BENGALURU: This the season to be jolly and nothing says jolly more than Christmas trees. But if you think you have to travel to the far West to catch sight of some real conifers, think again. Thanks to this Christmas Tree Walk being organised by Ulhas Anand, Bengalureans can now catch a glimpse of some festive flora right here in the heart of the city at Lalbagh. The idea, he says, came to him when someone asked him if they could spot such trees in the city. “I thought it was a nice opportunity for us to focus on some of the temperate region trees, at least during the season for which they are known,” adds Anand, who is the co-founder of EcoEdu.
Of the many trees you could look at during the walk, the one you might find particularly intriguing would be a species of conifers, which comes from Australia. “It has a cone as large as our jackfruits! They come from the age of dinosaurs and were quite significant culturally to the Aboriginal tribes that celebrated one of their largest indigenous festivals around the cones of this tree,” explains Anand, who is also an avid birdwatcher. He goes on to explain that the trees we call Christmas trees vary from region to region across the world. So while there’s no one tree that is the Christmas tree, one can spot some species of conifers at Lalbagh.
This is the second time a walk of this sort is taking place, the first being held a couple of years ago. And while the main idea is to focus on conifers and other temperate region trees, other trees of interest will not be ignored. Participants will not just look at such flora, but also understand where they come from and hear stories associated with them and their importance in terms of biodiversity in those regions. “We do have a few species in Bengaluru that are also considered to be Christmas trees – all of them come to us from the temperate region and have been planted with great care in gardens like Lalbagh,” explains Anand.
Besides being a fun and interesting festive activity to indulge in, Anand firmly believes an experience like this can also help people relate to their surroundings and appreciate the life around them. As he says, “In the end, we protect only what we think is valuable and building empathy towards other life forms goes a long way in creating awareness and protecting what we have left.”
The two-hour walk is scheduled to start at the base of the hill in Lalbagh at 8 am on Dec 22.Visit ecoedu.in/treewalk to register.