the problem by making signs, talking to students, and distributing pamphlets. Through this project, the students gained confidence, learned about teamwork and responsibility, and set an example for adults about protecting public spaces. Future plans include informing more residents and having the students maintain the designated flower picking gardens.

1. DISHA, RUPALI, AAROOJ, KANISHK AND SIDDHARTH MENTOR TEACHER: SHAIFALI BHATIA K.D . AMBANI VIDYAMANDIR, JAMNAGAR, GUJARAT

2. SECTOR ELEVEN, RELIANCE GREENS, MOTIKHAVDI, JAMNAGAR GUJARAT – 361142 EMAIL : [email_address] Mentor’s email : [email_address]

4. Flowers are nature’s expression of beauty; they give us a sense of joy and serenity. Yet, we noticed many adults, plucking flowers from public gardens, where flowers are planted specially to express nature’s colorful magnificence. We decided to discourage people from plucking flowers from public gardens.

6. We decided to step up and spread awareness about this problem and prevent this activity. We thought that if we provide people with separate plucking areas, then they would stop plucking flowers from public gardens.

8. To understand the reason behind plucking flowers, we went out and talked to a lot of people. Many of them told us that they pluck flowers mainly for the purpose of offering them to God.

9. We made placards by hand and placed them in different public parks in our township.

11. For this, we received training from township garden maintenance officers (horticulture dept.) in basic gardening. Next , we cleaned the selected land portion, ploughed the soil, and planted several saplings of HIBISCUS AND JASMINE. We fertilized the land with manure and watered the plants.

12. Before start Training by officer Planting, fertilizing and watering the gardens

13. We talked to the school students about the problem, distributed pamphlets around the school and the township.

14. O U R P A M P H L E T

15. People reading our pamphlets

16. We started appreciating nature and its beauty more. We gained self confidence in talking to strangers. Also, we realized the hardships of laborers as we performed the laborious tasks of gardening ourselves. As we worked together, we also understood the importance of team work. Lastly, we developed a sense of responsibility towards our society and its problems, we learned that ITS NOT YOUR’S OR MY PROBLEM, BUT ITS OUR PROBLEM…..

17. Principal’s and teachers’ thoughts: Our children have set an example for the adults and they will continue to set up picking gardens in several other locations around the township. Future plans by the mentor teacher and students: The residents of the township will be informed of the picking gardens through the local township channel and their work will be telecast in the school hour on the local channel. Also all the picking gardens will be taken care of by the children.

18. Mr. Sundaram (Principal) Mrs. Pallavi Mallya (Co-ordinator) Mrs. Sheila Iyer ( Assistant C0-ordinator) Horticulture Dept. specially Mr. Dharmendra Oza. Mr. Kashyap (Editing and Video Shooting)