Last year, billions of trees were planted in countries around the world. Tree planting efforts can be a triple win, providing livelihoods, absorbing and containing planet-warming carbon dioxide, and improving the health of ecosystems. With climate change being on the top of the Baramati Hub’s agenda, the hub is working each day and taking small steps one at a time to make people aware of the climate crisis. When starting this initiative, the Baramati Hub did a lot of brainstorming to determine the project objective, and it was not just to plant the trees but to find a lasting solution for sustainability and create livelihoods for human beings and for all the living species around us that secure biodiversity. 

The very first initiative of the Baramati hub was started back in 2020. As we spoke with residents of the region, hub members learned that the local fauna and flora were deteriorating over time. To bring positive change, it was necessary to recreate the old environment that was there. The local environmental activist was taking part in the process, but it was in a scattered way, and we found out that it is necessary to build a community. This triggered the hub to initiate a movement, where Shapers decided to gather a group of people and the forest department, who are already doing their part in planting native trees. Their guidance helped hub members to gain knowledge on how the planting of native trees helps to nourish local flora and fauna along with biodiversity preservation.

Shapers first learnt all the essential aspects of planting local/native trees through the experience of these activists and hence helping hub members to spread the word about biodiversity within the community. The hub attracted people of all ages, from school children to the elderly. It was slow momentum, but Shapers found a way to share knowledge and implement a new horizon by going hand in hand with all the stakeholders.

Why Native Trees?

Native trees are those that occur naturally in a region in which they evolved. They are the ecological basis upon which life depends, including birds and people. Without them and the insects that co-evolved with them, local birds cannot survive. Landscaping with native plants can combat climate change. In addition to the reduced noise and carbon pollution from lawn mower exhaust, many native plants, especially long-living trees like oaks and maples, are effective at storing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. In addition to providing vital habitat for birds, many other species of wildlife benefits as well. The colourful array of butterflies and moths, including the iconic monarch, the swallowtails, tortoiseshells, and beautiful blues, are all dependent on very specific native plant species. Native plants provide nectar for pollinators including hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, moths, and bats. They provide protective shelter for many mammals. The native nuts, seeds, and fruits produced by these plants offer essential foods for all forms of wildlife.

Impact

• 
  The Baramati Hub has lead more than 3 native tree plantation drives
  


• In 2 years, the Shapers planted more than 900 indigenous trees, namely Albizia Lebbeck, carandas plum, Azadirachta indica, Swietenia macrophylla etc., in the forest region near Baramati. Kanheri, a small village near Baramati, was the main focus.


• Approximate oxygen generation by trees planted will be 1,00,000 kgs/annum


• Approximate CO2 absorption by trees planted will be 5900 kgs which will grow upto 23000 kgs in the coming 10 years