Coimbatore: Wedding guests returning with saplings is a common sight these days.
Coimbatore: Wedding guests returning with saplings is a common sight these days.
Environmental degradation and climate change are etched so strongly in the minds of some people that they have discerningly started gifting back free saplings at weddings. However, not all such saplings are planted and nurtured, in fact most of them wither and die without proper care.
But standing apart in a cause of its own are the free saplings offered at the Maram Suzhaliyal Naduvam (Tree Ecological Centre) in Alandurai, located 15 kms away from the city. People who visit this nursery can take a sapling of their choice for free and it is not given as a complimentary gift but as a responsibility. “It is a 33-year dream for me.
Having been involved in conservation all these years, I have always wanted to open a nursery where I would be able to look after saplings and also offer to other people,” says M Yoganathan, the bus conductor-turned-conservationist, the brainwave behind the nursery at the Suzhaliyal Naduvam.
Yoganathan was given lease of a 3.5 acre land by R Vasudevan, an NRI for 10 years. The property helped Yoganathan birth his dream project of setting up a nursery and also an education centre. It was inaugurated on World Environment Day, June 5 this year and is run by the Maram Trust, founded by Yoganathan. “The nursery currently hosts 5000 saplings of over 15 varieties of native trees. We do not take care of ornamental plants that decorate your house, but important native plants that could help in bringing a balance in the ecosystem,” he adds.
Claiming that cutting of native breed trees have resulted in disasters like the current water scarcity in Tamil Nadu, Yoganathan believes that taking care of trees was the need of the hour. Since its opening, the nursery has offered 1500 saplings in areas around Sulur, free of cost. “These saplings cost between Rs.25 to Rs. 150 in the market. But we are offering them for free so that they could be grown into big trees and also to encourage the habit of looking after trees,” says Yoganathan, who has planted over 3 lakh saplings across Tamil Nadu.
Unlike other nurseries that offer saplings that are too young, the saplings at the Ecological Centre Nursery grows saplings up to six feet high before offering them. “This helps reduce the death of the saplings. It is not easy for trees to survive when they are too young in an open and unsafe environment. They either wither out soon or are eaten by herbivores,” informs Anand Eshwaran, member of the Maram Trust.
He adds that along with giving away free saplings, the Centre also offers nature education, where students and general public can visit at any time and learn about native trees. “We have planned sessions to enlighten students and would like to encourage them to visit the nursery at any time during the day,” adds Eshwaran.
Yoganathan rushes to the nursery as soon as his day’s work as a bus conductor concludes. He is also planning to take care of herbal plants in the near future. “Environment conservation is not a one man’s job. It is a collective responsibility of all people. Only if we take it up seriously, we can avert water scarcity threats like those faced by Chennai now,” warns Yoganathan.
A wide variety of native trees including Aalam (Banyan), Athi (Fig), Sorga Maram (Paradise Tree) and Arasam Maram (Peepal) are available at the Centre. The Centre can be contacted at +91 94430 91398, +91 97878 00900.
Environmental degradation and climate change are etched so strongly in the minds of some people that they have discerningly started gifting back free saplings at weddings. However, not all such saplings are planted and nurtured, in fact most of them wither and die without proper care.
But standing apart in a cause of its own are the free saplings offered at the Maram Suzhaliyal Naduvam (Tree Ecological Centre) in Alandurai, located 15 kms away from the city. People who visit this nursery can take a sapling of their choice for free and it is not given as a complimentary gift but as a responsibility. “It is a 33-year dream for me.
Having been involved in conservation all these years, I have always wanted to open a nursery where I would be able to look after saplings and also offer to other people,” says M Yoganathan, the bus conductor-turned-conservationist, the brainwave behind the nursery at the Suzhaliyal Naduvam.
Yoganathan was given lease of a 3.5 acre land by R Vasudevan, an NRI for 10 years. The property helped Yoganathan birth his dream project of setting up a nursery and also an education centre. It was inaugurated on World Environment Day, June 5 this year and is run by the Maram Trust, founded by Yoganathan. “The nursery currently hosts 5000 saplings of over 15 varieties of native trees. We do not take care of ornamental plants that decorate your house, but important native plants that could help in bringing a balance in the ecosystem,” he adds.
Claiming that cutting of native breed trees have resulted in disasters like the current water scarcity in Tamil Nadu, Yoganathan believes that taking care of trees was the need of the hour. Since its opening, the nursery has offered 1500 saplings in areas around Sulur, free of cost. “These saplings cost between Rs.25 to Rs. 150 in the market. But we are offering them for free so that they could be grown into big trees and also to encourage the habit of looking after trees,” says Yoganathan, who has planted over 3 lakh saplings across Tamil Nadu.
Unlike other nurseries that offer saplings that are too young, the saplings at the Ecological Centre Nursery grows saplings up to six feet high before offering them. “This helps reduce the death of the saplings. It is not easy for trees to survive when they are too young in an open and unsafe environment. They either wither out soon or are eaten by herbivores,” informs Anand Eshwaran, member of the Maram Trust.
He adds that along with giving away free saplings, the Centre also offers nature education, where students and general public can visit at any time and learn about native trees. “We have planned sessions to enlighten students and would like to encourage them to visit the nursery at any time during the day,” adds Eshwaran.
Yoganathan rushes to the nursery as soon as his day’s work as a bus conductor concludes. He is also planning to take care of herbal plants in the near future. “Environment conservation is not a one man’s job. It is a collective responsibility of all people. Only if we take it up seriously, we can avert water scarcity threats like those faced by Chennai now,” warns Yoganathan.
A wide variety of native trees including Aalam (Banyan), Athi (Fig), Sorga Maram (Paradise Tree) and Arasam Maram (Peepal) are available at the Centre. The Centre can be contacted at +91 94430 91398, +91 97878 00900.