While leopards and lesser-known butterfly species may be some of the attractions of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), it’s the trees and plants — 1,300 species and counting — that form the bedrock of the biodiversity at the 103 sq km protected area in Borivali. This Sunday, unravel the mysteries of the plant kingdom through a three-hour long tree appreciation walk, titled Walking With The Trees. Shardul Bajikar, a naturalist associated with the park since 15 years, and botanist Dr Alok Chorge (recently completed his PhD on the grasses of Odisha at the Andhra University) will conduct the two-kilometre trail in a stretch that features a vast diversity of foliage.

Participants can spot the Ghost tree (Sterculia Urens) at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Famed for its shining white bark, the tree sheds all its leaves at the end of monsoons and stands bare to bring new leaves the next monsoon. PIC COURTESY/Shardul Bajikar