The steel city showed its softer side on Wednesday when children turned environment champs to mark Earth Day.

Tata Steel Zoological Park in association with Inner Wheel Club of Jamshedpur Zest organised a workshop on how to make vermicompost at home. The theme this year was it's our turn to lead.

Ajay Kumar, forest range officer of Sonua block, demonstrated to the students of Kerala Public School, Burmamines, and Jusco School, South Park, in simple terms the process to prepare vermicompost at home.

"Conservation is the practice of caring for natural resources. This is the only way through which people can reduce waste and manage natural resources wisely," said Seema Rani, education officer with Tata zoo.

Schools, on the other hand, were abuzz with activities.

JH Tarapore pupils participated in a poster-making competition during which they were required to write a slogan or a message on posters to spread awareness about the importance of conserving the earth. Some of best entries were displayed in the school.

DBMS English School also organised a host of competitions - skit, poetry writing, crossword puzzle, best out of waste, fancy dress and treasure hunt.

ADLS Sunshine School planned the programme class-wise.

Students of Class I and II were given survey forms on electricity consumption that had to filled up by their parents, while third, fourth and fifth graders got green tiffin. Students of Class V and VI distributed saplings to passers-by, while sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth graders displayed beautiful models on environment conservation. Pupils from classes X to XII were shown Wall-E, a 2008 American sci-fi comedy film.