Despite the havoc that COVID-19 has wrecked upon us, several “green” initiatives planned for World Environment Day 2020 will leave a positive mark. On World Environment Day, that is, June 5, United States-based reforestation non-profit organisation One Tree Planted, in association with social enterprise Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI), started its planting drive across India.
A total of 500,000 fruit trees will be planted in several parts of India this monsoon season.The following activities will mark the starting of WED activities:
- Cyclone Amphan, which ripped through West Bengal, left devastation in its wake. It also uprooted scores of mighty trees all over Kolkata. SGI has pledged to replant 1,000 of the 5,000 big trees that fell. Eight feet tall saplings of trees such as Neem, Arjun, Karanj, Bakul were planted in the presence of senior officials from the Kolkata Municipality and prominent members of the civil society. It is worth mentioning here that SGI also kick-off’s its mangrove and fruit trees planting campaign for 15,000 fruit trees and 200,000 mangroves in the Balli islands of the Sundarbans, under the watchful eye of the Tiger Man of India – Anil Mistry.
- Planting fruit trees in homesteads and farmland of marginal farmers in twelve villages in Puri and Khurda districts of Odisha; five villages of Tehri Garhwal district in Saklana range in Uttarakhand; fifteen villages of Palwal, Haryana; ten villages in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh; one village in the Khopoli region in Maharashtra, and five locations across Delhi-NCR.
In the coming two years, these trees will sequester 2500 tonnes of carbon and will provide fruits and fodder to the villagers. Depending on the geography, the tree saplings will include Guava, Lemon, Pomegranate, Gooseberry, Jackfruit, and Mango.“These are tough times but we need to keep working towards a better, cleaner, safer future,” said Matt Hill, Founder, One Tree Planted, adding how there was a direct connection between our physical and mental health and greenery.
Raj Mohan, Founder, Sustainable Green Initiative, said, “We will help maintain these trees for a period of one year to ensure maximum survival rate and encourage the villagers to adopt organic fertilizers and pesticides for the same.”
About One Tree Planted: One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their reforestation projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Each project focus is different, and many have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. By focusing on collaborative sustainability from the ground up, they hope to make a lasting and positive difference for the planet.
About Sustainable Green Initiative:Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI) was set up as a social enterprise in 2013 with the objective of planting mostly fruit trees to fight hunger, poverty, and climate change. SGI distributes, plants, and maintains fruit tree saplings for one-three years in community lands, homesteads of marginal farmers, government schools and campuses, orphanages, old-age homes, etc. SGI’s planting activities address seven of the 17 SDGs set by the UN. The organization has planted more than 15,00,000 trees since its inception in eight states across India.
