“Trees are the Earth’s endless efforts to speak to the listening Heavens. Bangalore’s Neralu Tree Festival is an attempt at celebrating the carefree, deep-rooted spirit of the trees, an effort to thank Mother Nature for her gifts”…
Neralu, which means ‘shade’ in the Kannada language is a concise word with deep meaning lying underneath. This small word eventually transformed into a powerful community campaign that attempts to change the urbanised mindset of people by engaging them in the conservation of natural resources. The third edition of Neralu Tree Festival, scheduled on February 18 and 19 will give city dwellers a reason to protect the green cover around them.
The Inspiring Tale of Bangalore Tree Festival
Due to rapidly declining vegetation in Bangalore and the neighbouring regions, a group of ecologically sensitive natives formed the informal ‘Neralu’ group in 2015. The idea was to organise an event to generate awareness regarding the significance of trees to the modern society. Each year, a new batch of volunteers join this drive to organise the tree festival to spread the message to as many people as possible.
Many people are considerate towards trees, but they’ve limited knowledge regarding the role of trees in our ecosystem. This festival provides a platform for educating people regarding the cultural heritage, evolution, medicinal properties and products obtained from the trees. This knowledge will be imparted through a series of fun events like nature walks, art installations, workshops, music and dance performances at Cubbon Park, NGMA (National Gallery of Modern Art).
Tree Festival To-Do-List: What’s on the Schedule?
- Nature Walks: Participants are taken to green areas where nature experts inform them about individual tree properties.
- Bio-mimicry Activities: Creating structures and systems that are developed using biological entities.
- Art and Science based workshops.
- Fun activities and games for school kids that’ll encourage imagination and creativity in children.
Bangalore witnesses new skyscrapers every day. In times of urbanisation, the world gradually loses out on the age-old charms of lush green trees. Intending to educate more people, this year’s Tree Festival is bigger, better and more beautiful than ever. It’ll reach out to at least 1,000 participants.
