Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books. With this robust notion as the cornerstone, was formed the startup, Outdoors Beckon. The brainchild of passionate mountaineer Naresh Raju, the perpetual calling for the nature in him drove him to create a platform for learning through Mother Earth.


Naresh, I had the fortune to meet him a couple of years ago; and I remember vividly, I found him to be one never low on morale. A huge bundle of energy, he is a hard-core mountaineer and an adventure biggie. An escapade in the Mount Everest he undertook had to be aborted midway owing to altitude related health hindrances. When he was recuperating, contemplation led to resolute decisions rather than disillusionment, focusing only on the positives. In an attempt to do something bigger with life, he decided to impart to others, the training and knowledge, but mostly the wisdom that he was so fortunate to be bestowed with, being embraced so closely by nature itself. His love for kids urged him to concentrate on them enroute his vision.


Speaking about the benefits his venture seeks to bring to the kids of the camps, he has this to say –“Outdoors promotes cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being, offering the necessary conditions for children to thrive and learn. Through outdoors, the child can experiment, solve problems, think creatively, cooperate with others, etc., gaining a deeper knowledge about oneself and the world. From an early age, the possibility to experience several opportunities for unstructured play, in which the child can decide what to do, with whom and how, promotes positive self-esteem, autonomy, and confidence”. The refined education policies voice out the aforementioned words. As they say, the best way to learn holistically is to get in the ground and get the hands dirty.


At the times the world is privy to, such as now, it is high time that the youth, who obviously are the future of the planet, are taught with the importance to love nature and do the best for it. It is imperative that children must be educated about nature and its conservation. It is equally important if not more to empower children with sensitivity. And Naresh believes that this empowerment can see the light of the day only with an intimate rapport developed with the nature, so much that the sense of responsibility through owning is instilled deep.


The icing on the cake is that the camps and offerings Outdoors Beckon has to provide comes with tremendous health benefits. Amidst an era where technology has the upper hand over physical activities, especially in the age group below 18 years; where playing on the streets has become a scarce sight thanks to the ever growing apartment system of homes and fast paced lives; the importance of running around getting physically exerted is astute. “The development of immunity can be strengthened by the fresh air of the natural world, interaction with natural elements such as the sun, soil, water, rock, ice, snow, plants, and contact with harmless microbes. Strengthening their body’s natural germ-fighting power is imperative for their lasting health”, Naresh adds.


Tough times see the tough men last. However, it is pivotal that the values are taught well, in order to apply them in the instances that matter. Naresh, through Outdoors Beckon, has taken upon himself the responsibility to leave a better generation that will surely amend ways to care for the planet more.