A wasteland, fallow and dry. That was how the 10 acres of school land of Bhavan's Adarsha Vidyalya, Kakkanad was 18 years ago. It was then that the management and the school principal gave the responsibility of ‘greening' the land to Sathi Devi S., a teacher of Malayalam at the school. Today, on that land stands a mini forest, complete with trees, fruits, flowers and related bio-diversity. For her relentless efforts in afforestation , Sathi Devi has been awarded the Vanamitra Award, 2010, by the Kerala Forest Department. And Sathi credits her achievement to a joint effort by the school management and the Forestry Club which they started in 1992.
Inspiring work
When Sathi took up the trowel to green the arid land, she inspired a whole group of children to join in. She recalls the early days when her dream was to convert this land to a place where ‘a 1000 flowers would bloom a 1000 birds would sing' and the children of the school would sing along. Today her dream has come true.
At every stage while recounting her success, Sathi reiterates about the encouragement and the support she got from the school officials, the Institute officials, the Kerala Forest Department and her brother Dr. Induchoodan, Divisional Forest Officer.
Being a lover of nature, a romantic, a poetess who has penned lyrics for songs of nature, devotional songs and coordinated the conception and making of a CD on Nature by the school club, ‘ Sargavasantham' , she says that the CD deals with values and nature. It is sung by club members and by renowned singer Madhu Balakrishnan.
At times her efforts were ridiculed by many who thought her work with plants, earth, and forest was madness. “If it is madness, it is joy for me.” There came a point in her journey when a child who had planted a sapling would inform her about a new shoot. Soon she started getting regular updates about seeds that were bursting forth and saplings that were getting firmer, buds that were breaking and branches that were reaching higher. It was the most beautiful picture coming true for her and for her school. There was no letting in after this she says. The club, inspired by her efforts, was on track to green mother earth.
Role of teachers
Teachers hold a special advantage in inspiring students. “If every teacher undertakes to inspire students then the whole process of greening the earth would be easier, simpler and taken more earnestly,” she believes. The club undertook annual study trips to Vazhachal, Sholayar, Athirapilly, Parambikulam, and Silent Valley. Soon their good work began getting noticed and they got support in form of funds and seedlings, saplings etc from WWF (World Wide Fund) for Nature, India, Organisation for Industrial Spiritual and Cultural Advancement's Kochi (OISCA) chapter's International Love Garden Club and several other bodies. The Kerala Forest Department has been she says a constant support and a guiding force.
OISCA selected the school as the Best School for Environmentally Friendly Activities. She was awarded the Best Teacher award in 1994 followed by best teacher Co-ordinator for Forest club in 2004.
Sathi says she is partial to the colour green, implying her die-hard love for nature. In one of her songs she writes,
“Paacha nirathod kudathalpriymayi, mattnirangal paribhvam cholli” (‘ All colours complain of my partiality to the colour green')
With this recognition Sathi Devi's green efforts have finally borne fruit.
