Gifting Trees... is a community of/for true nature lovers.
Gifting Trees... is dedicated to plant native trees, and thereby; creating natural habitats for birds & insects to thrive in urban societies, improving the environment and creating livable conditions for our generations to come.
We love native trees & our ecosystem; and We are trying our best to reduce human impact on our natural resources & thus, spreading the importance of Green Living. We have been working hard to save the existing trees in Nashik and to create new native woodland throughout the city; for the benefit of both people and wildlife through the simple act of planting a tree.
1. To sow the seeds of awareness in society about the importance of native trees and the need for their plantation; especially in urban societies.
2. To create a group of volunteers committed to Stopping Degradation, Conservation & Preservation of the Environment; striving for a sustainable life in perfect harmony with Nature.
3. To motivate the society to accept & implement Green Living and to offset/reduce their carbon footprint.
4. To encourage the activities that makes the bond of human-nature relationship stronger, which is vital for existence & survival of the life on Earth.
5. To increase participation & interaction of common man of any age, qualification or religion; with a network of people who have the knowledge, awareness and commitment to meet the challenges of Soil Degradation, Species Extinction and Climate Change.
Flashback :
Initially we both, my father Dr Prashant I Phalak and me, just wanted to create a beautiful landscape adjacent to our home. So we planted lots of saplings near the house. Amazingly in just 4 years, small saplings planted on bare land is developed into small thriving woodland complete with sturdy trees big enough for you to walk under, with few fresh fruits for you to eat, rich ground flora and a host of wildlife.
So after that, we began to plant trees in open spaces allocated by Municipal Corporation. We have planted & importantly grown number of trees in open spaces and alongside roads. We have also planted numerous flowering plants. These trees and flowering plants now attract lots of bees, butterflies and lots of birds like Sunbirds, Prinias, White-eyes, Baya weavers, Orioles & Munias.
Before four months, struck me the idea of gifting & dedicating trees in the name of my friends, relatives or for a special occasion. While thinking about which plant I should gift, I came to know the fact that few plants which are planted numerously in planting drives, are actually not beneficial to our ecosystem. And the worst part is most of the planting enthusiasts don't even know this.. That's the reason Nashik is flooded with trees like Eucalyptus & Gulmohar. The Introduced trees are more familiar than the native ones; hence are preferred. But the fact is our native varieties are much more beautiful, useful, harmless and adapted to our local environment. If asked to enlist ten common trees, a common person will enumerate at least three to five non-native trees. This is not done! If we want to save our ecosystem, if we want our birds & butterflies to flourish; we should..NO! We must plant the native trees..!
This blog is my attempt to familiarize some of native trees to plant enthusiasts, encourage consciousness while planting trees and promote Green Living.
I believe, a small act can have a big impact..on People, on Nature, on Environment. Hence the Initiative.
Plant a native tree to commemorate a special event..!
...Dr Paresh Prashant Phalak,
Nashik, Maharashtra.
05/09/2010