Final weekend, my husband and I launched into an exhilarating hike with our 1.5-year-old son. We set off at 5 am to achieve the village of Bhutivali, close to Karjat. After having fun with breakfast at a neighborhood’s residence, we started our trek, crossing a serene lake en path to a waterfall. The sight of the picturesque lake was a real feast for the eyes.
As we took turns carrying our son, a lightweight drizzle energised us. After practically an hour and a half, we reached the waterfall and knew the trouble was properly value it. Watching our son delight within the water, chase butterflies, and play with different youngsters reminded us that some experiences are priceless.
After having fun with some sizzling Maggi and tea close to the waterfall, we began our return journey, solely to be greeted by a herd of cows and buffaloes. Our son was fully captivated, sitting and watching them for a number of minutes. We ultimately needed to coax him away with a promise to deliver him again!
We returned residence that night, our hearts full and our pockets brimming with unforgettable reminiscences, realising what we had been lacking all alongside. Our son had made new mates — hens, cows, butterflies, and swans — and people easy moments made the day really particular.
In an more and more digital world the place youngsters are sometimes glued to screens, introducing them to nature has by no means been extra necessary. Nehal Shah realised this after turning into a mom. As an avid trekker, she sought out locations and journeys appropriate for her toddler, however her searches solely led to indoor actions. Pissed off by the shortage of out of doors choices for younger youngsters, she determined to create one thing herself.
At 2.5 years outdated, she took her son on a tenting journey to Kamshet, Maharashtra, dispelling a number of myths alongside the best way. That first journey was a sport changer, revealing a brand new aspect of her youngster and sparking an concept. Impressed by his pleasure, Nehal based ‘Coronary heart & Soil’ — a Mumbai-based enterprise that curates nature-based journey experiences. It presents wilderness excursions, farming actions, treks, nature trails, tenting, stargazing nights, and rural visits, offering households with enriching outside experiences.
Based in 2016, Coronary heart & Soil has helped over 2,000 households and youngsters reconnect with nature. Nehal’s son, Dev, now 10, has launched into hikes in Himachal, snorkelled, camped, and loved numerous different adventures. Right now, he evokes his mom to embrace the outside and deal with difficult treks, a testomony to the transformative energy of nature of their lives.
‘Kids will not be purported to stay in containers’
Rising up in Mumbai, Nehal’s childhood was full of reminiscences of enjoying in gardens and nurturing vegetation. Her fondest moments have been spent tending to the greenery of their residence alongside her father and grandfather. She additionally developed empathy for birds and animals throughout household visits to nature parks, which deeply influenced her love for the pure world.
A media skilled, she was launched to trekking via a membership at one among her workplaces, Radio Mirchi. Exploring the Western Ghats ignited a newfound ardour and deepened her appreciation for the outside, setting the muse for what would later turn out to be Coronary heart & Soil.
Even after marriage, Nehal continued her backpacking journeys throughout the nation. When she grew to become a mom practically a decade in the past, she needed to share the identical experiences along with her son. Nevertheless, dwelling in a concrete jungle, she realised that Dev couldn’t merely go outdoors and play as she had carried out in her childhood. Whereas she took him to close by parks and for walks alongside Marine Drive, she strongly desired to present him the type of nature-filled experiences she had cherished rising up.
“I noticed youngsters attending back-to-back courses. The world appeared very totally different from the one I had grown up in and actually, it scared me. I needed to indicate my son the best option to stay and provides him publicity to the nice open air. We aren’t meant to stay in containers,” Nehal tells The Higher India.
As a brand new mom, Nehal was decided to not deprive her youngster of the life-changing experiences that nature presents. She additionally needed to proceed her personal adventures, along with her son by her aspect. Leaving her toddler at residence was by no means an possibility she thought-about.
Armed with an concept, one night in 2016, she posted on her Fb web page about her plan to go on a tenting journey to Kamshet, simply two hours from Mumbai. She invited different dad and mom to affix, and to her shock, the response was overwhelming. Over 30 individuals confirmed up for that first journey, which featured home-cooked snacks from Nehal’s kitchen.
Like several new mom, she was a bit apprehensive about how her son would react to the brand new setting. However all her worries have been rapidly eased by the constructive expertise they shared.
“We bonded so properly throughout that first tenting journey. The expertise bust all of the myths which are round taking youngsters outdoors. All the youngsters together with Dev have been so excited. They bought to fulfill totally different individuals and have totally different experiences. I realised that every one the apprehensions are in our thoughts,” she says.
