THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Picture getting all the details of a sapling you have planted — including its geocode and current growth status — at the click of a button. That’s how the application Tree Tag has been revolutionising the manner in which trees are being planted and taken care of.
Launched by a startup with the same name, Tree Tag is an effort by a few climate-conscious individuals to bring in transparency in tree-planting and to ensure the survivability of trees. This will go a long way in contributing to carbon neutral goals, says the team behind the venture.
The one-of-a-kind nature-based solution startup is registered at the Technology Business Incubator, Government Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram. It is supported by the NGO Thanal and the Vydyuthi Energy Services. The directors of the startup are Abhijith Kumar Meenakumari, Aashutosh B Sai, Mohamed Wazeer and Anoop Babu.
“For long, we have been planting trees through many drives. But there is no mechanism to check up on their survival. This platform will monitor their status,” says Wazeer, co-founder of Tree Tag.
Through the application, anyone can sponsor a tree too. At Rs 170 per tree. Be it individuals or corporates, the sponsored trees will be planted by the NGOs affiliated to the application. The benefactor will be updated every month until the tree reaches six months of age. Later, the update, which includes pictures and growth statistics, will be given every year, until three years of planting.
Besides Thanal, more NGOs have shown interest, says Wazeer. As many as 800 trees have been planted across the state since the launch of the application in August. Tree Tag has over 400 users now, and counting.
“Farmers plant the trees since they are more knowledgeable and can effectively take care of the plants. They can use the fruits as well. The aim is to ensure that the trees are protected,” says Abhijith.
The effort will bring in digital transparency and ensure a data bank of the trees planted.
“In the next stage, we plan to document all the existing trees,” he says. Tree Tag is also a free platform for the student community to contribute to nature through planting drives. Further, the trees can be tagged using their phones.