Green Club

On June 5th, 2024, a photography contest was organized at BVM Holy Cross College, Cherpunkal in celebration of World Environment Day. The contest was jointly organized by the Green Club and the NSS (National Service Scheme) unit of the college. Ms. Diviamol Thomas and Mr. Janson Varghese served as the coordinators, overseeing the planning and execution of the event.

The theme of the photography contest was “The Nature.” Participants were encouraged to capture the beauty and diversity of the natural world through their lenses, emphasizing the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable practices.

The contest attracted participation from students across various disciplines, showcasing their creativity and passion for photography. Entries encompassed a wide range of subjects including landscapes, wildlife, flora, and natural elements, each offering a unique perspective on the theme.

A distinguished panel of judges, comprising faculty members and professional photographers was responsible for evaluating the entries. Judging criteria included creativity, technical proficiency, relevance to the theme, and overall visual impact.

Following thorough evaluation, winners were selected in various categories based on their photographic merit and alignment with the contest’s theme. Prizes were awarded to the top entries, recognizing their outstanding contributions to capturing the essence of “The Nature.” Honorable mentions were also acknowledged for their noteworthy submissions. Mr. Adith Sunil, Second year MSW batch got first price.

The Green Club of BVM Holy Cross College Cherpunkal conducted a seminar on the topic “Role of Youth in Climate Action” at Education Theatre of the College at 12.00 Pm on 18th October 2023. The session was presided by Rev. Dr. Baby Sebastian Thonikuzhy. Mr. Janson Varghese, Faculty Coordinator of the event welcomed the gathering. The Keynote address on the topic was given by Mr. Jayakrishnan B S, Operations Head, C5 Foundation (Change Can Change Climate Change) Thiruvananthapuram. There were 60 participants in the program and the seminar enabled the members of green club to rethink on their role to protect environment by the active engagement in the climate action programs conducted globally as well as locally.  The participants of the program were introduced to the sustainable life practices that ensures a healthy life. Mr. Janson Varghese was the faculty Coordinator of the Program and Ms. Divia Mol Thomas & Ms. Resmi Benny (Faculty Coordinators – Green Club) were also present.

As part of the World Elephant Day Observation on 12^th August 2023, A Debate was conducted for the members of Green Club at the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Vallakkadavu, Thekkady. The debate was led by the Green Club Coordinator Ms Resmi Benny, with the agenda of opening the doors of awareness and creativity among them and providing a platform for the students to voice their diverse opinions and learn from the different perspectives to the same notion.

The Green club together with the Human Library of BVM Holy Cross College organized a three day nature camp at Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady. Around forty club members participated in the camp. The camp aimed to raise awareness about tiger and elephant conservation and provide a platform for students to engage in educational and cultural activities.The Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady Nature Camp provided students with an opportunity to learn, engage, and connect with nature on a deeper level. The combination of educational sessions, outdoor activities, and cultural events ensured a well-rounded and memorable experience for all participants. The camp not only enriched the participants’ understanding of
conservation but also encouraged them to become ambassadors of nature in their respective communities.

‘Throw less campaign’ which aimed at promoting the concept of reducing and reusing pens was officially inaugurated in college campus by Rev. Dr. Baby Sebastian Thonnikuzhy on 11 July 2023.  Staff and students were made aware of the importance of the campaign and their role and after this, each department was provided with a carton box to drop used pens. Student representatives were sent to each class to explain this campaign to students. An active participation of students and staff was seen from each department. Each day students collected pens from their homes and neighbourhood and dropped them in the box. By 15th July 2023, the collection ended and these pens were used to make an installation of Chandrayaan 3 which was  the latest matter of India’s pride. Two students from the Visual Communication department- Aeigin and Anton worked on the installation and they made it a real success. The same was presented in reception on the day of inauguration of Green Club activities of the year 2023-2024 with several awareness quotes relating to Reducing and reusing

1st July 2023 to 7th July 2023 was celebrated as the Van Mahotsav Week. As part of this programme the Green Club shared a brochure with students and faculty which emphasises the importance of the Forest in human life.

The program activities of Green Club for academic year 2023-2024 was officially inaugurated on 20 July 2023 by Dr. Punnen Kurian, Director of Tropical Institute of Ecological Studies (TIES). He gave a detailed and very interesting session on various eco-friendly activities that can be initiated by colleges. This included activities like making a butterfly garden, medicinal garden, training school students on making nature friendly toys, nature walk, waste decomposition, water tank recharging, bird’s nest preparation etc. He also emphasised on the concept of reducing and reusing. Sustainability as an important concept was discussed by giving several examples. He motivated students gathered there to promote a nature friendly attitude as they are the future of today’s world. Nearly 150 students having green club membership attended the session and they all commended the session to be really thought provoking and enlightening. Nearly 150 students having green club membership attended the session and they all commended the session to be really thought provoking and enlightening.

As part of inauguration, ‘Throw less campaign’ was also conducted by Green club which aimed at collecting used pens and making an installation with that. Nearly 1000+ pens were collected from staff and students and an installation having the shape of Chandrayan 3 was set up with the help of two students from the Visual Communication department. It was displayed at the college reception on that day.