At the TED Talks at Vancouver in February, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said: “Seventy-two per cent of our country is under forest cover. And all that forest is pristine. That is why we are one of the few remaining global bio-diversity hotspots in the world. Out of 200 countries, we are the only one that is carbon-neutral. Through our Green Bhutan movement, we are planting trees throughout the country.”
In April, Kochi restaurateur Manju Mathew got a clip of Tobgay’s speech on WhatsApp. The same month she read an article in this paper about how temperatures were two degrees Celsius lower in tree-covered areas compared to where there was no green cover.
“I started wondering that we complain about the heat, but what are we doing to reduce it? Then I realised that the easiest way is to plant trees, just like the Bhutanese prime minister said,” says the 40-year-old. She later discovered that in planting trees, Canada led the way with 8,953 per person, the US has 716 per person, China 102 and India a measly 28. “On the world stage, we were nowhere,” says Mathew. “That proved to be the tipping point.”
Thus was born the group Tree For Life in April this year. Apart from Mathew, the core group comprises Sumi Thomas, Rose Paul and Bobby Antony. “There are 45 female members, most of them are homemakers, businesswomen, teachers, architects and interior designers,” says Mathew.
The group wants to do things differently. “Many people get into a tree-planting exercise for one day, such as World Environment Day, and then forget about it,” says Thomas. “We decided that we’ll plant a limited number of saplings, but ensure that they are looked after, so that they blossom into trees. Nurturing is a must.” For this, they contacted schools, colleges, and community groups.
Tree for Life held a meeting with the Giri Nagar Ladies Club on May 15, whose members planted about 45 saplings in backyards.
The saplings are bought from the State Social Forestry department for `6 each. “They gave us a list of 10 saplings that can be used,” says Paul. These include guava, sapota and neem trees.
When Tree for Life spread the word through social media and phone calls, “in less than two days there were 300 orders,” says Mathew. “This idea has struck a chord among people. Everyone is deeply worried about environmental destruction.” Some banks and the Women’s Rotary Club Milan have been sponsoring the sapling-planting drive.
Tree for Life will rope in children to plant saplings. “We want the citizens of tomorrow to know the importance of trees and understand the need to nurture the environment,” says Mathew.
In the second phase, the group plans to develop urban forests. “If we are given a space large enough to park six cars, we will be able to grow several plants and trees,” adds Mathew. “That will help bring down the temperature. It will attract birds and will serve as hubs where clean air and oxygen will be produced. That is the beauty of trees.”
For members of the group, the tree is a symbol of womanhood. “A tree is like a mother,” says Thomas. “It houses birds and provides shade. The tree is strong, but it bends and is flexible in strong winds, just like a woman.”