They didn’t care about tents or luxurious rooms. By going with the move, Nehal and her son bonded over their shared love for nature. After that first journey, there was no turning again. When Dev was 3.5 years outdated, they went on a jungle safari, and by the point he was 4, they tackled a Himalayan trek collectively.
Initially, Nehal had deliberate to go on the trek alone, however she determined to ask Dev if he needed to affix. She defined the difficult dwelling situations and the issue of the eight-kilometre hike. To her delight, the younger boy was keen and prepared for the journey!
Whereas trekking the difficult Jalori Cross, the situations grew to become so powerful that many adults turned again. However younger Dev pressed on, matching every step with the information, leaving his mom behind. When Nehal lastly reached the highest after finishing the demanding trek, she discovered her four-year-old son fortunately chatting with different trekkers, beaming with delight.
“Nature is the most effective instructor. It teaches us easy methods to deal with each success and failure, and instills adaptability and resilience in youngsters. Via nature, they develop a deeper take care of the setting and turn out to be extra open to new experiences. It fosters youngsters who’re versatile, grounded, and fewer fussy,” she says.
Since then, together with Nehal, Dev, now 10 years outdated, has launched into a backpacking journey to Dharamshala, the place he stayed with locals; lived in a hostel in Hampi; accomplished a 10-day Uncover Scuba course; trekked to the Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan; gone paragliding, and far more.
Yearly, Nehal presents her son a brand new expertise. These outside adventures haven’t solely expanded his horizons but in addition strengthened their bond, permitting them to spend high quality time collectively with out screens or distractions.
‘Nature teaches you what no faculty can’
Along with serving to her personal son bond with nature, Nehal has enabled different dad and mom to do the identical via Coronary heart & Soil. The thought, she explains, is to construct life expertise via numerous experiences. Whereas working full-time, she nonetheless managed to organise two journeys a month in and round Mumbai — providing distinctive actions like strawberry selecting, rappelling, kayaking, farm visits, and hikes.
Rhituparna Mitra, a mom of two, joined one among Nehal’s journeys when her older daughter was simply three years outdated. She beloved the expertise a lot that she grew to become a daily participant in Coronary heart & Soil’s many getaways — which included forest walks, safaris, kayaking, and extra. When her second child got here alongside, Rhituparna continued her outside adventures, beginning with the toddler in a child service.
“What I’ve observed is that youngsters, by default, do very properly in nature. My youngsters are fascinated by nature. Being on these trails or hikes promotes a connection together with your youngsters, your self and nature. You be taught together with your youngsters and it ignites in them, a quest to be taught extra. Crucial factor is that youngsters are self-engaged in nature,” she says.
Right now, Rhituparna is curating a Meghalaya journey with Nehal to encourage extra dad and mom to get their youngsters out and uncover the distinctive bonds which are fashioned amongst youngsters and like-minded adults.
Over time, Nehal expanded Coronary heart & Soil to incorporate journeys outdoors Maharashtra like wildlife safaris. At the moment, she is planning journeys to Meghalaya and a wildlife safari to Pench, Madhya Pradesh. After operating it alongside her full-time job for over a decade, she determined to concentrate on it full-time in 2024. What units her journeys aside is that youngsters of all ages are welcome, making it simpler for folks with toddlers to journey and revel in nature collectively.
“You’ll bond as a household and perceive one another higher. Your youngsters is not going to keep in mind the devices or fancy presents. They may keep in mind these experiences that you just gave them. It develops their character,” she says.
For fogeys with youngsters beneath three, she says that don’t consider it as a problem. “Simply float. You’ll expertise the highs and lows, and misses and hits. Take the whole lot with a pinch of salt because it’s all a part of the journey,” she says.
Providing some phrases of recommendation to oldsters in an more and more aggressive world, she says, “Don’t take parenting as a stress. Decelerate. It’s okay to not be busy on a regular basis. Let your youngsters get pleasure from their childhood. There’s a world past devices and video video games.”
“Travelling teaches each you and your youngsters mindfulness and the significance of being current. It helps you shed your ego as you come to understand that you’re not better than nature. No faculty can present the teachings that nature presents. Moreover, it fosters a powerful sense of group sure by a shared love for the pure world,” she concludes.
Edited by Pranita Bhat, Pictures Courtesy Nehal Shah
