Wild Shaale Celebrates 6 Years of Fostering Positive Relationships with Nature Among Students in India

Today, Wild Shaale, a conservation education program designed to engage young people from communities that regularly have contact with large species of wildlife like elephants, sloth bears and tigers, celebrates six years of building knowledge and empathy toward wildlife and the environment. The program was created by National Geographic Explorers Krithi Karanth and Gabby Salazar, who determined a need to establish environmental education in schools across India to foster positive human-wildlife relationships. In collaboration with the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) — of which Karanth is the chief executive officer — and with support from the National Geographic Society, they began developing an interactive curriculum designed to inspire students to learn about local wildlife and provide students with practical coexistence strategies and ways to take action to protect wildlife and wild spaces.

Students of a school in Bharathawadi, Karnataka interact with Dr. Krithi Karanth, National Geographic Explorer and chief executive officer of Centre for Wildlife Studies India. Designed by CWS as part of the Wild Shaale program, it aims to teach children about various animal groups in the region.

Alisha Vasudev

Wild Shaale officially launched in Nagarahole National Park, India, in 2018, reaching 70 schools and over 4,000 students. To date, the program has expanded to reach over 1,000 schools, 28 wildlife parks and over 50,000 students, increasing its impact ten-fold. The program has focused its efforts in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot with an estimated 50 million people who share space and resources with wildlife. They provide training, resources and curriculum to educators in this region so they can effectively engage students between the ages of 10-13 in their local languages. The Wild Shaale curriculum is currently available in seven languages: Kannada, Marathi, Konkani, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and English.

“Watching Indian children fall in love with our animals, plants and wild spaces has been deeply enriching and inspiring for our team at CWS,” said Karanth. “Wild Shaale is a testament to how imagination, creativity and empathy can create “magic” and foster environmental stewardship in children.”

Students at a school in Bharathawadi, Karnataka participate in 'Web of Life' an activity designed by Centre for Wildlife Studies India as part of their Wild Shaale program that focuses on teaching the interconnectedness between various components in an ecosystem.

Alisha Vasudev

Wild Shaale is a creative and scalable model for environmental education that requires very few resources or technology to implement effectively. The curriculum includes modules that use art, visual media and interactive games that can be implemented in schools and complement other initiatives that address long-term knowledge development and attitude shifts about human-wildlife coexistence. Current modules include discovering the wonderful world of plants, our shared environment, and exploring and mapping wildlife movement. This year, the program plans to introduce four more modules that address wildlife hunting and trade, the perils of plastic, and wildlife champions and careers.

“As we developed our curriculum, access and resources were a top priority. Most students that come into contact with wildlife are often from rural villages and attend schools with limited resources,” said Salazar. “Many educators have shared the impact Wild Shaale has had on their students, and it's so rewarding to hear how the program is not only contributing to a shift in perspective and empathy but also igniting curiosity and confidence in these students to know that they are capable of making a difference.”

Students of a school in Bharathawadi, Karnataka play an elephant foraging game designed by Centre for Wildlife Studies India as part of their Wild Shaale program, that highlights the needs of an elephant along with the limited resources available in the forest.

Alisha Vasudev

Two students from Kerala near Silent Valley National Park shared similar experiences where elephants were entering their villages and damaging their crops, which caused fear and frustration among their communities. After engaging in the Wild Shaale session, they began to understand that wildlife, including elephants, often venture into villages in search of essential resources like food and water due to habitat loss and diminishing forest areas. Their teachers sensed a significant shift in their attitude: instead of viewing these animals as a threat, the students began empathizing with the animals’ struggle for survival due to shrinking habitats. Rather than approach the situation with fear and anger, the students gained compassion and a growing sense of responsibility, recognizing the importance of finding sustainable ways to coexist harmoniously with wildlife.

These stories, among many others over the past six years, are a testament to Wild Shaale’s impact and its ability to foster lasting connections between children and wildlife. With continued support from the National Geographic Society and other donors, Karanth hopes to expand Wild Shaale’s reach to include schools across eight states in India and adapt the program to serve communities around the world — to all places where people regularly come into contact with wildlife.