Special dos get a touch of green

Gone are the days when guests at weddings were given the traditional tamboolam as a gift while leaving the venue. Modern weddings are getting a touch of green with tree saplings turning out to be a hot favourite among gifts for the guests. And the fad is not restricted to weddings alone, but special occasions including corporate events and social gatherings are also embracing the cause of green.Kavitha Palaniappan, who gave away saplings and seeds to the guests at her wedding, tells us, "The cause of eco-conservation is extremely close to my heart and what better way to put across my thoughts than my own wedding. So, when the D-date was zeroed in, I got in touch with a couple of organisations that worked toward it and organised saplings and seeds for the guests. We managed to give away 500 saplings, out of which at least 250 saplings are being maintained well."
P Mahendiran, managing trustee of an NGO that provides saplings at special occasions informs us, " When we are invited to these dos, we put up a stall there with our saplings and seeds on display. Those who are genuinely interested in the plants, come to us and enquire about them. We then do a small background check of the guests, for instance, the amount of space they have in their house and if the sapling would grow in that locality. Once it meets the requirements of the plants, we give them away with a verbal agreement that they will take good care of it."
Echoing him is Aravind A, co-ordinator of an NGO that provides saplings at weddings. " We have been in the business for the last two years and there is an increased interest in those asking for saplings as gifts. We meet the parties concerned a couple of weeks prior to the occassion to discuss the availability of the saplings at that point of time. And on the day of the event, we exhibit them at the venue. Only after we get a clear picture about the guests and how well they can bring up the sapling, do we offer them. We thoroughly explain them the way to nurture the plant and we get a declaration signed from the guests that they will water and maintain them regularly and support Green Earth by reducing and reusing plastics. We do not give away potted plants as they are inconvenient for the guests to take along and there is a higher risk of them being abandoned."
Interestingly, the plant saplings that are in demand in Coimbatore are that of the native variety. " Mohammad Saleem, president, Environment Conservation Group, tells us that people are no longer interested in the exotic varities in the city. "Indigenous varieties, especially guava, neem, naaval and banyan are the most sought after trees in Coimbatore. Even nurseries have stopped giving away exotic trees like gulmohar and savukku. Though the exotic varieties grow faster, the native varieties have an edge over them as they not only bear fruits and flowers, but also provides a habitat for birds, thus promoting bio-diversity. Some of them also have medicinal value." Mahendiran adds, "The saplings we offer differ according to the season. Since the awareness level about native species is on the rise, we have been giving away more of that variety. There is a huge demand for them in both personal and corporate gatherings."