The Tiger's Forest Workshop - New Delhi

Discovering the Tiger's Forest

It was the crack of dawn on a cold winter's morning in Ranthambore, Rajasthan, when my dad shook me awake. I resisted, unwilling to leave my blanketed cocoon. At just 10 years old, I was torn between the excitement of a game drive to see the famous Tiger in Ranthambore's forest and the comfort of sleeping on in my toasty bed. Maybe it was my Dad's persistence, or maybe just the thrill of seeing the world's most enigmatic, wild feline, but I did make it out of bed and was soon trundling through misty forests in an eight seater jeep with my nose and ears getting numb with the biting wind.

Initially, it felt like the forest was asleep. It was cold and dark with no sign of any bird or animal life. But then, as light shafts penetrated the overcast morning, we started to see the forest awaken. At first, our guide spotted a tawny fish owl peeking through the trees. Her yellow eyes blinked and stared mesmerizingly. Then around the corner, in a dappled clearing, we saw a herd of chitals frolicking in the morning sun. A few kilometers on we were greeted by grey langurs swinging from the branches above. Our guide started pointing to numerous birds twittering away in the canopy of the forest. There was so much to see - a feast for the eyes that made me realize, even if we didn't see the Tiger, the forest had so many other beautiful birds and animals to offer. And then, just when the game drive was about to end, through the bush, an orange spark. Silence fell over the jeep, as we crawled in closer. Tentatively, the bushes shook, but even though we must have been waiting for minutes on end, are gaze never wandered. "Finally", our ranger whispered, and from the undergrowth a Tiger emerged. Pictures do not capture the grace and power tigers effortlessly exude. With a sharp intake of cold winter air, I came face to face with the Queen of the Forest.

Tigress in Ranthambore | © Ayan Kamath Mehra

The Importance of Youth as Ambassadors for Wildlife

Although I was born and live in Singapore, I am originally from India. I visit India frequently, but that trip in 2017, was the first time I appreciated the land for its wildlife. In fact, I had always thought of India as crowded with people, bustling with energy, warm with great food and conversations; but never as a place for wildlife to thrive, as there were just too many humans! This couldn't be further from the truth, and it made me realize, that spreading awareness of our rich heritage among India's children, is the first step to creating a generation who will appreciate, protect and and support wildlife.

The Tiger's Forest - Delhi Edition

So, in January this year, I had the privilege of bringing The Tiger's Forest (TTF) workshop to elementary and middle school students at the International Delhi Public School (IDPS) and the Amar Public School. The Tiger's Forest is a project initiated by Drawing for the Planet working in partnership with Born Free Foundation, Wildlife SOS and savewildlife.art. I am very fortunate to be the Project Ambassador for the initiative, and help spread the message of wildlife conservation through art. And like I came to realize in Ranthambore all those years ago, the Tiger's Forest celebrates not just tigers, but all the beautiful animals that live in their ecosystem.

Why Are Tigers Endangered?

The first part of the Tiger's Forest workshop led by Born Free or it's partners, is about tigers, their habitats, and why their survival is threatened. Workbooks are handed out to students so that they can follow along with the lesson, and really engage with the complex reasons behind habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching. For the Delhi workshops, Aishwarya Reddy Ravugari from Wildlife SOS led this section. She is an amazing wildlife teacher, and inspired the kids to and ask and answer many questions. It struck me how interested many of the kids were in the idea of conservation, as I would think that living in the densely urban heart of Gurugram, wildlife wouldn't be top of mind. I distinctly remember one child asking the question, "What does rehabilitation mean? Can't we just release the animals back into the wild?"

"What does rehabilitation mean? Can't we just release the animals back into the wild?" - IDPS Student

This is a really interesting question, as the answer is complex and involves teaching people about how wildlife can only thrive in the wild if the conditions are right and they develop natural survival instincts suited to their environment. It also provokes a conversation on when and what kinds of captivity are acceptable, as rehabilitation often involved stints of semi-captivity for rescued animals in enclosures simulating their actual wild habitats.

Aishwarya Delivering the First Section @ IDPS & Amar Public School | © Wildlife SOS

From Passion to Action

After the tiger conservation lesson, I would take over the workshop and share my story - about getting involved as an 11 year old, 6th grader. I talked about my second trip to Africa in 2019, when I didn't see any rhinos, and how that ignited my quest to help wildlife. I explained how at the time, rhinos were my favorite animal, as their majestic horns, wise eyes, and bulletproof skin made them the coolest battle tanks of the savannah. It was a book my Mom bought me, by conservationist Lawrence Anthony from Thula Thula, that explained how rhinos were being brutally poached for their horns. This broke my heart and inspired me to do something about it. Despite being just 11 years old, and a student like them, I wanted to make a difference. I didn't know how to start back then, but I told the kids about how I reached out to many wildlife charities, and what they all told me to do was to raise awareness among my friends. While this was a good start, I felt I had to do more, so I combined my passions of art and wildlife to sell my drawings and raise funds for wildlife conservation that way. While first it was just family and friends buying my artwork, slowly, my project snowballed, and I was selling more and more to people I didn't even know. I also started working with charities, such as Wildlife SOS, ACRES in Singapore, and I became a Born Free Youth Ambassador.

Sharing my journey & BIRO instructions @ IDPS & Amar Public School | © Wildlife SOS

Drawing for Wildlife Conservation

Finally, I moved onto the last section (and most fun section) of the workshop. This was the practical Biro wildlife drawing workshop, where with the ballpoint pens we provided, students would create magnificent drawing of the animals that inhabit the Tiger's forest. Normally, this section would be led by Jane Lee McCracken, the founder of Drawing for the Planet, but she unfortunately couldn't make this round of workshops in person. Instead, I quickly went over the instruction on how to make biro drawings, which are drawing with ball point pens and no opportunity to erase any lines! It was interesting to see the differences between children in how they approached art. While some of them immediately started drawing, others were hesitant, their eyes darting from the reference to their blank paper. As an artist, I relate to this feeling. It is harder to start than to keep going. So, I sat with these students and helped them get started on their outline. And suddenly it was like a switch had flipped, and the drawing almost drew itself as hands flew over paper and intricate rhinos, birds, snakes, monkeys and tigers started to appear. The joy of seeing the biro pens snatched out of my hand, as these artists hit their "flow" was incredible.

As an artist, I relate to this feeling. It is harder to start than to keep going.

Biro Art in Action @ IDPS & Amar Public School | © Wildlife SOS

Tiger's Forest workshop drawings from IDPS | © Wildlife SOS

After everyone had themselves and their artwork pictured by Wildlife SOS's photographer, there was a feedback form from Drawing for the Planet that the children could fill out. It was really cool to see that many of the kids reflected not only on their drawings, but on their thoughts about the importance of wildlife conservation in India.

Amar Public School Students with their biro art | © Wildlife SOS

I left New Delhi feeling especially lucky to have been a part of the Tiger's Forest workshop at two special schools with incredibly talented and passionate artists. I look forward to the next chapters of The Tiger's Forest in India, Singapore and around the world.

L to R: Class Picture Amar Public School, Class Picture IDPS, TTF New Delhi Team | © Wildlife SOS