The state-level launch of the Haritha Keralam programme, aimed at greening the state, will be conducted at the Sarvodaya Vidyalaya School at Nalanchira here by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on June 5 at 1 pm. The function will also be attended by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor as well as Ministers of Education and Local Self-Government, not to mention environmentalists and other cultural leaders.

Four thrust areas have been identified for action this year - ‘Increasing green cover’, ‘Enhancing and conserving biological diversity’, ‘Improving ecosystems and the ecosystem services that they render’, and ‘Successful citizen engagement.’

‘’The Social Forestry Wing has this year focused on developing strategic alliances with several institutions, so that the strength of these institutions is utilised for greening and for successful citizen engagement,’’ said B S Corrie, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

Tree-planting forms the core of the Haritha Keralam programme and at the very centre of this core is the ‘Ente Maram’ programme - tree-planting by school students. Other tree-planting activities include the tree-planting by college students, tree-planting by institutions, block planting and avenue planting.

‘’While Haritha Keralam is all about increasing the green cover of the State, in this age of climate change, more than the increase in greenery it is the enhancement of biodiversity and improvement of ecosystems and the ecosystems services that these ecosystems render that is significant,’’ said Corrie.

With this intent, the Social Forestry Wing has raised a wide variety of species to cater to the diverse needs of the citizens - timber species, flowering trees, medicinal trees, multipurpose trees and economically valuable trees.

Why plant trees

Throughout history, trees have been powerful symbols. Trees symbolise life - the branches going up to the skies and the roots going down to the bottom of the earth. Trees have been worshipped and considered sacred. Today, in hindsight, we realise the wisdom of our ancients, who realised the importance of trees and adopted this method to protect them.

* Trees are perhaps the longest living organisms on the planet and one of the earth’s greatest natural resources.

* Trees provide us a number of economic, ecological, social and cultural benefits.

* Trees regulate and reduce the erosive impact of water and allows it to percolate down slowly over time.

* Trees provide a habitat to a wide variety of fauna and flora.

* Trees keep our air supply clean, reduce noise pollution, improve water quality, help prevent erosion, provide food, shelter and building materials, create shade, and help make our landscapes look beautiful.

* Trees control temperature - when properly placed around buildings trees can reduce air-conditioning needs by 30 per cent.

* Trees sequester carbon - One tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving 26,000 miles.

* Trees receive an estimated 90 per cent of their nutrition from the atmosphere and only 10 per cent from the soil.

* Trees provide oxygen - A NASA experiment has calculated that 17.5 trees would be required to produce the oxygen requirement of one person per year. Twenty trees would be required to utilise the carbon dioxide produced by a person per year.