In Pampore, Kashmir’s saffron-growing belt, Sundays look a little different for a group of children.
Instead of spending the day indoors, they gather in an open-air learning space where books, colours, discussions, fields and nature become part of their education.
On weekdays, they are at school learning lessons, and on Sundays, they are here — at The Nature School, an initiative founded by environmental lawyer Advocate Nadeem Qadri.
The school was created with a simple idea: children should understand the environment they depend on, regardless of what they wish to pursue in the future.
The initiative began around 2019–20 and has since evolved into a free Sunday learning platform where children from different schools and age groups come together to learn about nature, develop communication skills and explore interests that conventional classrooms may not always provide space for.
The Nature School team says hundreds of students have attended the initiative since it began. More than 30 students attend the Sunday sessions regularly, with children in the 8–30 age group participating. Around 10 volunteers are currently involved in running the initiative, along with mentors and professionals who contribute to specific sessions and activities.
More than 30 students attend the Sunday sessions regularly, with children in the 8–30 age group participating.
“We want to tell them that whatever your goals are, you should also know how important the environment is for us,” says Seerat, an environmental science graduate who joined the Nature School about four years ago and now volunteers there.
For her, the message is straightforward: “When nature is fine, then you will be fine.”
A school without walls, fees or syllabus
The Nature School does not resemble a conventional school.
There is no large concrete building or formal classroom structure. Instead, learning happens in an open-air campus, with children moving between indoor corners and the surrounding landscape.
A child interested in painting can access colours and materials. Those who enjoy reading can use the library. Others participate in discussions or spend time outdoors, sitting on carpets and chairs in the open field.
The absence of a fixed syllabus is intentional.
The organisers invite scientists, lecturers and professionals to interact with children and conduct sessions based on their areas of expertise. A child who develops an interest in a particular subject can then seek guidance from mentors and explore it further.
The school is open every Sunday, and there is no age restriction. Children from different schools and villages around Pampore can attend without going through an admission process.
The initiative also provides transport for children attending activities and events. Volunteers use four-wheel-drive vehicles to pick up and drop off students, allowing children from different areas to participate.
The entire programme is free.
According to Seerat, the idea is to ensure that financial circumstances do not determine who gets access to these opportunities.
“A rich kid should get what a poor kid should get,” she says, explaining why the organisers have chosen not to charge families.
The initiative itself is largely supported by Qadri, with volunteers contributing their time and skills.
From wetlands to birds, nature becomes the classroom
Environmental education at the Nature School goes beyond telling children that they should protect nature.
Students are encouraged to experience it.
They participate in plantation and clean-up drives, interact with communities and learn how environmental campaigns can be carried out at the grassroots level. They are also introduced to forests, wetlands, wildlife and other aspects of the local ecosystem.
For Seerat, the Nature School changed her own understanding of the landscape around her.
The Nature School does not resemble a conventional school.
She grew up near Pampore but says that when she joined college, she did not fully understand what wetlands were or why they mattered.
She had seen wetlands before, but she had not learnt about their ecological role.
Through the Nature School, she began exploring the subject more deeply, eventually becoming a birdwatcher and bird guide.
She learnt to identify different species, understand migratory birds and recognise that the birds she saw in Kashmir were sometimes travelling thousands of kilometres from other countries and continents.
It was knowledge she says she had not encountered even before college.
That experience is central to the school’s approach: children are encouraged to ask questions, follow their interests and learn from the environment around them.
The initiative also uses outdoor activities to develop skills that go beyond environmental awareness.
Children from different schools meet one another, introduce themselves, participate in discussions and gradually become more comfortable communicating with others.
For some, that can be transformative.
Helping shy children find their voice
When Seerat first joined the Nature School, she described herself as a student from a small village who lacked confidence in speaking to people.
The school gave her opportunities to interact with children, participate in activities and gradually overcome that hesitation.
“Before joining Nature School, I was not able to talk to anyone or have that confidence that you talk to someone with confidence,” she recalls.
Over time, those opportunities helped her become more comfortable communicating with others.
The school tries to create similar spaces for children who may be shy or introverted.
A child may participate in a discussion, speak in front of others, join an outdoor activity or simply meet students from another school.
For the organisers, these experiences are as important as environmental lessons.
The initiative also places emphasis on giving girls opportunities to participate in outdoor activities.
She says convincing parents to allow girls from rural areas to travel for programmes can sometimes be difficult. Safety concerns, she says, can make families hesitant.
As a young woman herself, she tries to reassure parents and accompany girls during events and field activities.
“I want to tell them that your daughters are not less. They can also do this,” she says.
That experience is central to the school’s approach: children are encouraged to ask questions, follow their interests and learn from the environment around them.
The school provides transport for children participating in activities, while volunteers remain in contact with parents.
The aim is to make children feel safe while giving them opportunities they might otherwise miss.
A grassroots initiative running on volunteers
Running an initiative without charging children comes with its own challenges.
One of the biggest is convincing families that the Nature School is not simply another extracurricular activity, but a space where children can learn something meaningful.
In the beginning, organisers had to explain the concept to parents and students. Once children attended and returned home talking about what they had experienced, curiosity among other children often followed.
There is no formal staff structure. Instead, the programme relies on a network of volunteers, mentors and professionals who contribute their time.
People associated with environmental and social initiatives support the programme in different ways, while field volunteers help children navigate outdoor activities.
The organisers also provide refreshments, transport and learning materials without charging families.
There is no regular funding from NGOs, according to Seerat. Expenses, including those related to vehicles and refreshments, are largely supported personally by Qadri.
Despite these limitations, the initiative has continued to expand its learning resources.
A library has been added, along with computers, a laptop and free 5G Wi-Fi to help children who may not have access to such resources at home.
The organisers also provide refreshments, transport and learning materials without charging families.
The idea is not to replace formal education but to supplement it by providing platforms that children may otherwise lack because of financial or social constraints.
For parents, the Nature School offers children a different way of learning.
A parent, Shabir Ahmad, said the initiative has helped his child become more confident and curious about the environment.
“My child now looks forward to Sundays and comes home talking about birds, plants and the activities they do,” he said.
Ahmad added that the free programme gives children opportunities to learn outside the conventional classroom while developing communication skills and a greater understanding of the natural surroundings.
Building a generation that understands its environment
The Nature School’s ambitions extend beyond Sunday lessons.
The organisers want to continue adding learning resources and opportunities for children, particularly those who may not have access to them because of financial difficulties.
For Seerat, the school has already demonstrated what such a platform can do.
After graduating in environmental science, she plans to pursue a master’s degree while continuing her association with the Nature School.
She wants the children she teaches to receive the same opportunities that helped transform her own confidence and understanding of the environment.
For Qadri, the larger purpose behind the initiative is to prepare the next generation to protect the natural world.
Children are introduced to forests, animals, wetlands, waste management, plantation and community participation — not simply as academic concepts but as responsibilities they can act on.
In a region where wetlands are under pressure, landscapes are rapidly changing and environmental concerns are becoming increasingly visible, the school offers a different way of looking at education.
Its classroom has no walls, its lessons have no fixed syllabus and its students do not pay a fee.
Instead, they learn by observing, questioning, creating and stepping outside.
And on Sunday mornings, when children arrive carrying their curiosity, the reward for the volunteers is often something much simpler than a certificate.
It is the sight of a child holding up a sheet of paper, smiling and proudly saying, “See what we have made.”
