A class IX project on Celebration of Nature in Ancient Indian Literature for students of Lilavatibai Podar High School ISC in Santa Cruz, asked the kids to draft a conclusion that discusses how rampant destruction of the environment for economic gains will leave us poorer, and how Indian texts including the Panchatantra, Jataka Tales and the Vedas in fact, carry within them lessons for co-existence.

Given that scientists around the world are urging governments fighting the Coronavirus outbreak to look closer at the connection between climate change and pandemics, and have highlighted how destruction of wildlife habitat and transporting commodities and people from one part of the world to another, is largely responsible for the emergence of new pathogens (microorganism that can cause disease) that we have no immunity to, the school project might just impress upon young minds the critical need to conserve nature.