Why tree adoption in Mumbai needs to be made cooler

Over 125 tall trees make a resplendent presence in a 33acre plot in Goregaon These trees have been around for a while approximately for 50 years They existed much before they became a part of the Nature Reserve owned by the Bombay Natural History Society BNHSLast year when the BNHS was thinking of ways to commemorate the 20 years conservation education work in the Goregaon Reserve a fraction of the group thought of projecting the trees as possible tools for fundraising What followed was an appeal to the people of Mumbai to adopt these trees and help the cause of biodiversity researchPriti Choghale c with Amandeepkaur Giran l Deepa Fernandes r at the Bombay Natural History Society BNHS Nature Reserve in Goregaon PicsKaushik ThanekarBiodatas of the trees were put on display and people were called upon to make their choices The appeal was jazzed up with addon features like an offer of a ceremony where the patron would be photographed with the adopted tree The treersquos coordinates in terms of the global positioning system and the pictures of the flowers and fruits it bears would be either emailed or physically posted to the adopterCommitment is key to adopting a treePlans were announced to call patronsrsquo families for adoption anniversaries thereafter Much on the lines of Adopt A tree initiatives Example Hawaii of the Western world the BNHS termed the adoption as ldquoa fun and easy way to help the environment a unique affordable and longlasting gift or memorialrdquoThe concept needs to be broadbased and infused with vigour to appeal to more peopleThe BNHS drive publicized through the society website and newspaper media alerts in August 2013 received attention from 17 ambassadors Most of these patrons were in some way associated with the Societyrsquos initiatives A few were visitors or conductors of the Sunday Nature trails For instance Dr Ketki Marthak who adopted a Red Silk Cotton tree is part of the faculty She has dedicated the adopted tree to her departed fatherSimilarly Geeta Samant whose husband is associated with the making of the Nature Reserve took care of a Yellow Silk Cotton tree Senior citizen Bhalchandra Barve and his wife were among the few who made a personal effort to reach out to BNHS after learning about the adoption offer They adopted four trees and want to repeat this gesture every yearOne patron based in Taiwan adopted a tree only to bring home the importance of a natural habitat for his company employees A collegian expended his pocket money to satisfy his urge ldquoto belong to a treerdquo Shishir Goenka the founder of an organic clothing brand Do you speak green adopted because ldquogiving support to all forms of natural life gives me joyrdquoDelhibased Kanika Pal showed interest in adoption but ultimately backed out because of the price tag of Rs 10000 per tree There were a few patrons who inquired about the possibility of ldquogetting the producerdquo in the form of fruits and tree wood They were disappointed because of the protected flora and fauna in the Nature ReserveIt is a feelingIt is not just the paucity of ambassadors that is palpable in this tree adoption initiative but several other moot points are worth mulling over Adoption is a oneoff activity for almost all patrons Given the time pressures of Mumbai very few patrons have time to visit the Nature Reserve and take joy from the trees they have adoptedTherefore the larger purpose of encouraging people to spend time with trees is underserved ldquoBeing notsomobile senior citizens a visit to Goregaon is out of the ambit of possibilities for us We are just happy to know that we adopted a treeOur soninlaw who stays close to the reserve picked up the adoption certificate for usrdquo state the Barves who live in Bandra and prefer not to venture out because of the traffic jams Like the Barves most of the patrons are happy with the idea of donating a green tree to the memory of the departed soulsThe lack of involvement of people in the postadoption process stems from another fact All the adopted trees are fullblown and strong leaving very little scope for a caregiver with the best intentionsThe BNHS Reserve shares its borders with the rich jungle of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park SGNP and the Film City at Goregaon Naturally trees which have assumed full form do not allow their patrons to witness a growth graph sapling to a healthy tree which is a pleasure in itselfGift IdeaFor any such fundraising activity to succeed civil society and groups like the BNHS should first make efforts to create a climate where trees are accepted as gifts in the popular spaceUnless tree adoption is seen as a sellable lsquocoolrsquo gift idea any tree adoption initiative will