Proudly supported by Born Free and the Satpuda Foundation
The Gond People and Puliyaal, the Tiger God of the Jungle
Schools & children are invited to ‘travel’ with the Last Chance to Paint team, who will be hosted by the Satpuda Foundation (a member of the Satpuda Landscape Tiger Partnership) and accompanied by Born Free, to the tropical dry forests of Pench in central India, home of the endangered Bengal tiger and the Gond people. Paint alongside artist John Dyer and exhibit in the World Gallery to highlight what we all stand to lose. Discover the stories, wildlife and culture of the Gond communities and investigate India’s unique ecosystems with our superb free teaching resources. An extraordinary interactive project that will inspire and connect children to our natural world.
“Satpuda is one of the last strongholds for India’s wild tigers. Only about two thousand remain nationwide, and as few as forty now survive in Pench. These tropical dry forests and the green pathways that link them are vital, yet fragile. If they disappear, so will the tigers and the ecosystem they protect.When communities like the Gond protect the forest, they protect the future of every tiger and their own home.”
'Travel' to India with us in 2026
Why?
Tigers and the communities who share their forests are facing urgent challenges. India is home to the world’s largest remaining tiger population, yet only around two thousand wild tigers survive across the entire country. In the tropical dry forests of the Satpuda landscape and Pench Tiger Reserve, these iconic animals depend on fragile forest corridors that link protected areas and allow wildlife to move freely. When these green pathways are damaged or lost, tiger populations become isolated and decline.
For generations, the Gond people have lived alongside this landscape, developing deep cultural, spiritual and practical connections to the forest and its wildlife. Their knowledge of the land, seasonal rhythms and the animals they share it with is invaluable. Understanding how communities, forests and wildlife are interconnected helps children appreciate why conservation and co-existence matter. This expedition gives young people the chance to explore a new environment, discover an extraordinary culture and connect to one of the most endangered animals on our planet. Watch the video below from John Dyer to see what you can be involved with.
Where?
Artists John Dyer and Joanne Short will travel to Pench Tiger Reserve, part of the wider Satpuda landscape in central India. This region stretches across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and contains a chain of seven tiger reserves linked by vital forest corridors. Pench’s tropical dry deciduous forests provide habitat for Bengal tigers, leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs, deer and an astonishing variety of birds and insects.
The team will spend time with Gond communities who live in the buffer zones surrounding Pench. These are areas where people and wildlife share the same landscape every day. With the support of the Satpuda Foundation and Born Free, the expedition will explore how Gond families understand, protect and coexist with the forest and its wildlife. Children around the world will be able to ask questions, follow daily updates, watch videos and paint alongside John as he responds to the landscape and the stories shared by the Gond people.
This chapter of Last Chance to Paint will help your class experience India’s wildlife, culture and conservation challenges as if they were there, connecting young minds to one of the most important habitats left for wild tigers.
What do we want you to do?
We want you to use the art of John Dyer, the stories and artwork shared by Gond communities, and our video diary, photographs and blogs to immerse your pupils in the world of India’s tropical dry forests. Encourage your class to reflect, connect and then create their own artwork inspired by tigers, forest wildlife, Gond culture or the plants and landscapes of Pench.
Once finished, please upload their art to our WorldGallery.online. Together we can build real connections between children, support understanding of different cultures and create the world’s largest online art gallery celebrating our natural world. Get ready to upload your children’s art and take part in this inspiring global project.
What are the outcomes?
Through Land of the Tiger, children are personally connected to India’s dry tropical forests and the Gond tribal communities who live alongside the tiger. This direct, human connection helps transform distant ideas about conservation into something meaningful and memorable.
By meeting the people, learning about the forest, and discovering its wildlife, children naturally develop curiosity, ask thoughtful questions, and create powerful artwork inspired by what they have seen and learned. Once a child feels a genuine bond with a place and its people, they gain real reasons to care. This sense of connection encourages them to tread gently on the Earth as they grow, to think more carefully about consumption, and to make kinder, more responsible choices for our world.
Art is central to this process. It gives every child a voice and a way to express care, empathy and understanding. Through art, children can feel part of something bigger than themselves and can aspire to be better guardians of the planet than the generation before them.
Every child involved is invited to create their own artwork on the theme ‘Land of the Tiger’, inspired by the paintings of John Dyer and by the animals, plants and people they encounter through the project. Their art becomes a lasting expression of learning, connection and hope for a future where tigers thrive and Gond communities continue to flourish. You should upload high-quality photos of their final paintings, collages, mixed media etc to us and we will exhibit their art online in the World Galley.
Your children's art on the World Gallery
Let your children bear witness to what we are all doing to the planet and creatively protest, have a voice, connect and highlight what we all stand to lose by exhibiting their personal artwork inspired by our projects on the World Gallery.
TEACHING RESOURCES
Our downloadable resources are primarily designed for Key Stage 2 but are easily adaptable for all Key Stages with links to Art and Design, Geography, Science, English, SMSC and Citizenship curricula. They are also great for parents to use with their children.
​
Five lessons and full teacher notes