Jamshedpur: Stay away from apples that shine bright red or leafy vegetables that appear too green. Apples may be coated with wax and vegetables coloured artificially.

Celebrating Earth Day on Monday, a day after its April 22 date, the Centre for World Solidarity, a Trust based in Secunderabad, Telangana, with roots in Berlin-based Action for World Solidarity, organised an awareness session on healthy food at Jusco School Kadma.

"Students learnt to identify naturally fresh fruits and leafy vegetables from those that had been treated to appear fresh. We told them artificial colours will stain palms and shiny apples are wax coated," Surabhi Sharma, campaign co-ordinator, Centre for World Solidarity, said.

Sharma said they asked children to try and buy organic vegetables. "Since they are young, we hope they catch the lessons better," Sharma said, adding their outfit also distributed healthy organic food such as marua cake and gondli laddoos to interested children from a stall on campus.

This apart, celebrations included an inter-school contest on PowerPoint Presentations on "Organic farming, the need of the hour" where seven schools - DBMS Kadma High School, AIWC Academy of Excellence, St Mary's English High School, Jusco School South Park, Kasidih High School; Dayanand Public School and JH Tarapore School - as well as Jusco School Kadma, took part. AIWC Academy of Excellence won the contest while the host was the runner-up.

Students of Jusco School Kadma also participated in various intra-school activities on Monday.

About 100 students of Classes IX and X took part in a 2km slow cycle rally with green placards across Kadma market. Around 600 students from Class VI to IX of Jusco School took part in an essay competition and sit-and-draw on the theme of Earth Day. Students of Classes IX and X also planted 50 saplings on school premises.

"Students enjoyed Earth Day. Whatever they did was fun and informative," Jhumjhumi Nandi, principal, Jusco School Kadma, said.