not achieve optimal results which is why membershipdriven groups like the 130yearold BNHS have to use innovative media to transcend their immediate friend circleThe Society needs to build new bridges with other NonGovernmental Organizations NGOs and the corporate world It has to embrace a larger humanity than the customary crowd that comes for its projects and wellintentioned activities like Flamingo watch at Sewree or the lsquoOvernight Barbeque Cooking Class with our Chef in the Wildrsquo or the lsquoNature Detectives Challenge 2013rsquoUnless younger and wider audiences are reached the activities will only preach to the converted Mumbai is a home to world class designers and ideation teams The BNHS needs to network with a fresh team of young Mumbaikars who will lend their expertise to a green causeAn interactive and more colourful design for the BNHS website can be a good starting point Such networking requires time and a collective readiness for infusing new people in the organizational set upAdoption is cohesiveIn the popular consciousness adoption is synonymous with caregiving for a single tree Organizations like the BNHS have to work towards erasing this simplistic notion People need to be told that adoption is not about watering a tree which is anyways limited to the initial years Adoption is a larger cause It is about awakening a city to its rich tree heritageIt is about ensuring that mindless massacre of trees does not happen in the name of trimming It is about taking care of trees when municipal authorities dig up the manholes It is about identifying the common diseases suffered by a certain species Adoption is about all this and much moreAnd who can be a more legitimate advocate of Mumbairsquos trees than a respectable organization like the BNHS If the BNHS becomes a voice for issues that affect Mumbais trees people will be made more aware of the tree policy of the governmentIf the BNHS closely follows the working of the Tree Authority and the Garden Department which influences the condition of the 19 lakhodd trees in Mumbai the cityrsquos green cover will have a competent ambassador In this way the BNHS will be able to live up to its own stated mission goal ldquoConservation of Nature primarily Biological Diversity through Action based on Research Education and Public AwarenessrdquoPlant a thoughtThe BNHS can channelize tree loversrsquo energies by encouraging people to donate money to advocacy groups which are working for trees Dissuaded against counterproductive tree plantation drives people can be educated about longterm associations with natural habitatsA number of private and political groups declare arbitrary tree plantation which often leads to plantation of unsuitable tree species for Mumbairsquos ecosystem People prefer plantation drives because they feel nice about their lsquogreenrsquo credentialsBut the BNHS and similar groups can intervene and question the lsquofeel goodrsquo factor They need to sensitize the common tree lover and train him or her to put enough detailing and thought in the tree plantation or adoption projectsSuccess abroadTree adoption if done with clarity can be a valid fundraising drive The success story of the Hudson River Park Support the Trees Campaign Manhattan New York is inspiring in this context Since the waterfront park takes care of its own maintenance it appeals to donors to sponsor trees in the precinctThe campaign asks specific questions about the lsquolevel of adoptioncommitmentrsquo asking if the patron is interested in adopting a sapling or a shaded canopy or a root network or an entire grove Adoption appeals are usually tailored to major American Holidays and festivals where people are more likely to give a gift in the form of a treePatrons have been encouraged to use the new online program launched by the Friends of Hudson River Park to support and protect the green space and help restore its beauty after a hurricane attack The mission of the Save the Redwoods League California is also another restoration of a forest by way of adoption which has brought people closer to the rivers and wildlife that surround the treesCalifornians who have dedicated a grove or a redwood tree have played a role Californiarsquos forest history The idea of the Redwoods League is to ldquoconnect people with the peace and beauty of the tree so that these wonders of the natural world flourishrdquoMumbaikars can also rise to the occasion if guided by wellmeaning organizations like the BNHS whose years of goodwill can be put to judicious lsquogreenrsquo use To quote the founder of the World Wide Fund for Nature Peter Scott ldquoThe conservationistrsquos most important task if we are to save the Earth is to educaterdquoSumedha RaikarMhatre is a Mumbaibased cultural chronicler