All Women Nature Walk – 16th Outing at Cubbon Park
The Bangalore Chapter of All Women Nature Walks (AWNW) held its 16th outing on Sunday, 23rd February 2025, at Cubbon Park. Around 18 participants came together for this event. This walk was organised in collaboration with Nadhi – She for Climate, a community dedicated to inspiring women in climate action through networking, mentorship, and skill-building.
The walk began with a brief introduction by Mittal, who talked about All Women Nature Walks—its purpose, frequency, and commitment to connecting women with nature. Our guide and naturalist, Vena Kapoor, then introduced herself and spoke about her work with Nature Classrooms.
Sensory Exploration Activity
After quick introductions, participants were divided into small groups of 3-4 and given either a Spring Bingo Sheet or a Zine (Sense Exploration) Sheet. The Zine Sheet featured symbols representing the five senses—nose (smell), eyes (sight), ears (hearing), tongue (taste), hands (touch)—plus a heart (emotions). The aim was to explore the surroundings and find objects that fit these categories, reflecting on any emotional connections—Did a particular scent trigger a childhood memory? Did a texture evoke a familiar feeling?
The Spring Bingo Sheet transformed the walk into an engaging treasure hunt, encouraging participants to spot seasonal changes like new leaves, birdsong, spiderlings, or intricate leaf patterns. (Download the activity sheets below!)
Vena explaining the Spring Bingo and Sensory Exploration Activity
Spring Bingo Activity Designed by Nature Classrooms Team at NCF
Participants participating in Sensory Exploration Activity and learning about Merlin Bird Id App
Reflection & Discussion
After the activity, everyone gathered in a circle to share their experiences. Many reflected on how this exercise deepened their observation skills.
Vena then introduced the concept of Shifting Baseline Syndrome and Intergenerational Amnesia—how each generation perceives their environment as “normal,” even if it has significantly changed over time. She illustrated this with an example: when someone from a city visits a tea or coffee plantation, they often perceive it as a beautiful “natural and green” space, unaware that it may have once been a biodiverse forest teeming with wildlife and a diverse ecosystem. This sparked a discussion on questioning our surroundings:
- Has this landscape always looked like this?
- What changes have occurred over time?
- Why do certain organisms have specific structures or behaviors?
Reflection and Discussion session
Exploring & Citizen Science
The group then set out for a nature walk, observing insects, spiders, plants, and birds. Discussions ranged from natural history and ecological relationships to the unpredictable and bizarre behaviours of nature. Participants were also introduced to citizen science and how they can contribute to biodiversity records through apps like:
- iNaturalist – Helps document species, even if one doesn’t know the name, as the community assists with identification.
- Merlin Bird ID – Assists with bird identification using sound recognition and a step-by-step guide, making it beginner-friendly.
Encouraging Curiosity
A key takeaway from the walk was the importance of curiosity. Many of us grow up in systems that discourage questioning, yet curiosity is at the heart of observation, awe and discovery. By cultivating a habit of inquiry—
- Why does a spider have this shape? Do all spiders build the same kind of webs to catch prey?
- Do all spiders live in similar habitats?
- Why is this bug called an assassin bug?
— we can develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world.
This activity provided a fresh perspective for many participants, encouraging them to move beyond just taking photos and moving towards engaging more deeply and affectionately with nature.
Useful links
- Critter Photos from this walk
- Bird list for this walk
- Downloadable Bingo Sheets
- Downloadable Pocket Guide on Insects and Spiders by Vena Kapoor
- Bird Pocket Guides by Early Bird
- Merlin Bird ID App
- eBird App
Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to Neha Satheesan, Malvika Vaz, Shalini Bharat, and the entire Nadhi team for coordinating this walk. Special thanks to Vena Kapoor for leading the session and sharing her expertise!
Ready to reconnect with nature? We’d love to have you join our next walk
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- Have any questions? Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
