Kota: In an innovative push to make environmental education interactive, trees at a govt school in Jhalawar district are now speaking to students. Under the initiative “Tree Talk – Every Tree Has Something to Say,” nearly 500 plants at the Mahatma Gandhi Govt School in the Pachpahar area have been equipped with QR codes. When scanned, the codes play audio messages where the plants themselves narrate their characteristics, uses, and environmental significance.This hands-on, activity-based approach places students at the center of the educational experience. Moving beyond traditional textbook learning, students actively researched the campus flora, wrote the audio scripts, and recorded their own voices. Project coordinator and state award-winning biology lecturer Divyendu Sen told TOI that the initiative integrates technology with educational psychology to focus on experiential learning. “The audio feature allows each plant to narrate its own story, making lessons more engaging,” he said.Principal Krishna Gopal Verma said the project, which began two years ago using standard PDFs, was specifically upgraded to this audio-based system to make learning more interactive and impactful. The campus features a diverse range of species—including peepal, banyan, neem, khejri, teak, arjun, mahua, and jamun—with clips detailing their suitable uses and limitations. To ensure the wider community can also engage with the project, several messages have been recorded in the local Malvi language.The audio library features a collaborative mix of voices, including school staff, students, and senior officials. A major highlight is the “Collector’s Tree,” a moringa (drumstick) plant featuring a special recording by district collector Ajay Singh Rathore, who highlights the plant’s high nutritional value and its role in tackling malnutrition.District administration and officials have lauded initiative, praising it as a innovative way to make environmental education engaging.
