Chapter 4: Growing up with Nature

Chapter at a Glance

Reena and Amit travel with their family to their village near a forest for a harvest festival. The same day, the village is to become fully solar-powered. On the way they see trees full of bright orange-red flowers. Their father tells them it is the Palash tree, called the ‘flame of the forest’ because the whole forest looks fiery when it blooms.

In the village, the houses are built from clay, hay, cow dung and other natural materials. Their walls are decorated with paintings made from rice flour and water. Their grandmother paints cloth using colours taken from flowers, leaves and powdered stones, much like Gond art. The children see earthen pots lined with neem leaves and bamboo baskets coated with cow dung that keep grains safe from insects. They learn about the Jenu Kuruba tribe of Karnataka, who sing songs to apologise to bees when collecting honey. Dada ji shows them a neem oil mixture that keeps mosquitoes away.

In the evening the solar-powered village lights up. People in traditional clothes pray to God and Mother Nature, and dance to the beat of the dhol and nagada. Reena and Amit learn that many festivals, such as Vat Purnima, are linked with plants and animals, and that sacred groves are forests protected by local people. They think about ways to thank nature: reducing paper waste, saying no to plastic, planting trees and feeding birds.

Word Meanings

Important Topics

1. The Palash Tree

• Its orange-red flowers make the forest look like it is on fire, so it is called the ‘flame of the forest’.
• In Gujarat, Palash is called Kesuda.

2. Houses Made of Natural Materials

• Made using clay, hay, cow dung and other natural materials.
• Walls are painted with a dye of rice flour mixed with water.
• Such houses stay cool in summer and warm in winter, and do not harm nature.

3. Natural Colours and Tribal Art

• Colours are made from flowers, leaves, bark, roots and powdered coloured stones.
• Gond art is a wall painting style that uses natural colours to draw trees, animals, birds and people.

Steps to make a natural dye

1. Collect flowers, leaves, bark or roots with colour, such as beetroot, hibiscus or marigold.
2. Boil them in 1 to 2 litres of water for 30 to 60 minutes, with the pot covered (with an adult’s help).
3. Strain out the plant parts; the coloured liquid is the dye.
4. Soak a light-coloured cloth in it overnight, squeeze it and dry it.

4. Traditional Ways of Storing Grain

5. Respect for Nature

• Jenu Kuruba tribe (Karnataka): ‘Jenu’ means honey. They sing songs to apologise to bees while collecting honey.
• Sacred groves: Small forests protected by local communities, where trees and wildlife are kept safe.

6. Medicinal Plants

7. Festivals Linked with Nature

8. Ways to Care for Nature

• Reduce paper waste and say no to plastic.
• Plant trees and keep food and water for birds.
• Organise clean-up drives and spread awareness about saving plants.

Question-Answers

Very Short Answer Questions

1. Where were Reena and Amit going? To their village near a forest for a harvest festival.
2. What was special about the village that day? It was becoming fully solar-powered.
3. Which tree is called the ‘flame of the forest’? Palash.
4. What is Palash called in Gujarat? Kesuda.
5. What did grandmother use to paint the walls? A dye made of rice flour and water.
6. What is Gond art? A tribal wall painting style using natural colours.
7. Why were earthen pots lined with neem leaves? To keep insects away from the grain.
8. What does ‘Jenu’ mean? Honey.
9. What did Dada ji rub on to stop mosquito bites? A mixture made with neem oil.
10. Name two musical instruments played at the festival. Dhol and nagada.
11. What are sacred groves? Forest patches protected by local communities.
12. Which tree is worshipped on Vat Purnima? The banyan tree.

Short Answer Questions

Q1. Why is Palash called the ‘flame of the forest’?

When Palash flowers bloom, the whole tree is covered with orange-red flowers. From far away, the forest looks as if it is on fire.

Q2. How were the village houses different from city houses?

Village houses were made of clay, hay, cow dung and other natural materials. Their walls were decorated with paintings made from rice flour and water.

Q3. How did villagers protect stored grain?

They lined earthen pots with neem leaves and coated bamboo baskets with cow dung. Both methods kept insects and pests away from the grain.

Q4. What do the Jenu Kurubas do while collecting honey? What does it show?

They sing songs to say sorry to the bees. It shows their respect for nature and its creatures.

Q5. What should be kept in a first-aid box?

Cotton, bandages, antiseptic liquid, antiseptic cream, scissors, a thermometer, pain-relief medicine and mosquito repellent.

Long Answer Questions

Q1. How is nature connected to the life of the villagers in this chapter?

The villagers build homes from clay, hay and cow dung. They make paints from flowers, leaves and stones. They store grain in pots lined with neem leaves and bamboo baskets. They use neem oil to keep mosquitoes away. They get electricity from sunlight, and at the festival they pray to Mother Nature. Their whole life depends on nature, and they respect it in return.

Q2. Describe how a natural dye is made and used.

First, collect plant parts that have colour, such as beetroot, hibiscus or marigold. Boil them in 1 to 2 litres of water for about half an hour to an hour, keeping the pot covered, with an elder’s help. Strain the liquid to remove the plant parts; this liquid is the dye. Soak a light-coloured cloth in the dye overnight, then squeeze it and dry it the next morning.

Q3. What problems arise when we overuse natural resources? How can we protect nature?

Overusing wood makes forests disappear. Overusing water dries up rivers and wells. Overusing soil makes it weak and infertile. Overfishing reduces sea life. To protect nature, we can plant trees, save water, avoid plastic, reduce paper waste, feed birds and organise clean-up drives at home, school and in parks.

Textbook Exercise Answers

Q1. Things we use from nature.

Q2. Challenges when natural resources are overused.

• Water: Rivers, ponds and wells dry up, and there is a shortage of drinking water.
• Soil: Soil loses its fertility and gets washed away.
• Sea products: Fish and other sea animals become fewer.
• Any other: Cutting too many trees leads to less rain and loss of animal homes.

Q3. How can we protect the environment?

Q4. Design your herbal garden.

Draw a garden with tulsi, mint (pudina), aloe vera, neem, curry leaves and lemongrass, and label each plant.

Other in-text questions

• Life without electricity for two days: no fans or lights, no charging phones, no water pump, and difficulty studying at night.
• Why is first-aid important? It stops bleeding, reduces pain and prevents an injury from getting worse before a doctor arrives.