Happy Forest Year!!  

 Human body constitute of thousands of elements like oxygen, iron, calcium, proteins, vitamins and so on. Besides these elements, it needs lot of other elements for healthy life. Main source of these elements are Native plants or indigenous plants, as they grow in same surroundings/ environments as yours. They prove to be less useful of no use to people staying in different territory. Similarly foreign or non indigenous or non native trees do prove less useful or of no use.

For ages Indians are consuming various plants parts like Arjuna, Kadamb, Shami, Parijatak, Adulsa, Shatavari, Ashwagandha, etc. Most of them are used in medicines in Ayurveda.  Some have  health food values and some used in beauty products. For example Arjuna Tree is good for heart health, Sita Ashok is good for gynecological problems, Awala is good as preventive medicine against cold/cough, Bahava and Hirada is good for intestine, gulwel and Bhumi awala is good for liver. Most of cattle are dependent on fodder native plants for food, which in turn good quality of milk, and consumed by human.

In addition to shrinking forests because of farming, industrialization, etc., the current trend of nurseries causing big hazard to plant biodiversity. Whenever, anybody goes to nursery, they suggest non native or non indigenous trees, these grow fast and look good but having no other use. Because of non indigenous and monotonous trend, very less space is left for native plants. This no native trend, started from urban is now moving towards rural area, which is very serious cause of concern. It is affecting badly the local fauna dependent on native plants, so in turn quality of attributes provided by native plants, and so finally on human.

I think slogan need to change from GO JUST GREEN to GO SMART GREEN, I mean just tree plantation is not sufficient, one need to think of type of plants to be planted to maintain good ecological cycle in the region. To maintain biodiversity in our garden, say NO to non native plants, say NO to monotonous landscaping (trees of same species, as cause genetic problems). Say NO to plants which are planted in farms. Give land to rare native trees. Gardens without local fauna like butterflies, bees, etc is of no use.  Beauty of any garden is not only by plants in it or say greenery, it is need to smart green,  so have these beautiful local fauna too, for which native plants need to be planted.

My friends might be wondering,  who is “me” here.  Is it Khushi  or anybody else whom Khushi wants to save??

Till last week, I had heard about plantation drive, save forest drive, drive against global warming and so, but last week  I came to know  something different in the same context, is that plantation of any trees , anywhere is not going to solve any purpose. But plantation of Native trees will do it!! Native trees?? Why only native trees, the first question crosses our mind?? Let me try to explain, what I understood from my neighbor connected with NATIVE  TREE PLANTATION Awareness program. If I am wrong anywhere, please correct me.

Specific species of  fauna, such as butterflies, honey bees, birds, etc develop on specific native trees and plants.  With less number of native plants and trees, dependent fauna like some species of butterflies or insects are disappearing to extent of extinct. So “me” here is these dependent fauna. This affects on pollination and seed dispersion, so extinction of certain trees. Here “me” is these trees. These specific fauna helps in generation certain medicinal and food values in trees. So that is disappearing, so human is losing big source of medicine, health food, etc. So “me” is real me now , we HUMAN.

Plantation of any trees, leave few small areas for these native trees, so results in  self pollination, and so genetic mutation of these plants. Again we are loosing medicinal and some other important values of these trees. Save ME !! the Human.

In rural area, some of dependent fauna like some birds, which can help farmers in removing pests from the crop  naturally,  are disappearing.  Here “me” are these birds. Uncontrolled use of chemical pesticides again are making crop as well land poisonous , which ultimately is consumed by “me” the human. So, in short I meant to SAVE HUMAN, ourselves.

I want to help out my neighbor in this awareness project. And this is my first step, that is to make my friends aware about the danger we are calling ourselves by not planting NATIVE  trees or rather say, planting non NATIVE OR non-indigenous trees.  I will write more about the same in details in my coming posts and need your help in spreading this awareness, which is SAVE HUMAN.

Let me not forget to thank my friend, who is spending her time and money for this awareness. Good Job dear!!

Human being evolved from the animal. He made money to make his livings, more manageable, and now money is managing man, making him again an animal. Yeah soon we will be, if not alarmed now.

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