Dumka: In the state’s tribal belt, a quiet yet powerful movement is taking shape — one teaching children lessons far beyond textbooks.At Dumarthar School under Jarmundi block in Dumka district, students are becoming unlikely guardians of the environment through a simple, compassionate act: feeding and watering birds daily.Launched by headmaster Sapan Kumar, the school’s ‘dana-paani’ (grain and water) campaign , over the last seven years, evolved into a living classroom on environmental conservation. Earthen bowls filled with water hang from trees, while grains are carefully placed in shaded corners — small gestures that offer life-saving support to birds struggling in rising heat and shrinking habitats. Climate change, falling water tables and increasing pollution have severely impacted bird populations.Every morning, students begin their day not just with lessons, but with responsibility. They refill water pots, scatter grains and observe the birds that flock to the makeshift sanctuaries. “The initiative has helped children develop empathy for all living beings,” said Kumar. “Even the National Education Policy (NEP) suggests that students must be taught through ‘do-it-yourself’ methods,” he added.Kumar recalled that when he joined, the school stood on barren land. “Through community participation, we have now turned the areas in and around the school into a green zone by first undertaking mega plantation drives followed by dana-paani campaign gradually. Hearing birds chirp today or seeing any bird nesting in the vicinity gives us a different sense of happiness,” said Kumar, adding that there is a need for grassroots intervention everywhere to reverse the trend of disappearing species. “See how vulture numbers have declined by nearly 99%,” he rued.“Through community participation, we have now turned the areas in and around the school into a green zone by first undertaking mega plantation drives followed by dana-paani campaign gradually. Hearing birds chirp today or seeing any bird nesting in the vicinity gives us a different sense of happiness,” said Kumar, adding that there is a need for grassroots intervention everywhere to reverse the trend of disappearing species. “See how vulture numbers have declined by nearly 99%,” he rued.What sets the initiative apart is its community connect. “Not just students, even their parents or other villagers fill pots or pour grains almost daily. Such is the connect that not a single pot was ever broken by anyone,” he claimed.Sunita Kumar, a Class VIII student, said that feeding birds has become her passion for the last few years. “All students in our class own one pot each and ensure that they are never empty. Daily, we clean them and hang them again after refilling,” she said.