RUTU – LIVE & LEARN PROGRAM

Rutu -live and learn Exploring the Rhythms of the Seasons

The Ruthu Live and Learn program is a unique, immersive, long-term initiative spanning three seasons designed to help participants reconnect with nature, traditional wisdom, and sustainable living practices. By understanding the rhythms of the seasons, participants explore how these natural cycles influence food, farming, celebrations, and daily life.

Purpose of the Program

The program aims to:

Foster a deeper connection with the land and its seasonal rhythms.

Emphasize the importance of traditional knowledge in a rapidly changing world.

Provide an alternative approach to education that values experiential, non-conforming learning.

Help individuals discover balance, creativity, and self-growth through community living and hands-on activities.

Living in harmony with the seasons teaches us how to adapt, celebrate, rest, and thrive. Nature itself becomes a curriculum, offering lessons on what to eat, how to live, and when to engage in different activities for a harmonious and sustainable life.

Who Can Join?

This program is ideal for:

Participants seeking meaningful learning experiences.
Individuals questioning the conventional education system and seeking an alternative way of life.
Those who value local wisdom and want to understand how to live in harmony with the seasons.
Participants of all age groups and cultural backgrounds who are open to learning in a mixed, inclusive environment.
Participants must be willing to engage in hands-on activities, live simply, and embrace a learning process deeply rooted in traditional practices and ecological understanding.

What We Offer

The Ruthu Live and Learn program provides:

A creative, non-conventional approach to education focused on local wisdom and seasonal rhythms.
Immersive, hands-on learning experiences tied to the land, including forest ecology, farming, traditional crafts, and folklore.
Opportunities to work alongside local tribes, farmers, potters, basket weavers, and other community members who serve as resource persons and mentors.
A supportive environment that fosters self-discovery, creativity, and sustainable practices.
Each season brings unique learning opportunities that revolve around the needs of the land and community during that time.

Location

We are located in the Coastal Karnataka State of South Western India, in the district of Ankola which is on the western sea coast, nestled in a tiny village called Angadibail amidst the Western Ghat forest, a warm traditional community home named RUTU.

Nearby Towns: Gokarna (30 km), Ankola (30 km), Kumta (50 km)
Closest Airport: Goa/Hubli
Closest Rail: Gokarna/Ankola/Hubli (from Hubli to Ankola Town 120 km by bus)

Criteria

If you are looking at an alternate way of life, want to live with the needs of the seasons of this land and if you are falling in the age group of 12 and above , this program is for you .

Duration

Since we work in unison with the seasons, you may choose a single season or choose to enroll for all 3 seasons i.e. Summer, Monsoon & Winter.

Summer Rutu – 1 month ( April – May)

Monsoon Rutu – 2 months (Aug – Sep)

Winter Rutu – 3 months ( Dec – Feb)

After every season there will be a gap of 1.5 or 2 months. Duration will vary depending on other activities.

Seasonal Offerings

Forest has its own curriculum to follow us . All activities are season specific and in accordance with the available resources. They may be subject to change.

1. Forest and Farming Activities:
Participate in planting and transplanting local varieties of paddy, preserving indigenous seeds and farming traditions.

Contribute to maintaining the forest nursery, ensuring the health and growth of forest ecosystems.

2. Exploring Monsoon Ecosystems:

Discover the vibrant monsoon landscape, where streams and waterfalls come to life.
Observe and learn about water creatures like snakes, leeches, frogs, and their ecological roles.

3. Traditional foraging skills: Learn to identify and collect wild edibles and understand their significance in local cuisine and medicine.

4. Experience the joy of foraging in the forest for:
Wild greens , varities of colocasia/taro leaves and edible flowers
Tree vegetables and wild mushrooms
Farm snails and tiny stream fishes
Learn the stories and culinary traditions tied to these monsoon delicacies.

5. Celebrating Local Festivals:

Engage in the vibrant celebrations of Nagara Panchami and Ganesha Chaturthi, understanding their seasonal and cultural significance.
Explore the art of working with clay—learning about soil pigments and shaping the clay into meaningful creations inspired by potters’ traditions.

6. Harvesting and Processing Natural Fibers:
Learn to harvest and process natural fibers for weaving and other traditional crafts, keeping these age-old practices alive

1. Harvesting activities: Paddy, turmeric, sugarcane.Learning about wild roots and tubers for food and medicinal use.

2. Traditional crafts:The natural fibers aren’t just metaphors—they’re literal. Using natural fibers for Basketry, rope making, and other weavings tying together tradition and utility.

3. Local tool making: To get ready with local tools for harvesting and understand the local tool making craft.

4. Celebrating harvest festivals:
While celebrating Deepavali and Aalemane/Avli Habba -we focus on reviving traditional jaggery-making and farming. Exploring the river, sea, and forest through study tours. Processing kokum butter and learning its traditional uses. Building machan/tree house ,preparing cowdung floors

1. Learn the importance of forest fruits and wild berries in local culture and ecology. Summer brings a vibrant harvest of forest fruits and wild berries, including kokum, wild mangoes, jackfruits, and an array of seasonal berries

2. Learn traditional methods of preserving and processing seasonal produce like kokum, wild mangoes, and jackfruit.

3. Kokum Harvest Festival: Celebrate a week-long festival dedicated to kokum harvesting with the community.
Experience the tree-to-jar process, learning how kokum is transformed into juices, jams, and traditional preserves.

4. Wild Mango and Jackfruit Harvest: Harvest wild mangoes and explore local recipes like pickles, jams, aam papad, and local recipes
Engage in the traditional preparation of jackfruit papads and chips, celebrating the creativity of local food practices.

5. Forest Seed Collection and Nursery Preparation: Collect seeds from the forest as part of a forest nursery project, ensuring future growth and sustainability.
Learn traditional techniques for seed preservation and planting.

6. Tree Data Collection: Learn practical skills in tree data documentation.
Document and study different tree species, focusing on their ecological roles and cultural importance.

7. Collecting Firewood for Monsoon Preparation: learn the practical skills of Gather firewood from the forest, a critical preparation for the upcoming monsoon season, ensuring the community is ready for the rains.

8. Bandi habba:
Experience the village folk festival bandihabba, learn its significance in sustaining community and cultural harmony .

For further queries write to us at [email protected]