Preserving the past, only effecting a minor tweak

An effective shelter through most part of the year, the Indian ash tree takes a ‘sabbatical’ at the height of summer. A suitable ally to this native tree can salvage the situation

Indian ash trees on Besant Avenue Road in Adyar, on May 3, 2024. | Photo Credit: PRINCE FREDERICK

An Indian ash tree at Bhakthi Vedanthaswamy Salai in Injambakkam. The image was taken on April 3, 2024. | Photo Credit: PRINCE FREDERICK

Almost everything is susceptible to the recency effect. The effect assumes the virulence of a black-mamba bite when the most recent manifestation is one of a performance slump. Is not the hand with the censuring claws always out faster than the one with a congratulatory pat?

The Indian ash tree is currently witnessing the inability of the human mind to reach back in time and find reasons for gratitude.

The Indian ash tree is now in bloom, displaying splendid racemes of yellowish-green flowers. But the Indian ash tree eschews multi-tasking to an extreme degree. It blooms come at the expense of its leaves. It divests itself of its foliage to gain the resource to cloth itself in floral glory.

In peri-urban areas and even in urban areas, such as the streets of Besant Nagar, including the high-profile Besant Avenue Road, the Indian ash trees stand in a row, presenting a sap-filled living reminder of the times when they formed natural compound walls, serving as hedge trees. During summer, in those streets lined with Indian ash trees (planted long ago as hedge trees), roadside hawkers would find themselves suddenly exposed to the fury of the sun. Now shorn of its foliage, the Indian ash tree would “leak” sun rays. You find this situation playing out on the end of Besant Avenue Road where it meets Second Avenue.

Tree survey on May 5

Nizhal has chalked up plans to carry out a tree survey in sections of Chennai Metropolitan Area, taking the initiative neighbourhood by neighborhood. For May 5, it has inked in a survey in parts that come under Tambaram Municipal Corporation, namely Chromepet and Chitlapakkam.

Shobha Menon, founder-trustee, Nizhal, says volunteers would map the green landscape of a neighbourhood in terms of what exists and what could exist. In the map of the neighbourhood, they will mark spots where trees can be planted. While marking the trees that already exist, they would spotlight those trees that might require special attention.

The meeting point for the May 5 tree survey is Nallappa Street Entrance (Landmark: Casual Moves, Chromepet).

The survey is scheduled for the evening, between 5.00 p.m. and 6.30 p.m.

For details call 9840882940.

In these times, it is easy to turn shortsighted and censure the tree, forgetting the days when it held up an umbrella of dense foliage over one’s head. “Chennai being hot through the year, the Indian ash tree serves us well as a shelter through most part of the year. It plays its part very well,” says Shobha Menon, founder-trustee, Nizhal.

The solution could be to plant between every two Indian ash trees (provided they are separated by sufficient space), those native trees that tenaciously latch on to their leaves through the year.

Is the neem tree one of the trees qualified to stand in the gaps and keep the Indian ash tree company and supplement its good work?