I have always believed in the quote, ?success is gained by sharing knowledge not hoarding it?, so this winter I actually wanted to share my knowledge and educate people on various environmental issues. Recently I had organised an art out of waste/up-cycling workshop for children of my environmental group, We Care. I had specially invited an environmental enthusiast to conduct the workshop and teach the various techniques of up-cycling. I started out by asking them a question based on our relationship with Mother Earth. This left them thinking about the various impacts we have on Earth. I then gave them a brief introduction on how we can reduce the negative impacts we, as humans, have on earth. I explained how planet Earth is becoming planet Plastic and how the manufacture of plastic, as well as its destruction by incineration, pollutes air, land and water and exposes workers to toxic chemicals, including carcinogens. I concluded by saying, ?We can help resolve or at least reduce the issue by doing our bit towards the environment?. The children seemed very inquisitive and involved as I was explaining. I then handed it over to the art & craft instructor to take over. She started by explaining the ways we can up-cycle the waste in our house. She explained two techniques of up-cycling that were very interesting for the children to learn and comprehend. The first was DIY which was basically decorating old mason jars, wine bottles, etc. by yourself using artistic techniques. She demonstrated and explained how this techniques can beautify old, useless bottles and jars and put them to use. The second technique was loved by almost everyone. It was decoupage art. This technique used waste tissue paper to embellish an ugly jar/bottle. She demonstrated the step-by-step process of painting the bottle and then gluing the tissue around it very neatly in combination with paints and varnish. I had instructed the children to get empty unused glass jars and bottles from home and a cloth duster instead of using tissue paper to wipe their hands. At the end they put LED light inside the bottle that looked amazing on being illuminated. 

The success and productivity of the workshop was evident from the active involvement of the audience in all stages of the event and the natural sense of environmentalism and concern for Mother Earth that they adopted at the end of the day.