Green Field Project

Greenfield Project (Estd.1990)

For hot and dry semi arid regions of Gujarat, a land that is on the verge of desertification, it became absolutely necessary to create a mass afforestation movement. Realizing the importance of having a green environment for the good health of people, the Greenfield Project was launched in Saurashtra to support forestation and conservation in November 1990.

A scientific approach is taken to ensure low cost and quick growth. Trees are nurtured for 40 months till they reach a height of at least 6 ft. After being nurtured for 30 to 40 months, trees are given, along with planting methodology and upkeep, to the public and to government institutions to plant on their premises at a token price. Personal visits and educational programmes are undertaken for major planting projects. Drip irrigation is employed for efficient use of water. At present we have 56 plant varieties.

To sum it up, it's a futuristic approach to ensure a greener tomorrow.

Project Objective:
To counteract the mounting problems of pollution, improve the environment, and promote reforestation in and around the city of Rajkot, Gujarat.

Importance of Trees:

Trees provide food in form of fruits. They also have various medicinal characters from which medicines are made. A few types of trees help nitrogen fixation in the soil that helps in the better growth of other trees and crops. They attract rain from where drinking water and irrigation water is available.

Trees provide shade to the earth surface. Shade on the roads, river banks that help to lower the direct sunlight and also lower the temperature that might have adverse effects. During heavy rain, the roots of the trees help to hold up the soil in place, thus preventing erosion.

During the summer when hot wind blows in the plain lands, trees break the direct flow of the wind, helping to reduce the wind velocity, and, thus, helping to reduce the loss of moisture and soil.

In surveys taken before the start of the Greenfield Project, as few as 3000 trees in Rajkot had a girth of over 60 cm (24 inches).

The Challenge:

60% of the forests in India have been lost in the last century. Deforestation increases the risk of desertification.
20.17% of the country's land area is covered by dry land and is at the highest risk of desertification.
Temperatures are increasing at the rate of 0.7^oC annually.
Rainfall is declining at the rate of 0.5mm/day.

Solutions:
2,17,430 trees planted under the Greenfield Project.

Statistics:
Distribution of plants (6ft. & above) for replantations:

Year	No. of plants distributed
1991- 98	102,960
1998- 99	22,615
1999-00	10,399
2000-01	4,229
2001- 02	3,991
2002- 03	3,208
2003- 04	9,221
2004 - 05	6,654
2005	10,276
2006	8,726
Jan to Nov. 07	15,620
Total 1-1-1991 to 30-11-2007	197,899

Trees Presently in Stock:
Less then 6 ft	7,300
More then 6 ft	12,231
Total Stock	19,531

Links:

Trees for the Future
Trees for the Future is an NGO committed to sponsoring tree planting all over the world.
Website: Click here

Benefits of Trees
Website: Click here

Garden Digest
Quotes For Gardeners: Poetry, links and other tree related resources.
Website: Click here

SeedTree
Aims to preserve and renew forest ecosystems by developing a sustainable human ecology
Website: Click her