Tree Walk- Thiruvananthapuram, an informal network of around 250 tree lovers, on Sunday completed its 23rd weekend trail in the city to appreciate trees and create awareness on the need to protect the green cover.
The latest tree walk saw the participation of 60 green romantics, as they loved to be called, taking a stroll around the Museum to understand its rich flora. Environmental educator and coordinator of Tree Walk-Thiruvananthapuram, S. Anitha shared interesting facts about each tree, its origin and uses, with the participants.
Ms. Anitha said the walk started as a campaign to dispel the notion that trees are a hindrance to carry out development works, and trees, particularly avenue trees, are a threat to life and property.
The trail also aimed to understand the state of parks and public places within the city and to build up a campaign for declaring the Secretariat region as a green zone after banning plastics and flexi boards from the region.
“We have observed that in majority of the cases, the road development starts with the removal of trees without assessing if this is necessary or not.
Most often the widened portion of the road constructed after cutting trees get converted into parking spaces.
We have to scientifically and realistically plan and observe the traffic flow, the signals and other road infrastructure instead of removing the tree,” she said.
The Tree Walk Thiruvananthapuram, she said was ready to conduct a survey of avenue trees in the city and provide scientific solution to protect them from falling down during monsoon.
The government could also rope in the services of the Kerala Forest Research Institute in Peechi, Thrissur, which has evolved a protocol to assess scientifically the status and health of trees, Ms Anitha said. She also urged authorities to plant tree species that could withstand the vagaries of nature.
She said the group plans to conduct similar walks in schools and colleges to gather the support of student community to protect the green cover in the city.
