Celebrate World Environment Day 2025 with animal adoptions and firefly spotting

Celebrate World Environment Day 2025 in Chennai and Bangalore with unique activities like animal adoptions, firefly spotting, crocodile hunting

There is more to World Environment Day than corporate jargon and planting a tree (that you forget to water for the rest of the year). If you are looking at fun and engaging ways to connect with Nature, here are a few activities you can sign up for — outdoors, and from within the comfort of your homes.

Caring for the crocs

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT) offers a range of volunteering programmes for children and adults. If you are looking for something to do over the weekends, their Docent Programme (₹3,000) “supports the education and curatorial departments at MCBT”, says Pramila Rajan, director. “The primary motive is to spread awareness about reptiles and promote the need for their conservation.”

Docents (18+) will be involved with activities like enclosure maintenance (pen cleaning, enclosure upkeep, etc.), park maintenance, etc, and they are expected to contribute a minimum of one day a month for a period of at least six months. Kickstarting this month is their Junior Volunteer Programme (11-17 years), a two-day camp for children. Their Be A Zookeeper Programme is tailormade for varied age groups and teaches children why we need zoos, the people behind them, etc. 

Details on madrascrocodilebank.org/

Adopt an animal

There is more you can do for your city’s zoo than just visit it. Many zoos across the country offer virtual animal adoption programmes, including Vandalur Zoo in Chennai and Bannerghatta National Park in Bengaluru. Individuals can adopt animals such as tigers, elephants, bears, monkeys, and even birds, reptiles for a day or a year. At Bannerghatta, for instance, you can adopt an Asiatic elephant for ₹3,00,000 a year, or a Rusell’s viper, spotted pond turtle for ₹3,000 annually. The adoption fee covers expenses towards the animal’s feed, enclosure maintenance, health care expenses, among others.