Guest post by Subhashish Jena on planting with schools – 29th July

A Million trees? Still far away….but inching closer – Aravali Plantation Drive

On a cloudy Wednesday morning, in one corner of Gurgaon a group of nature –loving citizens along with some enthusiastic volunteers organized a plantation drive at the Aravali Bio-diversity Park, Gurgaon on 29th July, 2015. The forest in the making is flourishing due to the efforts of naturalist Vijay Dhasmana. The park is in good hands. The good work is being done by the NGO – ‘I am Gurgaon’ for the last 5 years.

Taking the same forward, a plantation drive was initiated by the NGO. During this drive, several native saplings were planted throughout the park by school students who contributed to the noble cause with their own hands. The drive was undertaken with the dual objective of promoting the plantation of native species of Aravali trees as well as creating awareness about the decreasing number of these trees in the state of Haryana.

More than 250 school children from Happy School, Shriram Aravali and Saksham took part in the drive. It was a simple and quiet affair. Yet there was a sense of joy in all the participants’ eyes as they experienced the simple joy of planting a tree and connecting with the rugged beauty of this beautiful city forest in the making – the Aravali Biodiversity Park. The children along with the volunteers soaked in the fresh early morning air; enjoying the serene beauty of the park with birds chirping, away from dusty roads and honking busy streets.

Oh well, the weather was extra kind – cloudy with a cool breeze, which made the whole experience of planting saplings even more enjoyable. But the drive was successful because the school children did their bit to make Gurgaon a better place to live in. Those hands may be tiny, but their karma says it all! These school children may well one day astound the world with a colourful depiction of the flora & fauna, fight for endangered species, and aid in controlling pollution. It’s high time for us, to learn from them. #ForeverGreen