In July, some members of the Valmiki Nagar Residents Group wanted to address the problem of overgrown trees, support newly planted saplings, prune trees along the avenues, and curb the growth of invasive species.
A few of us at the Association thought it would be a good idea to form a smaller committee to research and supervise the growth of trees, the different species in the area, and their proper care.
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Through our research on the trees in the area, we developed an inventory of around 70 trees. We also collaborated with Nizhal, an organisation based in Chennai, which conducted a walk for residents of our locality to learn about the tree diversity in Valmiki Nagar.
Developing the inventory
Nizhal has been active in increasing awareness of tree cover in the city. The founders, TD Babu and Shoba Menon visited Valmiki Nagar, and took us on a walk, showing us the different tree varieties.
They advised us on pruning trees, supporting various plants and saplings, and identifying the invasive species that should be removed. We also learned what should and shouldn’t be planted, especially in areas close to the sea, like Valmiki Nagar.
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After this meeting, we formed a small core group of active citizens, including Jaishankar, Raghu, Sujatha, and others, to develop the inventory. We regularly walked around the four Seaward roads that make up Valmiki Nagar, took notes on the different tree varieties and their locations, and began to develop the inventory.
We also recorded the trees that needed pruning, support and removal.
In the last 15 years, the tree varieties in Valmiki Nagar have increased. This has also had a direct impact on the bird population here. When I first came here 15 years ago, there were hardly any birds other than crows, mynahs, pigeons, a few kingfishers, and one or two migratory birds that arrived in November and December. Now, there are a lot of sunbirds, tailor birds, and parakeets; I’ve even spotted golden Orioles coming in once in a while.
After completing the survey, we discovered that we have around 70 species of trees in the neighbourhood, which are a mix of natives and exotics. This is quite interesting because this locality is only about 50 to 60 years old.
Due to storms like Vardah and Michaung, many ornamental and exotic trees were unable to withstand the winds and fell. Fortunately, many native trees began to grow in their place.
Tree varieties in Valmiki Nagar mentioned in Nizhal’s tree walk
The tree walk was conducted by Nizhal and led by me. The organisation chose Madras Day as the occasion to conduct it. Around 25-30 people showed up, mostly from Thiruvanmiyur. A few came from Adyar and Besant Nagar as well.
I led the group through 4th Seaward Road and highlighted around 15 species. Sujatha, another active citizen from the locality, researched and collated information about the trees that were talked about. We went a step ahead of just advising people to plant trees and talked a lot about taking proper care and pruning them.
Among the natives, there is the Poovarasa (Portia tree) with its big yellow flowers. Then there is the Aarasa Maram (Peepal tree) and Poonga Maram (Indian beech). We also have Magizhal or bullet wood trees, Sarakondrai or golden showers, and Aanai Gundumani, which has round red seeds.
The exotic trees we spotted
Among the exotic trees, there are mostly fast-growing trees like Gulmohar, Copper pods, and rain trees. These exotics have been naturalised in most parts of the country. However, it isn’t very sensible to plant them near the seashore. Due to loose soil and cyclonic weather, they are often the first to fall during heavy monsoons.
Although they grow very quickly, rain trees are short-lived. In Valmiki Nagar, there are many large rain trees, but they typically only live for about 100 years.
The natives however are slow growing and last longer.
We also found that there were Acacias and Subabuls, which are invasive in some parts. We let them be if they die naturally and won’t replant them.
Our Association’s research on pruning and tree care
Over time, we as an association have regularly contacted the Ward Councillor and local government to have our trees pruned. Pruning is important as it prevents lopsided growth of trees.
If an avenue tree is leaning towards the road, you look for the branches that are pulling it towards the road and cut them close to the trunk. Now the tree can straighten itself.
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If the tree is not very mature and can be tied, then you tether it. If saplings are growing towards one particular side, you have to support them with a tripod and tie them up.
If there are two or three trees very close to each other and all of their branches are enmeshed, then you prune them in such a way that all of them have enough space to grow. Otherwise one will push the other down.
When you plant saplings, you need to use a tree guard to prevent cows from grazing on them. They also need protection from people who might step on or pluck them.
To prevent such issues, we have to guard saplings till they grow to a particular height. For this, we need volunteers. We plan to request the people who live close to saplings to water them and watch over them till they grow. These walks are also a way to inform fellow residents about the same.
More tree walks to come
After working with Nizhal, we as an association are planning our own walks in the locality. The aim is to encourage residents to grow fond of the surrounding greenery and thereby protect it. If any tree falls or any destructive activity takes place, the people living here should feel responsible and do something about it. We want to encourage the residents to look at trees like people, as an essential part of the locality.
We are also thinking of conducting walks for children in the area so that they get familiar with all the trees and develop a sense of enthusiasm towards green cover at an early age. Often children are told to merely plant trees but the message of planting trees is not enough. Yes, plant trees, but then how do you take care of existing trees? If you plant a sapling, what do you do to help it grow?
We hope to answer these questions through our walks.
[Writing assistance provided by Savitha Ganesh]