Back to the roots

Despite being one of the world's greenest capitals, Delhi is losing its native trees. A new project is trying to correct that

A couple of months ago, New Delhi was shrouded in beautiful yellow tones with flowers from the glorious amaltas trees. Today, those yellow flowers have given way to the purple stains of the jamun tree in parts of Lutyens Delhi. To most Delhiites, the rapidly changing seasons also mean changing hues and fragrances owing to its native trees. But those who have noticed the changing landscape of Delhi would also notice that certain trees have gone missing, both from its ecology and its local folklore. For example, shahtoot, or mulberry trees were a common sight till about a decade ago. Today, I can only rely on the memory of the fruit's taste to conjure up its image in my mind. With a little nostalgia and a ton of ecological research, the Delhi Seed Bank project is trying to bring back Delhi's vanishing native trees.

The project was launched on World Environment Day in June this year and has been put together by Conservation Education Centre (CEC), an NGO under the Bombay Natural History Society, and Delhi, I Love You (DILY), a cultural and social movement aimed at garnering a positive image of the city. It all began when Sohail Madan, centre manager of CEC, was entrusted by the Delhi government with creating a three-acre butterfly park in the Asola Forest. "While researching about butterflies, my team and I realised that the trees that attract butterflies, such as peelu, are nowhere to be found," says Madan. This prompted a deeper search for the native trees of Delhi, which has led CEC to compile a list of 22 species that need to be re-introduced.

The process of creating a seed bank involves looking for healthy specimens - across Delhi's forests and nurseries - and plant saplings at the right time. With the help of DILY, Madan's team will conduct seed walks, which are open to the public, to collect seeds, plant saplings and spread awareness. This, he believes, will create both demand and supply for Delhi's native trees and ensure that tree conservation gains the same level of importance as Save the Tiger campaign. "Eventually, I see this bank for seeds as a savings account that keeps growing," explains Madan. While it will be difficult to sustain large trees at homes or terraces, Delhiites can participate in these walks and incubate plants at their homes for five to six years before relocating them to the forest, says Aastha Chauhan, director of DILY. "I have a friend who will contribute 50 saplings for our next plantation drive. That is the kind of relationships we want to build with this project," says Madan.

To most Delhiites, it would seem paradoxical that there exists a crisis of tree species, when the city is one of the greenest capitals in the world. But the issue at hand is to preserve the ecology more than mere greenery, says Chauhan. "Many people have ficus plants and trees at and around their homes. But they do little for the birds and bees," she explains. Pradip Krishen, author and environmentalist, agrees. "I think people don't tend to value anything unless it has special ornamental value. If it is exotic, they want it," he says. But, he adds, the trouble of exotic things is that they need water, soil or nutrients that are not readily available." To this end, the project, says Chauhan, is a great way to implement real change, especially with the availability of adequate space through CEC's butterfly garden project.

So far, the seed bank project has also benefitted from Kishen's mentorship. Madan says that he and his nine-member team often run their ideas past him and rely on his experience as an environmentalist to take the project in the right direction. Kishen has authored Trees of Delhi, a definitive guide on the city's native species.

So far, the efforts have led to the plantation of 600 saplings at the Asola forest. In the next stages, creating nurseries as permanent seed banks and the plantation drives will work in tandem. The project has seen interest from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Delhi Jal Board, and they will actively plant native trees on the land they own. The team will train government gardeners and rope in large hotels to ensure that the trees find their way back to Delhi's urban landscape, too. The taste of mulberries need not be confined to memory alone, hopefully.

The Seed Bank Project will host seed walks on August 15, 16 and 17 in Delhi. For details, visit www.facebook.com/cecabwls and www.facebook.com/Delhiiloveyou