When it comes to documenting trees in the city, individuals and greens have taken the lead. The latest attempt is by the Sankey Tank Walkers’ Association and vruksha.com which revealed over 724 trees and saplings — including 584 full grown trees belonging to around 40 different species — thriving in the 60-acre area in the vicinity of Sankey Tank.
The report, prepared by Vijay Nishanth from vruskha.com, says that Pongum ( Millettia pinnata – a member of the pea family) was found to be the most abundant with 261 trees and saplings, while the eucalyptus comes second with 58 trees.
The group had previously plotted trees – including species and location – in three wards of the city: Pattabhinagar, Byrasandra and Jayanagar. Similarly, My Bhumi, an environment organisation, had mapped 150 trees from over 30 species around Narsipura lake in Vidyaranyapura; while, the yearly “My neighbourhood, my tree campaign” by the Indiabiodiversity portal has seen over 700 species being identified in the city through crowdsourcing.
A start – though faltering at the moment – has been made by the volunteers of the Open Street Maps. Data analyst Thejesh G.N. initiated the idea of plotting trees on a map in December last year. “We could plot a few areas and selected a few streets. It is a slow process, and may take a couple of years if we do it block by block. It requires coordination,” he said.
