Ecosystem Restoration with Green Yatra
It’s World Environment Day (WED)! Here at SUI, nature shapes all we do. We are inspired by vast oceans, wild forests, fields of flowers that then appear on our designs through embroidery and natural colours. We are dedicated to designing consciously and commit to processes that ensure low negative impact on the environment, such as through lowering our waste or energy use. Every day is a day to celebrate nature which is why we give today the attention it deserves and hope it will encourage more to join in.
And so, to further honour the day as well as highlight those who are doing their part in doing something good for the planet, we wanted to tell you more about Green Yatra.
You may recognise them from our platform as, not long ago, we had a chat with two members from their team, Srijita (Business Development Manager) and Niksa (Sustainability Head).
They gave us plenty of insight into who they are and what their Miyawaki plantation projects help do - there will be more on that in our interview here too!
We wanted to talk a bit more about them today as all their work is dedicated to making a positive impact on our environment, especially restoring natural ecosystems and encouraging biodiversity, which is what this year’s WED is all about, in their own words:
“World Environment Day 2021 calls for urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems. From forests to peatlands to coasts, we all depend on healthy ecosystems for our survival. Ecosystems are defined as the interaction between living organisms - plants, animals, people - with their surroundings. This includes nature, but also human-made systems such as cities or farms.” - www.worldenvironmentday.global
We knew Green Yatra would be the perfect NGO to speak further on their actions in how they are on a mission to do just what WED encourages as well as offer more insight into environmental sustainability.
And so, without further ado, here’s what they had to say...
What is Green Yatra?
Green Yatra is a leading environmental NGO registered in 2010 of India who are on a dedicated green journey towards protection, conservation, and betterment of our Environment, Mother Nature and Humanity. We work on projects with a mission to sensitise people and organisations about the value and importance of the environment, environmental issues, and it's adverse impact on our lives. We hope to empower them to contribute to a Sustainable and GREEN World by planting trees, strategising carbon neutrality solutions and rejuvenating lakes / ponds.
What are Miyawaki forests?
Miyawaki forest is a method of developing forests. It was developed by a Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki and it is an innovative and fast-growing methodology of growing forests in less space and time, irrespective of the soil and climatic conditions.
How do these forests/tree plantation projects help tackle the issue of climate change?
Miyawaki forests replicate a 100-year-old forest in a span of 10 years which are 10 times faster in growth, 30 times denser, 100 times more biodiverse. Miyawaki forests also improve the groundwater and act as a carbon sink helping to reduce global warming and climatic temperature up to 2 to 4 degrees lesser than the rest of the city.
Can you tell us more about Green Yatra's experience creating Miyawaki forests?
We have developed about 8 massive Miyawaki Forests and several ongoing plantation projects and we have planted about 7 lakh trees in India.
One of the challenges faced with Miyawaki forests is that it takes an ample amount of time and research before commencement. It is also very crucial to hire or have in place a passionate team of researchers, scientists, and bio-mimicry specialists who can prepare the entire project plan way before it is executed to avoid hindrances and possible failures.
Why is World Environment Day important for you and for other people to celebrate?
We at Green Yatra have a firm mindset of protecting and conserving nature and the environment. So, we believe that every day is a World Environment day for us. And it’s also about the other people who work in other industries who should really instil necessary individual social responsibility of being environmentally conscious and should give back to nature by reducing their carbon footprints at least on days such as 22nd March, 22nd April and June 5th which are World Water Day, World Earth Day, and World Environment day respectively.
What sustainability/environment-related issues do you think more people should be discussing? And why?
The one issue that everyone should start to think and act upon swiftly is to analyse and map individual carbon footprints and try to reduce and instil consciousness and awareness in their communities and surroundings which could ultimately save the depleting natural resources and the Planet.
What’s your best advice on how people can effectively live sustainably?
Well, firstly, to live sustainably, we should have a clear conscience and a mindset to be carbon neutral and eco-friendly.
Some of the possible sustainable practices are as follows:
-Traveling to places by cycle which are nearby / up to 1 km,
-Making sure all your faucets are not leaking and having high efficiency water fixtures in homes,
-Having a monthly reminder set to ensure the electrical appliances are in good working condition,
-Reusing or recycling any items that can be repurposed in and repairing items when possible instead of buying new ones,
All these practices can maximise efficiencies and uses less energy, fuel or resources - it can save a huge amount of money and natural resources and eventually our planet.
What quotes keep you motivated to create a greener world?
Some small changes in our daily habits and our lifestyle can positively impact our surroundings and the environment.
Within our team, we all have some inspirations / quotes that encourage us in doing what we love - making a positive impact on the planet.
Three such quotes which drive our passion:
"Anything that you are interested in is not going to happen if you don't have the air to breathe and water to drink. So don’t sit this out. Do something.” - Carl Sagan. (Philosopher, Astronomer, Writer, Philosopher)
"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” - Robert Swan OBE, the first man in history to walk to both the North and South Poles.
"It’s not an investment if it's destroying the planet.” - Dr. Vandana Shiva - Environmental Activist, food sovereignty advocate.
We are so grateful for teams like Green Yatra for doing what they do and we hope they continue on with a strong green heart.
We also wanted to let you all know that we are excited to announce we hope to release some SUI X GREEN YATRA tees that will help support them further in their efforts. The proceeds will go towards furthering their plantation projects and bringing more trees into the world.
Watch our social media spaces for announcements and the release, we hope to bring it to you soon!