A Journey to Preserve Native Mango Varieties

KOTTAYAM: As the world observes the International Biodiversity Day on Friday, a group of green workers here strive to protect the endangered native mangoes across the state.

As part of the drive, a journey under the banner, ‘mangavandi yatra’ is being organised with the support of the Forest and Wild Life Department’s Munnar Wildlife Division and various environmental organisations.

The journey would be inaugurated by Forest and Environment Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan near the Gandhi Square here on Saturday by handing over mango seeds to captain of the journey K Binu, a green activist. During the journey, around 5000 mango seeds would be collected to be entrusted to the Moonnar Wild Life Division, which in turn would plant them at Chinnar to be distributed as seedlings in the coming year.

“Those seeds we collected last year are now ready for distribution at Vaikom Social Forestry Farm,” said Moonnar Wild Life Warden G Prasad.

The special seeds of mango in this year’s journey are the seeds of the 400-year-old mango tree, under which Sree Narayana Guru had started a march and collected by a school boy named Jagan Krishna, and the ones from M T Seminary School, under the cool shade of which Gandhiji had taken rest during his visit to Kerala, said journey captain Binu.

The journey would proceed through Changanassery, Layikkad, Edathua, Kidangara, Mathumoola, Olassa and Ettumanoor to conclude at Kidangoor Kattachira  under a native mango tree.

Interested persons can offer native mango seeds to the organisers of the journey.