PANAJI
Rosary High School, Navelim, held a week-long Van Mahotsav celebration from 1 July to raise environmental awareness among students and the community.
The school partnered with the Forest Department to plant 500 saplings, including flowering, medicinal and fruit-bearing plants, along a newly developed community walking track. Students planted mango, guava, love apple, and custard apple trees to promote sustainability within the school campus.
Each class from I to X created mini kitchen gardens using eco-friendly green bags, and a potted plant contest encouraged students to use mud pots for decoration. Parents participated in a “Pavsantli Ranvatti Baji” contest displaying over 20 seasonal vegetables, while students from grades V to VII prepared millet-based tiffins to promote healthy eating.
Students also learned handmade paper-making to reduce paper waste and created a manuscript titled “To You Mother, With Love” using the paper. Under the “Ek ped Maa ke naam” initiative, each student planted saplings of mango, jamun, cashew, and jackfruit, resulting in 1,200 saplings being distributed for planting.
Other activities included seed bomb making and dispersal around Navelim to aid reforestation and a field visit to learn paddy cultivation practically.
The week ended with students taking a pledge to protect the environment and act as ambassadors for conservation, reminding everyone that safeguarding the planet is a shared responsibility.
