In the August of 2020, the day before the Independence Day of India, I witnessed a unique volunteering activity in Vadodara. Streets were empty; vehicles were still resting, birds were singing, trees were swaying that cloudy morning. It was a usual weekend in the Karelibaug area of the city.
One of the volunteers started inspecting a fully grown-up tree trunk caged in the rusty tree guard. One of them started cutting a metal cage with a hand cutter, while another volunteer held it safely. They removed the tree guard which has left its imprints of captivity on the trunk. This is every weekend activity for the passionate volunteers of the group called ‘Free the Tree’ campaign, started by 47-year-old Senior Technical Recruiter (US Staffing) Lovanyasen Singh. For Singh who works at Rangam Consultants in Vadodara, freedom has a more inclusive meaning for.
Volunteers removing tree guard
Discoloured and rusty tree guards half engulfed by the thick trunk of the grown-up trees are common sight in the city. Unfortunately, trees can’t remove cages themselves but their quest for freedom can be felt by observing those trunk eating cages. In last one year, Singh and his volunteer brigade have freed more than 2,000 trees from old tree guards which were hindering the growth.
Apparently, it is the duty of the Parks and Gardens department of the city to install and remove the tree guards. “It is painful to see a tree caged in the tree guard and struggling to grow freely. Captivity is not good for anyone. Some tree guards have become part of the trees and some have crooked the trees, and few have become dustbins” said Singh.
Nature conservation and wildlife protection are very close to Singh’s heart, who wanted to join the Indian military services. “I was a NCC cadet during my graduation,” he said. The Spirit of giving back to the nation is still alive in Singh’s heart and work.
Singh who is also an active member of ‘Nature Walk’ (a citizen initiative to spread awareness and education about the biodiversity of the city https://www.facebook.com/groups/1966000483718062 ) noticed that trees who have now grown-up don’t need the tree guards and they should be removed so that trees can flourish, grow properly and live long. Senior nature educator of Nature Walk, Mr Arun Majumdar, fondly called ‘Dada’ thoroughly guided and mentored Singh in his endeavour. Singh’s quest for serving society encouraged him to explore ways to free the trees.
First, Singh approached the authorities and expressed his concern about the caged trees. He also made several presentations. After a couple of discouragements, Singh decided to take an unusual path. He asked the Parks and Gardens Department to grant him a letter of permission to remove the old and rusty tree guards from the grown-up trees across the city. The department -surprisingly- agreed.
However, permission was a first baby step, without prior technical and administrative experience to do such kind of public work demands sheer passion and dedication to learn things fast and accurately, which Singh did. He prepared the blueprint with heart while the spirit of volunteerism and care for nature took a center stage in his mission. Along with arranging various equipment and resources; it was a real task to explain to people why they are removing the old tree guards. “For us, tree is a living being, and freedom is its right. After trees become mature and big they don’t need metal guards and one must remove them so that they can grow well.” Singh explained.
Starting small and focused, Singh has kept it simple – two hours of dedicated work with joy every weekend. After sharing about the initiative on social media platforms, Singh started receiving support from citizens. “Now we have the dedicated volunteers from diverse backgrounds. We have young students, housewives, retired employees, engineers and so on. This is an open group where everyone is welcome to serve the society.” Singh added.
Removing old metal tree guard is hard work, hand work and machine work in the field. After several experiments, volunteers have learned the technical aspect of removing tree guards safely so that it can be upcycled. In the field team has to follow all the safety guidelines while removing the tree guards. “Free the Tree volunteers also faces resistance from nearby residents when they go to remove the guards”, Singh said. Free the tree is now volunteer-run initiative which also involves active participation of citizen as they inform the team about the caged trees in their locality.
Naresh Dharkar (40), an Electrical Engineer at a private firm in Vadodara is associated with the free the tree campaign since the beginning. Dharkar who hails from a small town in Chhattisgarh said, he has spent his childhood with the trees. When he shifted to Gujarat for work, he was pained to see the carelessness of the city dwellers towards trees and nature. “People cut down trees just because they shed leaves,” he said.
“When I learned about the free the tree campaign through social media, I immediately contacted the team and started volunteering every Sunday. In the field I operate electric cutter to remove metal tree guards” Dharkar said.
‘Free the Tree’ is the divine reflection of what a dedicated team can achieve despite restrictions and limited resources. Singh says volunteers are our core resources. Here are a few of the Barodians who have devoted their time and energy for the trees. Rajesh Dalal, Vinayak Bhat, Husaini Popatwala, Kaizar Bhaisaheb, Bhumika Joshi, Arpan Desai, Nirzar Mankad, Kinnar Desai, Hardik Basopia, Ajay Shukla, Suresh Patel, Karn Vyas, Arvind Sharma, Femina Parekh, Dilip Patel
Marvi Singh, Miraj Shah, Hetal Dalal, Suvarna Sonawne, Namrata Singh, Anand Sharma, Rudra Madan, Darshil Desai, Fazle Abbas Najmi. These are the citizens who have embraced the change by contributing whatever they can.
Institutions such as the Bank of Baroda has also offered their support to the initiative by providing battery-operated cutter. Interestingly tree guards removed by the team are re-utilised by the citizens. Singh and his team have developed and promoted a culture of care for nature in Vadodara. This is a journey of dedication and passion to protect and nurture.
