Environmental nature walking gaining momentum in Tiruchy

TIRUCHY: To make the students appreciate birds, insects, plants and trees and how they are interdependent for sustainable living, the environmental walks are gaining momentum in Tiruchy and the adjacent districts.

Students from schools and colleges actively take part in the walks and learn more about nature and ways to ensure a safe environment.

Thaneer Organisation, an environmental body functioning in Tiruchy, has been creating awareness among the student communities.

The organisation has established forums in schools and colleges to make students learn how to save the environment and the ways they could contribute to creating awareness among the masses.

“We have an association with Bharathidasan University and established Thanneer Environmental Student Forums in colleges. The main focus of the student forums is ensuring a safe environment for which our experts provide training to the students to carry forward the good works in their surroundings,” says KC Neelamegam, Secretary of the organisation.

Each student forum would have a minimum of 13 student volunteers, and a teacher coordinator and they would get first-hand experience about nature.

“We take them to hilly areas and let them experience places. For instance, recently we took them to Pachamalai. There were minor trekking events to reach certain places on the hillocks and the students shared their experiences they encountered. We also make them learn about the ill effects of plastics and its impact on the environment,” he said.

Similarly, the students were taken to Kollimalai, Kodaikanal and Nilgiris to educate them on wildlife. They were also taken to Ponnaniyaru dam and taught about water storage and distribution. “We taught them how a river is formed and how to protect the forest and the wildlife, the river and other water bodies by taking them to the spot and it has a great impact among the students,” Neelamegam said.

As a part of the green drive, the organisation has also been initiating tree-planting drives in residential areas, factories and educational institutions.

“We have covered several places and planted indigenous plants and made the people aware of the traditional plants that we long had forgotten. This apart, we have planted more than one crore palmyra seeds across the region,” Neelamegam stressed.

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