An online tree-planting initiative in the periphery of wildlife dominated areas in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, aimed at reviving the ecosystem and reducing man-animal conflict, has become an instant hit with 1,10,000 plantations in eleven months since its launch.
Grow-Trees.com helps individuals and corporate houses who care for the environment to plant trees for the price of a greeting card through online orders in areas such as Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary (Rajasthan), Satkosia Gorge Wildife Sanctuary (Orissa) and Kanha National Park (MP).
Requests are placed online on the website and the actual plantation work is carried out in collaboration with NGOs working for the environment, namely the Foundation For Ecological Security, Seva Mandir and Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development.
“In order to reduce man-animal conflict and avoid human exploitation of the buffer zone areas dominated by wildlife, afforestation in the periphery areas is critical. Regenerating these areas and making the land more productive alleviates poverty and strengthens rural livelihoods. The pressure on these sanctuaries is reduced and the rich biodiversity they support is protected,” says Karan Shah, co- founder of Grow-Trees.com.
“The response to our campaign has been tremendous. We have been successful in engaging people from all walks of life – rural, city and corporate houses in our initiative. People place the order for tree plantation which are carried out by our partners working in these areas,” adds Shah.
round 25,000 saplings have been planted in the periphery of Kanha National Park and Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary, 9,000 in Satkosia Gorge Wildife Sanctuary in Orissa and 2,000 saplings in Dwarka in Gujarat.
One project of planting 19,000 tree saplings has been already completed in Kotra, Surpur, Kaliyari, Varasada and Panchmahal villages in Gujarat and other of planting 29,990 trees in Udaipur in Rajasthan.
“We are working in 15 villages in this area. Trees are being planted in buffer zone and periphery area of Kanha park. A weed called ‘Lantana’ has grown here which does not allow growth of other plants. We are clearing it and planting new trees here. A rich buffer zone lessens the man-animal conflict,” says Ishan Agarwal, Team Leader, Foundation For Ecological Security (FES).
garwal says they aim to plant 50,000 trees by the end of the monsoon.
–Agencies