It must be said that deforestation is taking place in a big way in Goa which is blessed with a lot of greenery. Even in our cities trees are being cut ostensibly to broaden the roads. However no adequate replantation drive is being carried out in order to replenish the green cover. Van Mahotsava, which means 'Forest festival', is an annual one-week tree-planting festival in India which is celebrated in the first week of July. It is a great Indian tradition to honor and love mother earth by planting trees, by creating awareness of nature's beauty. By planting more trees, we can help mitigate the impact of climate change, protect the environment, and promote human well-being. With the monsoon at our door-steps, it is an opportune time to carry out tree-plantation drives. It is necessary to introduce school children to tree plantation, seed bombing and grafting methods as an outdoor fun activity. A seed bomb is a little ball of clay compost and seeds. They can be thrown on the ground and when it rains the seeds will germinate and grow into trees. Children can also use a catapult to propel seeds to a distance where it will germinate in the rainwater.
