Green Pencil Foundation, in collaboration with Haritashray Eco Club of Lady Irwin College, organised a Campus Bird Walk at Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, on 22 September 2026 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
The one-hour experiential session brought students and members of the college community closer to the birds and biodiversity present within their own campus. The activity was designed to encourage participants to look at their everyday surroundings through a nature-observation lens and understand that meaningful encounters with biodiversity can happen even within an urban educational campus.
Learning to Observe Birds Beyond Identification
The walk was facilitated and guided by Mr. Sandy Khanda, Founder, Green Pencil Foundation, who introduced participants to practical approaches to bird observation.
Rather than focusing only on identifying bird species, the session encouraged participants to observe bird behaviour, movement, calls, feeding patterns, habitat preferences and interactions with their surroundings. Participants were encouraged to slow down, listen carefully and observe the campus environment before attempting to identify a bird.
Birdwatching can be undertaken by people without specialised scientific training, while careful observations by citizen observers can also contribute useful information for understanding birds and their habitats.
Sandy also discussed how simple habits such as carrying binoculars when available, maintaining a field notebook, recording the location and time of an observation, listening to bird calls and documenting behaviour can help develop a deeper interest in urban biodiversity.
Faculty Members Join the Campus Biodiversity Initiative
The bird walk was also attended by Dr. Vandana Maurya, Assistant Professor, Department of Science, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, and Dr. Bindu, Assistant Professor, Department of Food Technology, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi.
Dr. Bindu presented the vote of thanks and expressed appreciation to Green Pencil Foundation for organising the guided bird walk and creating an opportunity for students to engage directly with nature within the college campus.
Ms. Bhumi Pathak, President of Haritashray Eco Club, Lady Irwin College, was also present during the programme and supported the initiative.
Bringing Nature Education into Everyday Spaces
The Campus Bird Walk was not only a birding activity but also an effort to demonstrate the value of nature-based experiential learning in educational institutions.
College campuses can provide important opportunities for students to notice trees, insects, birds and other forms of urban biodiversity that are often overlooked in everyday academic routines. Regular observation can help students develop curiosity about ecological relationships and encourage them to become more attentive to changes in their local environment.
For Green Pencil Foundation, such programmes are part of a broader effort to promote environmental education, biodiversity awareness and meaningful engagement with nature among young people.
Encouraging a Culture of Birdwatching
The session also highlighted birdwatching as an accessible activity that can begin with simple observation. Participants were encouraged to ask questions such as:
- What birds are present around us?
- Where do they feed and rest?
- What types of calls do they make?
- How do they respond to people and other birds?
- Which trees and plants attract different birds?
- How does the campus environment influence bird activity?
Such questions can gradually turn a casual sighting into a meaningful nature observation.
A Step Towards Biodiversity-Friendly Campuses
The collaboration between Green Pencil Foundation and Haritashray Eco Club of Lady Irwin College reflects the growing role that student-led environmental groups can play in connecting education with local biodiversity.
The 22 September campus bird walk provided participants with an opportunity to pause from their regular routines, observe the living world around them and understand that conservation awareness can begin with something as simple as looking closely at the birds in our own surroundings.
Green Pencil Foundation looks forward to continuing its collaboration with educational institutions and eco-clubs across Delhi-NCR to create more opportunities for students to experience, observe and learn from nature.
