This Vishu, city residents will have a chance to know more about the season’s star, ‘kanikkonna.’ A group of nature enthusiasts is organising a ‘Tree Walk’ in the trail of the cassia fistula trees which are in full, golden bloom everywhere.
The walk will begin at 7 a.m. on April 13 from Jawahar Balabhavan, Vellayambalam, and end at the College of Fine Arts, Palayam. The initiative was first held in May last year, when a team of 25 organised the walk from Vanchiyoor to Uppidamoodu Bridge for a session of bonding with the trees there.
“Unfortunately, those trees are being cut down for road-widening. We have no complaints against the move, but there should be a culture of planting trees and nurturing them to compensate for the loss. The first step to that will be inculcating love and care for trees among people,” said S. Anita, who initiated the walk last year in memory of her late mother C. Thankam, a botanist and a tree lover.
There has been good response with around 100 nature lovers, both young and old, turning up for the periodic early morning walks. The organisers feel that such walks could be organised on college and school campuses to make the younger generation realise the importance of trees. The group has approached officials concerned to discuss the possibility of developing a policy for nurturing of trees in public places.
“The upcoming walk is a chance to closely understand the cassia. We have both the pink and the yellow cassia in flower along this particular stretch. The walk is organised a day before Vishu because by afternoon, these flowers would reach prayers rooms,” she added.
