Bunch of Barodians breaking the shackles to free the trees

It is extremely important to guard young trees when they are vulnerable. These tree guards are meant to protect the saplings or a young tree from munching cattle, rodents from eating the bark, etc. But often these tree guards end up becoming the deterrents once the trees start to outgrow their protective cover. While tree guards are necessary, it also becomes quite difficult to remove once the canopies grow to a particular girth and height. And if it is not removed at the correct time, it could change the orientation of the tree and obstruct its growth.

Vadodara City’s trees have been facing similar problems too. Bunch of Barodians from the Nature Walk group has raised an issue regarding the tree guards. Usually, when a tree is overgrown, it is conveniently forgotten to free the tree from the clutches of the tree guard. The rubbing of the loose guards against the tree can destroy its bark. Insects and mice love to nest in the space between the guards and trees. And most commonly if the guard is too tight or not removed on time, it may choke, and kill the tree. Sometimes too much moisture gets trapped in the guard can also cause bark disease and kill the entire tree.

Therefore, the members of the Nature Walk group have taken up the responsibility of removing tree guards which chokes the grown-up trees.  They started a ‘Free Tree’ movement from July 26, 2020, with the blessings of the Mayor of Vadodara, Dr. Jigisha Sheth. The work was selflessly guided by Shri Milind Gadre and Lovanyasen Singh on 8th Aug 2020 around Yogini Vasantdevi Hospital, R.V Desai Road, Vadodara. The campaign was also supported by the Bank of Baroda and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation.

Over the last few weeks, the group carries battery-operated cutters to free the trees from the iron guards. The removal of the guard ensures the longevity of the trees. The group has removed 79 tree guards from various areas like Dandia Bazaar, Makarpura, Pratapgunj, etc. Many local people have also joined as a volunteer for this work. Local people are now using the old guards to protect the new plants.