Frame the Wild

There is something different about experiencing a campus early in the morning. Before the day gathers momentum, the surroundings are quieter, the air feels calmer, and the sounds of nature become easier to notice. The rustling of leaves, movement among the trees and calls of birds create a soundscape that often goes unnoticed during the busy academic day. It was within this setting that Avian Allies, the Bird Watching Club of CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, organised an early morning Bird Walk for students.

The Bird Walk was conducted in collaboration with Focus Club, the Photography Club and CDL, bringing together two complementary ways of engaging with nature: observing and documenting it. The walk began at 6:30 AM at the Learning Café, Central Block, and followed the route through the Promenade towards the Bridge. The activity encouraged participants to step away from their usual routines and explore the campus through a closer look at its avian life.

Learning to Look Closely

One of the key highlights of the Bird Walk was the identification of 16 different bird species during the activity. For participants, this was an opportunity to discover the variety of birdlife that exists within the campus environment.

The walk was supported by Veer Vijay, Student Coordinator of Avian Allies, who helped participants identify the birds they encountered and shared information about their distinctive traits and characteristics. His guidance transformed the walk into an interactive learning experience, where participants could ask questions, compare observations and learn to recognise birds through their appearance and behaviour.

Rather than learning about birds only through books or photographs, participants were able to encounter them in their natural surroundings. Observing a bird in its habitat, noticing how it moves, listening to its call and paying attention to its physical characteristics provided a more experiential form of learning.

The experience also highlighted the value of peer-led learning. Student coordinators can play an important role in making knowledge-sharing accessible and engaging, particularly when learning takes place in an informal setting such as a nature walk.

Seeing Through a Different Lens

The collaboration with Focus Club added a creative dimension to the activity. Members of the Focus Club and CDL captured photographs of the birds and moments from the walk, documenting the experience through visual storytelling.

Photography and bird watching naturally complement each other. Both require patience, attention and an ability to notice details. A photographer waiting for the right frame and a birder waiting to identify a bird are both practising a similar skill: slowing down and observing carefully.

The presence of cameras encouraged participants to look more closely at the environment. A bird perched briefly on a branch, the details of its feathers, its posture or the way it interacted with its surroundings could become a moment worth noticing and capturing. Through this process, photography became more than documentation—it became another way of connecting with nature.

The Campus as a Living Classroom

The Bird Walk also demonstrated how the university campus can serve as a living classroom. Learning does not always need to happen within four walls. The trees, open spaces, pathways and habitats around the campus provide opportunities for students to explore ecology and biodiversity through direct experience.

Identifying 16 bird species during one morning offered participants a glimpse into the diversity of life present around them. It also encouraged greater awareness of the relationship between birds and their surroundings. Paying attention to where birds were found, how they moved and what characteristics helped distinguish one species from another encouraged participants to engage with their environment more consciously.

Such experiences can also contribute to developing a sense of responsibility towards local biodiversity. When people become familiar with the species around them, they are more likely to notice and value the natural spaces that support them.

An Experience Beyond Bird Watching

While bird identification was central to the activity, the Bird Walk offered much more than learning bird names. It created an opportunity for students to spend time outdoors, practise mindful observation and engage with their surroundings away from the usual academic routine.

The event also brought together students and members of different campus groups around a shared interest in nature and creativity. The involvement of Avian Allies, Focus Club and CDL demonstrated how student-led initiatives can create meaningful interdisciplinary experiences.

The morning walk became a space for observation, conversation, photography, peer learning and exploration. Participants were able to discover that even familiar routes can reveal something new when approached with curiosity and attention.

Looking Closer at What We Share

The Avian Allies Bird Walk was ultimately an invitation to notice the life that exists alongside us. The identification of 16 bird species demonstrated that the campus is home to a varied and active avian community, much of which can easily go unnoticed amid everyday routines.

Through the guidance of our student Veer Vijay, the visual documentation by Focus Club and CDL members, and the participation of students, the event brought together learning and creativity in an outdoor setting.

The experience served as a reminder that connecting with nature does not always require travelling far. Sometimes, it begins by slowing down on a familiar pathway, listening to a bird call, looking up into the trees and asking a simple question: What lives here?

The Bird Walk encouraged participants to do exactly that to observe, explore, capture and connect with the natural world around them.

Avian Allies continues to create opportunities for students to discover, appreciate and learn from the biodiversity that shares their campus.