VALPOI
Marking Van Mahotsav with a different approach, the youth of Saleli village in Sattari taluka organised a plantation drive inside nearby hilltop forests instead of along roadsides, aiming to restore natural food sources for wildlife and reduce human-animal conflict.
The volunteers planted more than 100 fruit-bearing saplings in the forest for the second consecutive year. They had planted over 100 saplings during a similar drive last year and said they plan to continue the initiative in the coming years.
According to the youth, the forests around Saleli were once rich in indigenous fruit-bearing trees that provided food for animals such as Indian gaurs, wild boars, monkeys and sambar deer.
However, the decline of these trees has forced wildlife to enter farms and villages in search of food, resulting in frequent crop damage and property losses.
The organisers said the plantation drive aims to restore the forest’s natural food chain so that wild animals can find enough food within their habitat, reducing their movement into agricultural fields and residential areas.
They stressed that environmental conservation is not only the responsibility of the government or the Forest Department, but also of every citizen.
They believe planting suitable fruit-bearing species in forest areas will benefit biodiversity while helping farmers affected by crop losses.
The initiative has been appreciated by local residents, who said tree plantation drives should focus on ecological needs rather than simply increasing the number of trees.
Environmentalists have also backed the effort, suggesting that similar projects involving the Forest Department, village panchayats, non-governmental organisations and local communities could help strengthen biodiversity and reduce human-wildlife conflict across Goa.
