Wow !! Very nicely written Pankaj !! On Fri, 29 Apr 2022 at 10:21 AM, J.M. Garg <[email protected]> wrote:
> Wah!!! Wah!!! Wah!!! > > -- > With regards, > J. M. Garg > > On Fri, 29 Apr, 2022, 10:08 am Pankaj Kumar, <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> *TEACHING VS. LEARNING* >> >> There are many social media platforms like google, facebook, orkut (till >> a few years back) etc, with many groups where people put up images for >> others to identify. While some of the ids were very pathetic, I was >> surprised to see how college students and even PhD scholars used to take >> help from such groups to get their plants identified. I always used to >> think, "what the point of helping them and wasting my time, I am not >> getting anything out of it". "Why a PhD students taking help from such a >> group. I literally hated people who used to send me images of their camera >> screen with plants on display for identification. I used to scold them and >> tell them to have patience, go home and then email or send proper pictures >> on whatsapp. I even blocked many such people from my facebook and whatsapp. >> >> During the time I was pursuing PhD at Wildlife Institute of India and I >> saw my mentor Prof G.S.Rawat getting lot of plants for identification and >> some of these plant specimens comprised a single leaf of the plant. He >> would sit there selflessly and study all those specimens and identify them >> for scholars from all parts of India. I used to get frustrated seeing him >> help people and waste his time like this. One day he asked me to take some >> classes on plant taxonomy and orchidaceae, for some tiger researchers. I >> said "tiger researchers?", "but why should I waste my time? they are not >> working on plants and they have no interest". He said, "EXACTLY, THAT'S >> WHY! Even if you are able to raise the interest of one out of 100 students >> on plants, that would be your achievement, then that tiger researcher will >> bring orchids for you from all over India, from protected areas where no >> one has gone before, which no one has seen before". >> >> That day I realised the difference between identifying plants for others >> and learning from others, about teaching and learning. My mindset changed >> and this is what stopped me at eflora and flowerofindia.net. If I don't >> identify orchids for others, then people will stop sharing and if people >> stop sharing, then I am myself missing the opportunity to learn. Sitting in >> Hong Kong, today with the help of this group I can know what plants >> including orchids are flowering in India and Nepal when they are shared. >> This is the beauty of this group. But that's not all. >> >> This group is an inspiration about how even people who never studied >> botany can do botany better than many trained botanists. And of course >> there are legendary trained botanists like Gurcharan sir who not only gave >> me lessons of botany but lessons of life too.And above all, Garg sir, a >> relentless guy, as if putting his whole life into this group. Can't even >> imagine what tonic he is taking!! And gradually this group became more >> like a family to me with many members like Dinesh Sir, Balkar Sir, Nidhan >> Sir, Tabish Sir and many more.... met some good friends back here like >> Smita, Ritesh, Vijay and many more. >> >> This group is to learn from, about various aspects of life, whether >> personal or professional. This group is actually a family or people, many >> of which have never met in real life, yet know each other. A group of polar >> bears is called a *celebration*, but for me this group itself is a >> *celebration >> *and I love being part of it, despite the fact that I even got into an >> argument with many of the members. >> >> कोई तितली निशाने पर नहीं है >> मैं बस रंगों का पीछा कर रहा हूँ >> ------------- ज़ुबैर अली ताबिश >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> *Pankaj Kumar* MSc, PhD, FLS >> >> >> Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation >> >> Lam Kam Road, Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong S.A.R., P.R. >> China >> >> *email*: [email protected]; [email protected] >> *Phone*: +852 9436 6251 (mobile); +852 2483 7128 (office) >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "efloraofindia" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CABpo8%3D2HGOPCD7KVF7e86n%2BhFr85da2gfO%3DstRUNWSHxmp1buQ%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CABpo8%3D2HGOPCD7KVF7e86n%2BhFr85da2gfO%3DstRUNWSHxmp1buQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CA%2BiuSFB6vFtJ9BPx6MUcuRpqW-jg0TQ4miY2c5xorp-GeaT_QA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CA%2BiuSFB6vFtJ9BPx6MUcuRpqW-jg0TQ4miY2c5xorp-GeaT_QA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Smita Raskar 308 Disha Residency, Salaiwada,Sawantwadi Mob.09422379568 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CABDcxeDhv6eoE%2Bf%3DbrpT7nQ4hgAzZhDjpcdmnyC2cgH5pzuX5A%40mail.gmail.com.
