WWF India and Sri Ram Chandra Mission Foundation (Heartfulness Institute) join hands to adopt 50,000 trees in Hyderabad

New Delhi: WWF India, Hyderabad Office announced its initiative with Heartfulness Institute to adopt 50,000 trees at Kanha Shantivanam, the global headquarters of Heartfulness in Hyderabad. This initiative is part of WWF India’s Sustainable Trees program and Heartfulness’s Green Kanha mission. Under this program, WWF India is funding the maintenance and growth of these trees along with monitoring the progress of plantation.

WWF-India’s Sustainable Trees campaign is an initiative to plant native indigenous tree species across India involving school and college students, grassroots organisations and concerned citizens.

The plantation is planned over two seasons and a majority of the trees have already been planted and the remaining to be planted by end of August 2021. The State Director, (WWF India, Hyderabad Office) Ms. Farida Tampal, geotagged the plantation area. Geo-tagging of plantation zones will help keep track of the progress of the expanding green cover by using satellite imagery.

Mango, Teak, Bamboo, Bougainvillea, Aaya, Peepal, Terminalia belerica, Muntingia calabura, Senthur, Thaposi, Shesham, Mahogany, Badam, Lagerstroemia, Custard Apples, Putranjiva, Peepal, Cassia Javanica, Rudraksh, Conocarpus, Cesalpenia, Jacaranda, Bougainvillea, Guava, Mahua, Pongamia, Cassia Fistula, Tecomo Gold, Pagoda, Indian Elm, Bauhinia, Arjuna, Madras Thorn, Erythrina Stricta, Acacia Chundra, Hill Mango, Gulmohar, Malabar Neem, Tabubea Arjentenia, Melia Dubia amongst the other native, indigenous as well as rare and red-listed varieties of trees.

Commenting on the collaboration, Ms. Farida Tampal, State Director, WWF India, Hyderabad Office said, “With an aim to carry out plantation of 1 million of native plant species across India and ensure their survival through key partnerships, WWF India has engaged in several initiatives to not only spread awareness but also directly contribute towards increasing the green footprint. We are delighted to partner with Heartfulness for our Sustainable Tree initiative and have committed to this collaboration to increase the lung space.”

Commenting on the occasion, Daaji, Guide of Heartfulness said, “The resplendence of today’s Green Kanha is a labour of several hearts and souls, nurturing every tree planted here over the years. Green Kanha is an example of what the mind can achieve if directed well – the transformed landscape here bears testimony to this. Our collaboration with WWF India motivates us to continue our efforts towards the green cause and should inspire other similar organisations and corporates to focus towards increasing the green cover and we encourage them to partner with us towards that end.”

The Green Kanha Initiative over the last 6 years has transformed the dry, rocky and barren area into a lush green landscape that is now home to 500,000 plus trees nurtured and grown with utmost care with over 10,000 trees translocated from different areas of the country, and a nursery of 5 lakh plus plants that act as a constant supply to the ongoing greening initiatives at the global headquarters of Heartfulness Institute situated in Kanha Shantivanam, Hyderabad.

Green Kanha Initiative at Heartfulness Institute is a continuous endeavour to increase the green cover and spread the awareness and benefits of greening to a larger community. Some of the species under threat include plants that are considered sacred and are of immense benefit to human beings and the environment. Under the Green Kanha Initiative, the emphasis is given to such ecologically, economically and socio-culturally important native tree species. Also, with a vision of Kanha Shanti Vanam playing the role of an ex-situ conservation centre, rare and threatened plant species are being collected from far and wide places within India, due diligence given to the positive ecological role that they could play in the decades and probably centuries to come.