Afforestation Drive “Trees for Life”: A Campaign by Goodliving Trust

"Ask the tree the meaning of legacy.”

Legacy is what stays beyond time and the age one lives. The essence of one's being is carried forward in ways that the future seems to be safe because of their presence in the past. And nothing and none can better understand and stay true to its legacy than a tree. While for some species, it may be a source of shade, fruit and or vegetables, for some it is their entire identity and habitat. The fruit that it bears is what helps other species not just survive but thrive. To be able to see an apple as an orchard, one must see beyond what a tree can do now. 

As we inch closer towards the climate crisis, many scientists have rung the warning bell and have spoken about the many solutions to tackle this issue. And of all the solutions, one that can be done right now is to plant a tree. The more forest cover we have, the better absorption of carbon dioxide happens. And that is why, the Amazon Forest is known as the lungs of planet earth. 

We might not be able to create another Amazon, but we can certainly take on the initiative of planting more indigenous trees to increase the forest cover in our own land.

As part of The Good Living Trusts’ endeavour to fight the climate crisis, it had initiated a “tree revolution” campaign. One of its kind, in Doddaballapura taluk, an afforestation drive was undertaken in 2021 with the intent to increase the water table to benefit the farmer in more ways than one.

The agroforestry wing of GLT called it the “Trees for Life” campaign that has been working to educate farmers and agriculturists on sustainable land use. This ensures an increase in the returns for farmers even on waste land. Encouraged to plant trees in the periphery of the farmland, this project tried and rekindled the association farmers have with nature. The project has been designed as a movement where people come forth to take charge of raising saplings, planting them and maintaining trees so that the ownership of the plantation resides with the community.

The project was started by an afforestation drive within the farmland of the GoodLiving Trust. 17 acres of land in Sulikunte village of Doddaballapura was transformed into fertile land from an absolutely barren field. Months of planning and work ensued to achieve this goal and a lot of learning in the process that was utilised while educating the farmers.

Distributing plants isn’t the end of it. Post that, efficient plantation is the key. Once planted in a land appropriate for its growth, it has to be taken care of to grow to its maximum potential which means careful and conscious effort to create an atmosphere for the plants to thrive. In 2021, 970 teak (tectona grandis),1940 sandal (sanctalum album),  480 malbar neem (milia dubia) and 6572 mahoghany (swetania macrophylla) were distributed to willing farmers who would nurture the pants to grow it into a tree. The team of GLT covered 28 villages distributing 10132 trees amongst 61 farmers which covered a total planted area of 62.5 acres. These 10132 trees once grown fully have the potential to absorb 3000 tonnes of co2 from the atmosphere. 

As of July 2022, 84.45 percent of plants have survived and are thriving out of the total 10132 saplings planted. This afforestation drive has been a unique experience in itself where all the stakeholders of the society came together to take climate action. It is also a testimonial to honouring our pledge to make sure that the next generation reaps the benefit of this endeavour. 

As the saying goes, the best times to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second-best time is NOW.