Giant Trees for Climate Change Mitigation in India

Dear Supporter,

Greetings from AERF!

We are truly satisfied to see the level of motivation that our field team has maintained and continued the work of saving the real treasure of the Western Ghats mountain chain- the amazing giant trees over the last 6 years since the campaign was launched in 2017. In the last quarter, we brought total 26 giant trees under conservation management through this campaign. 

Our field team identified these trees in the forests of village Nive in Sangameshwar block of Ratnagiri district. The team held consulatations with heads of two families and convinced them about the importance of conserving these trees successfully. Importantly, these 26 trees include species having exceptional medicinal, timber properties as well as ecological attributes. For example- the giant Ficus calosa produces enormous number of fruits that all the frugivores birds love and depend on for their dietary requirement e.g. Giant hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill and Malabar gray hornbill. Similarly, the trees being conserved include a giant speciemen of Gmelina arborea -an excellent timber species,  Pterocarpus marsupium and Terminalia bellirica and Terminalia arjuna - trees having life saving medicinal values. Lastly but very importantly, this group of trees also include giant wild mango trees. Besides their high economic importance as timber, wild mangoes are an intergral part of cultural and ecological identity of these forest landscapes and its communities. More importantly, considering that these forests face imminent threats of deforestation due to private ownership, saving these trees is equal to preserving the ecological heritage of this region.

We truly thank you for your unwavering support to this very important cause.

Best 

Jayant 

• List of Giant trees -heritage of the Western Ghats (XLSX)