SeasonWatch Tree Monitoring Programme for Schools
by Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF)
Tree Festival prizes for schools
India-wide citizen-science programme where school students observe campus trees each week and record leafing, flowering and fruiting.
Mode
Hybrid
Fee
Free
Participation format
Individual and team
Teams of 1 or more
Duration
Open-ended, with the same trees observed week after week
Eligibility
Open to schools and individuals anywhere in India, with no stated age or grade restriction. A school registers under the School category and assigns students to observe trees on or near its premises. Most participating students come from middle and high school classes.
- Grade level
- Grade 1 to 12
- Age range
- Open to all ages
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
- Academic requirement
- No prior knowledge of trees or botany is required.
- Prerequisites
- Access to mature trees on or near the school premises
See if your child qualifies.
Rewards and recognition
Prizes
Tree Festival prizes for schools
Tree Festivals are held three times a year and invite participants to add observations over a short window. Schools contributing the most observations are named all-India winners in a separate school category and win prizes. The specific prizes are not published in advance.
Recognition
Named an all-India Tree Festival winner
Skills your child builds
Key dates
- Registration opened
- 1 Jan 2026
- Registration closes
- 31 Dec 2026
- Dates
- 1 Jan 2026 to 31 Dec 2026
Online · SeasonWatch app and website
How to apply
- 1Register on the SeasonWatch website or Android app under the School category
- 2Pick mature trees on or near the school premises and add them to the account
- 3Assign one or more students to each registered tree
- 4Upload weekly observations through the app or the website
Rules and guidelines
- Observe each registered tree once a week
- Record leaves, flowers and fruit separately as none, few or many
- Choose trees old enough to already flower and fruit
- Observations are released under a CC-BY 4.0 licence
Technology requirements
- An Android phone or a computer with internet access to upload observations
About this opportunity
SeasonWatch is an India-wide citizen-science programme in which schools and individuals track when common Indian trees put out leaves, flowers and fruit. Students observe registered trees once a week and record what they see.
Each participating school registers one or more mature trees on its campus or in the neighbourhood, gives every tree a number and a nickname, and assigns students to observe them. For each tree the observer records leaves, flowers and fruit separately as none, few or many, taking about five minutes per tree each week. Observations are uploaded through the SeasonWatch app or the website.
The programme is a three-way partnership between Nature Conservation Foundation, Wipro Foundation and the National Centre for Biological Sciences, and has been running since 2010. Observations from across the country build a long-term record of tree phenology that researchers use to study seasonal change and climate. Three Tree Festivals are held each year, in which participants add observations over a short window and all-India winners are named in a separate school category.
What your child will do
- Register trees on or near the school premises
- Observe leaves, flowers and fruit each week
- Upload observations through the app or website
- Take part in the Tree Festivals held three times a year
Mentors and faculty
Programme guidance from Dr Geetha Ramaswami, Programme Manager, SeasonWatch, Nature Conservation Foundation.
Languages
Academic details
Difficulty: Beginner
What's covered
Participants learn to identify common Indian tree species, register trees, and record leaf, flower and fruit stages each week using a simple none, few or many scale, then upload the observations to the national SeasonWatch dataset.
Frequently asked questions
How much time does the programme take each week?
About five minutes per tree, once a week. A school that registers four trees needs roughly twenty minutes of student time a week, spread across the students assigned to those trees.
Do students need to know how to identify trees before joining?
No. Trees are chosen from the SeasonWatch species list at registration, and the handbook and phenophases guide explain how to recognise each leaf, flower and fruit stage.
What does a school need to take part?
Mature trees on or near the premises that already flower and fruit, a teacher to supervise, an email address for the account, and an Android phone or computer to upload observations.
Can a school join in the middle of the academic year?
Yes. There are no start dates or deadlines, and enrolment stays open all year. Schools can register and begin weekly observations whenever they are ready.
What happens to the observations students upload?
They join a national dataset of tree phenology that researchers use to study seasonal change and climate. Observations are released under a CC-BY 4.0 licence, which participants agree to at registration.
Share with other parents
Categories
WiWit
Never miss the right opportunities for your child
The WiWit app shows you only the ones that fit your child.
- Matched to your child's grade, age, and interests
- Deadline reminders so you never miss registration
- Every opportunity verified before it's listed
Related opportunities
Madras Crocodile Bank School Workshops and Junior Zookeeper Programme
by Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Booked half-day and full-day reptile workshops for school groups and families, including a hands-on Be a Zookeeper session.
What your child could gain:
Marine Life of Mumbai Shore Walks
by Coastal Conservation Foundation (CCF)
Free guided low-tide walks on Mumbai's intertidal shores, where participants identify marine life and log every sighting on iNaturalist.
What your child could gain:
National Children's Science Congress (NCSC)
by National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science and Technology
Nationwide science project competition for children aged 10-17, focusing on local problem-solving under an annual focal theme, progressing through district, state, and national rounds.
What your child could gain:
See what fits your child
Get the free app