Tree Plantation Program to Beautify the University Campuses of Bangladesh
“He who plants a tree, plants a hope” - Lucy Larcom.
“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.”- Har Borland.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s days, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” - J. Lubbock
Generally, in any university campus, tree planting is an aspect of habitat conservation. If we say that, our university has no any place for these typical tree plantation program, then still I will say that, in each plastic tube or wasted bottle can be the part of our this tree plantation process. Tree plantation is the process of transplanting tree seedlings, generally for forestry, land reclamation or landscaping purpose. It can be launched in a lower cost or in a slower process. Sometimes, this activity is known as reforestation or afforestation, depending whether the area being planted. Tree plantation can be carried out in many places such as balcony of the buildings, rode side of the main university campus.
The earliest example of plantation was created by a Roman empire, because he wanted to produce a large quantity of wine and olive oil for export. The benefits of tree plantation program in university campus of Bangladesh are unlimited. This is a strongest shield against the heat harms of air pollution. They enhance the beauty of surrounding. They can also create an optimistic with study. So we can say that its benefits are more than numerous. But students of our all across the university campus are not moving forward with same spirit.
But now a day, in most of the universities in our country, trees are being cut in several times more than they are being planted. So it is necessary to keep conducting tree plantation campaigns across the all departments of all universities. First of all, to involve the willing participation of students and teachers f that university, the university authority can promote a free tree plantation program, where teachers and students will only participate without any cost.
University administration will play a strong role, that all trees of that campus will be protected and taken care off. Administration will offer their full support during this tree plantation campaign. University authority can also arrange representative teams to promote this campaign where teachers and students will join willingly. Local political leaders, religious leaders, community members and all types of spiritual leaders of the universities can raise voice to improve this campaign.
All charities should be appealed on tree plantation program of university campus, so that the culture of tree plantation should be promoted. Giving the gift of sapling to the chief guest of any program should be promoted. Different NGO’s can also extend their hands and can participate in tree plantation campaign of the universities. VC and Pro- VC of the universities should make to link tree plantation with brands of media to involve them in this campaign. A few leading media houses should be made partner in this campaign to motivate others to join this noble cause. Directors, producers and anchors should be fully briefed on the campaign for the publicity in these programs.
Government and the ministry of environment and forest should give more sanctions to public and private universities for this purpose. Government should be pressurized to allocate more and more funds to plant trees in university campus. Student of that university should create a Facebook page exclusively for the campaign and all Facebook users of the area should be invited to join it. Regular updates of the campaign should be uploading at this Facebook page and then other students will also get inspired through this.
Cellular companies should be requested to join these companies voluntarily. A specific cellular company should request to release messages to their users on that specific university’s tree plantation program to motivate people. Universities should be introduced a separate project of tree plantation in various social sciences and natural sciences departments as part of their examination. The culture of sitting under trees should be promoted to make people habitual of them. Instead of covered canteen, open canteen under the shadow of trees should be promoted more. Singers and celebrities should be requested and invited to join this campus tree plantation campaign. Environmental journalists, columnists, intellectuals can also make reports and journals through this campaign.
Trees control noise pollution in campus life. Trees are carbon sinks. Trees provide clean air in a university campus. Shade resulting in cooling is what a tree is best known for in a university campus. Trees act as wind breaks. Tree plantation program in university campus can produce many different results depending on how it is done. So finally I would like to say one thing from my point of view that, “Tree plantation program in university campus should become a pull factor for the students, not push factor.”
Author: Nawrin Sultana, Grad Student, Institute of Education & Research, University of Dhaka
Copyright © Strategy for Environmental Development Foundation 2017, all rights reserved.