Page 10 - final March 2025

Medicinal Plants in Environmental Campaigns

During our Anti-Firecracker Campaign (Green Diwali, Eco Swasth Diwali), we distributed
Tulsi saplings instead of sweets, encouraging families to "Breathe Tulsi, not Smoke." Parents
were asked to write pledges on seed paper, and we displayed visual testimonials showing the
role of plants in lung and skin health. These campaigns embedded science with activism,
compassion, and creativity.
The Green Curriculum: Biology Beyond Textbooks
As a biology teacher, I have redesigned certain modules to incorporate medicinal plant knowledge.
For instance:
•Cell structure lessons now include viewing cross-sections of turmeric and ginger under the
microscope.
•In the chapter on ‘The World of the Living’, we discuss biopiracy, sustainable harvesting, and
bioprospecting.
•In evolution lessons, we explore how plants developed chemical defenses, which became our
medicines.
These enrich the syllabus while making students see ecology and ethnobotany as living sciences.

Conclusion: Roots of Resilience, Seeds of Change

Medicinal plants are not
just about healing the
body—they are about
healing our relationship
with nature. In nurturing
them, our students develop
respect for biodiversity,
scientific curiosity, and
empathy for traditional
wisdom. They learn that
solutions do not always
come from labs—they also
come from leaves, rituals, and conversations with elders.
As we look to a future of climate uncertainty, lifestyle diseases, and mental health challenges,
medicinal plants offer a grounded, green response. The goal is not to romanticize the past
but to integrate its sustainable practices into today’s world—with the rigor of
science and the care of community.
Shilpi Bhattacharya
In our school garden, every leaf tells a story. And in every
Tagore International student, we are planting not just knowledge—but the
School,
East of Kailash instinct to protect, preserve, and pass on the
power of nature’s healing touch.

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-2025