Page 11 - Jul-Sep 2008

VOL 5 No. 3

Heritage Alert Heritage News

Campaigns for a Greener tomorrow

Even though the adoration of trees is an age old The Billion Tree Campaign- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a
phenomena, humans are fast becoming major worldwide tree planting campaign. Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people,
exploiters and plunderers of these natural communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and governments are encouraged to
treasures. The last century has seen a grave
annihilation of trees in our country and vast enter tree planting pledges online with the objective of planting at least one billion trees worldwide each
tracts of precious forests along with the bio- year. Check out this campaign and join it at www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/
diversity that inhabited it have been wiped off
The Green Belt Movement- was founded by Prof. Wangari Maathai , 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
our countryside. However, the symbols that
remain in language, lore and culture should who believes that -“When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope”. GBM provides
serve as reminders of the rich relationship income and sustenance to millions of people in Kenya through the planting of trees. It also conducts
between humans and the forest world educational campaigns to raise awareness about women's rights, civic empowerment, and the
environment throughout Kenya and Africa. See www.greenbeltmovement.org .
Discover more about nature and our environment

Here is a list of magazines and website links for you nature- lovers:
Can one extinction lead to another?
• Sanctuary Asia- Cub Magazine. For info go to www.sanctuarycub.com
• Greenpeace India at www.greenpeaceindia.org
The poor dodo birds of the Mauritius islands have a
sad story to tell us. These flightless birds were easy • Down to Earth. Go to www.downtoearth.org.in
prey and were hunted for sport and food by humans • Gobar Times, check out www.gobartimes.org
and were not seen after 1681. Some scientists believe • Centre for Science and Environment, www.ceeindia.org
that the extinction of the dodo also led to the • WWF is a world-wide organization dealing with environmental
extinction of the Calvaria tree, since it was dependent
• issues that face our planet. www.worldwildlife.org
on the dodo for the germination of its seeds. This bird
ate fruits of this tree and the outer shell of the seed
broke only after passing through the digestive tract of
the bird. After the extinction of this species, scientists
realized that the Calvaria tree was also becoming Subscribe to INTACH
endangered. There were only 13 trees left when it
was discovered that turkeys could also help in Name ____________________________________________________________________
activation of the seeds, and the tree, now known as
the dodo tree has avoided extinction for the time School Address / Individual Address ________________________________________
being.
__________________________________________________________________________
Ailing Bodhi tree to be cloned
City_____________________________State_______________________
Worried over the health of the Bodhi tree, temple authorities have Subscription amount- Rs 50 for 1 year (4 issues) English Hindi
prepared a plan to preserve this sacred tree of the Buddhists which grew Demand Draft no._____________ dated________drawn on (bank) ________
out from the Peepal tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment
___________________________for Rs_____
more than 2,500 years ago. The cloning will be done by Forest Research
Institute, Dehradun, a prestigious plant sciences institute, to preserve the
All payments to be made by Demand Draft in favour of INTACH and drawn on the
originality of the sacred tree against diseases or natural causes.
following banks, payable at par: S.B.I. / ICICI / Canara / Standard Chartered Bank
Illustration by G. Rupash Kanna, Std 6, R.P.C. Matric Hr Sec School,
Chennai
Signature Date Place

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