TUMAKURU: They came with dreams of coding and getting jobs in hot-shot software firms, and have now found themselves a pet project that has little to do with engineering: collecting seeds that have fallen off trees on the college campus.
Over a span of three years, as many as 180 students of the Information Science Engineering department of Siddaganga Institute of Technology (SIT) have collected over 15 lakh seeds -- it’s their contribution to keeping the planet green.
When the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) made it mandatory for every BE student to engage in 400 hours of social activity of their choice, which earns them 100 points to get their graduation degree, these students chose the environemntal initiative.
They took up the Sri Shivakumara Swamiji Biodiversity Park near Basadi Betta, or Mandaragiri, where they cleaned and fenced saplings to protect them. Working closely with trees and ecology, they realised how difficult it is to raise saplings into strong trees, and gradually developed a fascination for the environment.
Their guide Dr M S Rudramurthy, who would visit nurseries to get saplings to be planted at the biodiversity park, got an idea -- having witnessed the windfall of seeds from over 1,500 trees on their own campus, spread across 57 acres, he wondered if they could be regenerated. He tossed the idea of collecting seeds to then Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Girish H C in 2019, and they chalked out a plan.
The students, enthusiastic about this new mission, started collecting seeds amid breaks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They managed to collect over 50 bags of seeds of a variety of trees, including ‘honge’ (Indian beech), ‘mathi’ (Indian laurel), ‘honne’ (pterocarpus marsupium), teak, mahogany, among others. Each bag weighed 30kg, with over 1,000 seeds in each kilogram.
As and when collected, the seeds were transferred to the forest department, which processed them and raised saplings in its nurseries. “It’s one of the best initiatives that has helped the forest department, which is on a mission to improve green cover up to 10 per cent, from the present 8.5 per cent in the district,” Girish said, adding that the department will welcome any groups supplying seeds.
“I would like to continue to work for the environment despite choosing a career in software. I would love to work with an NGO in the field of environment, if it offers a software job,” remarked Manan Raj, a student from Bihar. “It was good to soil our hands for the sake of the environment. It was good fun collecting bagfuls of seeds,” said Saijal Shankar, another student.
“We learned many things like team spirit, apart from doing something for the environment. We also got knowledge of good quality seeds while segregating them,” Rajkamal Singh, VI semester student, said. The students -- Komal, Hindusri Manjunath Hegde, Nikhil D S, Pallavi Kiran U, Siddharth, among others -- felt it was a great opportunity which they will remember throughout their life.
What brings joy is that the seeds they have collected might help protect the environment for generations to come. “If the students are engaged in environmental activity, their learning ability will be high in all aspects. As long as they wish to continue with collection of seeds on campus, the mission will go on. We will also abide by the ‘One student, One tree campaign’,” said Dr M S Rudramurthy, associate professor.
He also helped the students imbibe the essence of environmental protection and climate change. “The seed collection programme is our exclusive innovative idea, and the model demonstrates how students can contribute to the environment and chip in for the forest department,” said Dr Dinesh, principal. They worked under the tutelage of faculty members Dr Purohit Shrinivascharya, Dr Sushma S A and Dr Jagadamba G, besides Dr Rudramurthy.