Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 19: Marking completion of four-year long journey of the green campaign, 322nd Tree Talk was organized today at Bagh e Bahu garden.
Tree Talk founder and senior CCF O P Vidyarthi, threw light on the campaign, which was launched in consonance with UN declared initiative to observe Decade 2011-2020 as International Decade of Biodiversity. So far, 322 sessions have been held with different and diverse stakeholders of biodiversity, he added.
On the occasion, chief guest B R Sharma, Principal Secretary to J&K Government, planted Rudraksh plant sapling and felicitated prominent personalities namely Master Chaman Lal Dogra, Prof Neeru Dhalla, Guldev Raj, Manjit Singh and Sanjit Khajuria for their contribution towards the Tree Talk movement in a significant manner.
B R Sharma highlighted the role of civil society in conservation of forests and wetlands, popularizing abandoned tree traditions, reviving local health traditions of AYUSH and helping in transfer of traditional biodiversity related knowledge and wisdom to the younger generations through outdoor walk and talk programme like Tree Talk.
IAS P K Tripathi said that trees and forests have nurtured civilizations and shaped human outlook.
Sanjit Khajuria said that all panchayats need to maintain a Biodiversity register highlighting uniqueness of biodiversity status, usage and conservation of rare threatened species.
Sanjeev Verma, Secretary Floriculture, Yoginder Kaul IG Police, K K Sharma, Director Floriculture and Arun Sharma, Special Secretary Forest, shared their vision on ex-situ conservation of native plants in the Botanical and floriculture gardens in the interest of nature education and conservation of local biodiversity.
They agreed to a proposal of having a Tree Talk garden and Bhour camp was selected as typical garden with contributions of native trees and bushes having cultural and religious sanctity from tree lovers.
Despite chilly morning, prominent poets namely Prof Anil Raina, P K Wattal, Anil Gaind, Romesh Atri and Usha Vyas took part in Tree Talk and familiarized students of schools and colleges with garden trees like Harshingar, Kachnar, Sita Ashok , Jiyopota, Chalta, Maulsari, Amaltas. Over 300 participants gathered in the garden and participated in the biodiversity awareness function.
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