The steady shrinking of green cover is a threat to what is now increasingly becoming known as Silicon City instead of its older avatar as Garden City.
Realising the importance of awareness of this crisis, Kavya Chanda, founder of Green Venture, recently collaborated with Echoes of Earth, the annual green music festival, to hold an Urban Tree Walk in Lal Bagh at the heart of the city. They have planned a few more such walks and workshops for city residents. The next one on Nature Journaling is coming up on October 6.
Kavya, who firmly believes that Lal Bagh is a treasure trove, says that it’s important to remind people of the wealth around them. “There is a huge indifference and disconnect with nature, which has grown larger in the last few years. Farmers and natural ecosystem engineers like insects and animals are huge drivers behind clean, healthy produce and sustaining a healthy environment. The natural world is where food, water, clean air comes from. As city dwellers, there is little importance given to nature and the outdoors, yet we learn and takeaway so much when we are exposed the right way,” she avers. Her venture illustrates topics like wildlife in the city, plant and animal relationships and more. They also hold tree walks for families, individuals, professionals and schools educating them about the stories of these gentle giants and why we should be more involved in looking after them.
Arjun Pandalai, corporate director, sales, of a star hotel was amazed with the awareness she acquired during it. She gushes, “Lal Bagh has more than 2,000 varieties of flora and fauna… the ancient trees, the squirrels scurrying, birds chirping, it’s all so refreshing. And you can actually feel the temperate drop as soon as you are inside Lal Bagh! It is worth every penny to breathe in the fresh green environs of this beauty in the heart of the city. My favourites were the wild almond trees and the silk-cotton tree. It was amazing getting to see and know more about the rain tree, ashoka tree, African tulip tree and understanding their age and ecological importance.”
Designer Roli Agarwal, who attended the workshop, says, “I learnt the structure and ways of planting, and knowing how it works. This might be basic knowledge but it was very insightful for me, as it is a sort of contribution to the environment by being aware how it works. These sorts of initiatives always will have a great impact. We are in such a stage where we are in need of a tag that protects the environment. These drives must be encouraged and adopted within our lifestyle too.”
Muskan Mathur, a science student from Christ University, says, “As a science student, I’m very connected with botany and plants. This sort of walk always interests me and actively participating in these workshops and walks is like donating your time to nature. That is when one can learn more with a proper research. Each and every information or talk happened here is useful with its own points. The same must be observed and absorbed by the city residents’ which helps us a lot in saving our own city and planet too.”
