SayTrees Environmental Trust

SayTrees Environmental Trust focuses on environmental conservation through impactful initiatives such as planting saplings to create urban and rural forests, rejuvenating lakes and water bodies, supporting farmers with fruit trees, and installing solar lamps in villages. It actively identifies potential plantation areas, ensuring the local biodiversity and ecological balance are maintained. Through these efforts, SayTrees aims to empower people to give back to nature and promote healthier living environments.

Major Interventions:

Trees Outside Forests: The trust has implemented a range of projects that have helped to create green zones in urban areas, protect forest fringes in rural areas, and promote agroforestry and regenerative agricultural practices.

• Agroforestry: SayTrees combines farming crops and raising livestock with tree cultivation on the same land through agroforestry. This sustainable practice optimizes land, water, and nutrient use, reduces soil degradation, and broadens rural income streams. By collaborating with grassroots organizations, the trust aims to expand outreach and provide training on diverse agroforestry models tailored to different geographical contexts.
• Rural Social Forestry: SayTrees enhances productivity, economic benefits, and ecological services by planting trees on government wastelands and village lands. It creates jobs, improves living standards, and provides essential resources like fuelwood, timber, and fodder. The trust has learned that early involvement of villagers and local governance is crucial for the success of their initiatives.
• Urban Forestry: In urban areas, SayTrees focuses on planting and cultivating trees to combat climate change and improve urban environments. Techniques like Miyawaki and Conventional plantation methods are employed to create rapidly growing, densely populated, and organic urban forests. These efforts improve air quality, reduce urban heat, promote biodiversity, and enhance urban climate resilience.

Water Conservation and Well Restoration: The program focuses on using water resources wisely and efficiently to combat water scarcity and promote environmental sustainability. It aims to protect aquatic ecosystems, create reliable sources of clean water, reduce the carbon footprint of water, and preserve freshwater for future generations. SayTrees has initiated the rejuvenation of multiple lakes, working with research agencies to develop a model urban lake using nature-based practices and technology for monitoring. The trust restores open wells thereby transforming them from debris-filled pits back into sources of potable water. The revived wells now supply water for cows, nurseries, public toilets, and provide free drinking water through public taps.