AVNI- THE ECO CLUB of Gargi College, works towards creating an eco-friendly environment in and around the college thereby contributing towards saving our planet Earth. It was established to create environmental consciousness and develop environmental ethics among students. Every step humankind takes towards progress raises questions on environmental sustainability and our future. This necessitates for people to become aware and take action at the earliest. The Eco Club is an association of people with a common love towards our mother nature and one goal: protecting our environment. The Club aims to create 'clean and green consciousness' amongst students through various innovative methods and to involve students in open orientation and green programs in college.

• President : Avani : B.Com (Prog)
• Vice-President : Mansi Meena : B.Com (Prog)
• PR Head : Drishti Singh : B.Sc. Zoology (Hons)
• Social Media Head : Drishti Bhagwani : B.Sc. Microbiology (Hons)
• General Secretary : Apurva Sharma : B.A. (Hons) Political Science
• Social Media Head : Pratiksha Verma : B.Com. (Hons)
• Event Coordinator : Anam Ansari : B.Com (Hons)
• Program Coordinator : Dona : B.Com. (Prog)
• Program Coordinator : Anushka Kumari : B.Sc. Botany (Hons)
• Program Coordinator : Krishna : B.Sc. Botany (Hons)

Vision of AVNI: Becoming Nature-Wise

#H.O.P.E. (Harmony On Planet Earth)

Activities conducted in 2022-23

1. THE OZONE BUZZ

On the occasion of ozone day, Avni conducted "The Ozone Buzz" quiz competition. The main aim of the competition was to educate as many people as possible about the ozone layer. More than 85 students participated. This competition was open to all the students of Gargi College.

2. ARAVALLI BIODIVERSITY PARK TRIP

It was an educational trip for the members of the Avni to the Aravalli Biodiversity Park which was a wonderful chance to interact with nature. The place consisted of different types of Aravalli vegetation, a butterfly garden, an orchard, medicinal plants, and much more. The place was inhabited by different types of species. The trip made the students appreciate and realize the importance of flora and fauna around them.

3. AWARENESS RALLY

Avni had conducted a rally to raise awareness against the use of firecrackers on Diwali. Students walked all around the college for about half an hour, chanting slogans and making people aware about the cause. Many people pledged and said 'no' to crackers. All the things that were used during the rally were upcycled. Even the teachers joined hands along with the students.

4. BIOGAS WORKSHOP

Avni conducted an activity on solid waste management. A 2-day training program was organized to educate the volunteers about biogas production. Gargi College has a biogas production unit, and Avni brought a trainer to demonstrate its usage and how it works. The sole aim of the activity was to raise awareness about biogas production and how eco-friendly it is when put into use.

5. CLEANLINESS DRIVE

Avni conducted a cleanliness drive in the college premises after the completion of Zistatva, the Diwali Festival of Gargi. It took nearly an hour to clean it completely. We dumped the garbage properly after cleaning. The idea behind the drive was to inculcate a sense of responsibility among the students to keep their surroundings clean.

6. ECO-BAITHAKs

The themes of the sessions were 'The contribution of wildlife tourism in protecting endangered species', "Artificial Intelligence and the Environment", "Should everyone turn vegetarian?"

7. BIRD WATCHING

It was an activity wherein members got the chance to observe birds, know and learn about them and their behavior in the college premises under the guidance of Abhishek Gulshah. Members got to watch nearly 40 bird species. Watching and listening to them early in the morning was a peaceful and surreal experience. The session was conducted twice.

8. SEED BOMB WORKSHOP

It was an innovative way of planting through seed balls made from a mixture of clay, compost, and seeds. Dr. Mudita Mohile ma'am guided us through the process of making them. Avni distributed these seed bombs throughout the college. Every member enjoyed doing the activity.

9. NEW YEAR PLANTATION DRIVE

Avni collaborated with Kshitij to encourage members to start the year 2023 with a good deed of planting. All the members were requested to plant a sapling, click a picture with it, and take care of it. Volunteers shared their pictures which were later shared on AVNI’s social media handles.

10. PEBBLE PAINTING

Members were required to paint on pebbles about the way they think of the earth by 2030. This activity brought out creative and beautiful ideas among the members. Through these paintings, members gave a wonderful message. More than 60 people participated. The "Best 5" were selected and praised.

11. REEL MAKING

Under this activity, members were asked to make reels based on the theme "only one earth." Students came up with various creative ideas in their reels. The best one was featured on Avni's instagram account.

12. TREE HUGGING

On the occasion of Valentine's Day, Avni conducted a "tree hugging challenge". Members were asked to click pictures while hugging the trees and share the same on their social media handles. The activity was conducted to show our love for the trees around us which are critical for sustaining life on Mother Earth. It brought our volunteers a step closer to nature.

13. OPEN MIC

In order to bring out the talent in a person, Avni conducted an open- mic competition. Members could showcase their talent about anything related to the environment in any art form. People came up with songs, speeches, poetry namely. It gave students a platform to showcase and hone their skills.

14. KNOW THE BEE

To help people gather knowledge about bees, AVNI conducted a workshop on the topic "Know the Bee". Not only did the students observe bees but also got to taste different types of honey. In the workshop, Mr. Rakesh Gupta talked about the life of the bees, how they build their comb, prepare honey etc. He also narrated how they help mankind and human interference has disturbed their life cycle.

15. INGENIOUS UPCYCLING

To inculcate the idea of reusing papers, Avni conducted Ingenious Upcycling. In this activity, participants had to send a video of themselves recycling paper beforehand. On the day of the activity, participants bought their recycled papers and created beautiful art pieces with their creative skills.

16. FIRELESS ZERO WASTE COOKING

To be aware of the food waste that we produce before cooking, Avni conducted a "fireless zero-waste cooking activity" wherein students cooked different dishes to show their skills. The decision was reached by evaluating the flavor, amount of waste produced, waste repurposed, and presentation. The contestants adeptly showcased their culinary skills and created delightful dishes, demonstrating the possibility of cooking without any waste.

17. MY CUP AT CAFE

Acampaign organized to encourage students to bring their own cups/mugs thereby eliminatingh the use of disposable and plastic cups from our lifestyle.