THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tree Walk, a citizens’ collective based in the capital focusing on green and clean city, has initiated the second edition of its ‘tree healing’ events on Saturday on Museum-Nandavanam Road. The event was focused on reviving the burnt and damaged bark of the Blackboard tree (Alstonia scholaris) the base of which has been the site for wanton waste disposal by the public. More than ten sacks full of plastic waste, bottles, soiled toilet articles were collected from near the tree with the help of the Mayor and other officials of the corporation.
The treatment was done by a team of experts in Vriksha Ayurveda, the ancient science of understanding and knowing trees. Binu K, a primary school teacher from Uzhavoor, along with his team comprising Sunil Vazhoor, Gopakumar Kangazha and Vijayakumar Ithikkanam prepared the medicine mix for more than three hours at the site. The treatment schedule is a series of meticulously executed steps which include cleaning the bark and removing the nails (26 nails were removed from the tree and one advertisement).
The medicinal mixture constitutes 20 ingredients which include cow’s milk, dung, ghee, soil from paddy field and from under the tree, kadalipazham, lotus plant and so on. The process will be completed when milk will be sprayed on the affected part for the next one week. The tree will then go into a resting phase for six months after which marked and visible changes that indicate rejuvenation will be displayed.
Through this activity Tree Walk and the Vriksha Paristhithi Samrakshana Samithi want to bring attention to the fact that trees which do valuable ecological services especially in urban spaces need to be given due care and attention. A team of Tree Walk volunteers, the Vriksha Paristhithi Samrakshana Samithi tree doctors and many well-wishers joined the event following strict Covid protocol. The event had the support of singers from MBS youth choir that sang may nature songs. The first healing activity was done to rejuvenate the ‘Tree Jasmine’, outside Saphalyam complex at Palayam after it was chopped in 2019.