Poumai students in Shillong adopt cherry saplings at Naamai Zho

DIMAPUR — In what could be, perhaps, the first of its kind in Manipur’s Senapati district, Poumai students in Shillong spent their summer vacation at home by adopting cherry saplings at Naamai Zho, an emerging tourist destination in the region.

The students not only planted dozens of cherry saplings but also adopted them by taking the pledge to nurture the plants till the age of seven and endorsed environmental stewardship as a way of life, according to an update received here on Friday.

Tree guards were also installed to protect the newly planted trees from being destroyed by cattle.

The initiative was taken during a one-day awareness programme-cum-tree plantation drive initiated by Poumai Naga Tsiidoumai Me (PNTM), Shillong, in collaboration with Senapati Forest  Division and Naamai Eco-tourism Society (NETS) on the theme, “Climate Action: Preserve and Explore the Beauty of Nature”, at Naamai Zho.

Speaking on the occasion, P.K. Francis, President of PNTM, Shillong, said they decided to spend their vacation with a difference by planting cherry saplings at Naamai Zho.

“There is growing momentum around the world to harness the power of education to combat and adapt to climate change and ensure young minds cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills needed to take action. We want to exemplify how our vacations can be positively channeled for social engineering,” he said.

Benjamin Ziipao, Range Officer of Liyai Forest Range, stressed on the importance of nurturing saplings after planting.

“Our past experiences have taught us the futility of planting saplings without management. The lessons learnt help us model a fresh system where sustainability is the prime focus. The model ensures optimization of resources by planting less number of saplings following good agricultural practices and ensuring effective protection mechanism from any potential threats that pose a risk to their survival,” he said.

Chiziinai Easter Khonah also said that taking care of the planted saplings is more important than planting thousands that go unattended. “There is an urgent need to plant trees with a sense of ownership and belongingness. Adopting trees and building fraternity ties with them is a responsibility,” she added.

President of Naamai Eco-tourism Society, Y Mathew lauded the student community for the novel initiative, while urging civil society organisations, churches, and individuals to play their role in mitigating the climate change by adopting trees.

‘Trees are a symbol of dignity. It is not by chance that trees die standing. And so, let us, with this symbolic gesture of today, remind ourselves that we need to do everything we can for a healthy planet,’ he said.

The event also saw a poster and signature campaign to motivate people not to wait but act and adopt green living.