Godrej & Boyce along with renowned author Katie Bagli launch children’s book “Many Secrets of Mangroves”
Mumbai: Godrej & Boyce collaborated with renowned children’s author Katie Bagli to create the book “Many Secrets of Mangroves”. The book is just one of the many initiatives by the company to spread awareness about environment conservation and the importance of the Mangroves ecosystem.
The book, unveiled by Dr. Pheroza Godrej, an avid nature lover has been dedicated to the memory of Naval Pirojsha Godrej – a man who not only built the Indian industry but was also passionate about the environment.
Mangroves are not only treasure troves of biodiversity but also are of great ecological importance. Also known as ‘Oceanic Rain-forests’, Mangroves provide the right conditions for fish to breed, thereby supporting the livelihood of fishermen. In addition, they provide firewood, timber, cattle feed, honey, medicines, recreation and scope for tourism development. They are the only tall tree forests between the land and sea in the tropical and warm temperate coasts. Mangroves are like “Green forts” that protect the coastal life against natural calamities such as tsunamis, storm surges, cyclones and floods. It was the mangroves that saved human life and property in India during the 1999 super-cyclone of Odisha and the 2004 Asian tsunami
Author Katie Bagli laid emphasis on the importance of Mangroves in protecting the cities from the increasing pollution and against natural calamities. While unveiling the book, Author Katie Bagli said, “We have only one life and we must do our best to live it the right way so that future generations may also continue to enjoy the gifts of nature. In doing so, we must also teach our children the importance of protecting the environment and the part that they can also play in a world where digital technologies and social media play a large influence in our lives. I’m proud to have worked alongside Godrej in creating a book that will help spread such awareness and influence young minds who will play a major role in shaping our future. We hope the children have fun, learn and pass the knowledge on to their friends too.”
On this occasion Dr. Pheroza Godrej said, “Children are key to the progress of our nation. As parents and mentors, we must do our part to arm them with the right values and information to enable them to act responsibly. We undertook the endeavor of putting together this wonderful book along with Katie Bagli in order to educate the young minds and enable fun learning too. We hope that the children that read this book will grow fond of the characters that protect the environment.”
Speaking at the book launch Mr. Anup Mathew, EVP and Business Head, Godrej Construction, Godrej & Boyce, said “It is evident that many countries around the world are increasingly bearing the consequences of Climate Change. India is not an exception. Adults and children, both need to be aware about its impact. Our children will play a major role in shaping the future of the country. They need to
be inspired to choose wisely – being mindful about the importance of conserving nature. We are hopeful that with the help of this book, children will be able to learn about the importance of mangroves in the ecosystem in a fun-filled manner.”
The book has nine different stories and ends with the pictures of the mangroves and wildlife. The book is absolutely free and will be available on the mangroves website (mangroves.godrej.com).
On June 5th this year, on the occasion of World Environment Day, Godrej has also released the upgraded version of the ‘Mangroves App’. This app covers 67 Indian mangrove and mangrove associate species and is available in 9 Indian languages of coastal states along with Hindi and English. It is available on Android, iOS, and Windows platforms.