World Environment Day - Do the environment really mind, what day it is.?

World environment day, do the trees mind what day it is. It does the photosynthesis and respiration as usual and never mind what you celebrate and what for we are doing it. Being an agriculturalist, seeing people putting nails in the tress with the advertisement board hurts, but the agriculture professionals doing the same just for the sake of celebrating the environment day hurts more than that.

There is a saying 'Right is right, even if you alone are doing it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it'. I felt ashamed to see the mistake done by us, for the sake of creating awareness. Just because, the plant won’t say anything, we are bending it however we like. It was a habit for most of us to do something with the trees whenever we go near it. Once my school teacher scolded us for plucking the leaves and twigs of the trees that was planted in my school campus whenever we cross it, by saying how do we feel when someone simply pinch our nose or pluck our ears while crossing us. But, he is right. Plants do feel the same. I stopped doing the same since he told us like that.

In this globalised world, development is necessary, but not at the cost of environment.We extract everything from the environment and in return we have to give something back to it for the mutual betterment. Just celebrating a day as environment day will not solve the purpose. 

In this day, I wish to quote few things that we can follow to give something in return to the environment.

• Don’t hurt tress by putting nails in it like what we did in the picture above in the name of celebration or awareness. Don't pluck the leaves or twigs of it.
• Don’t burn anything, whether it is plastic or paper. It pollutes more while burning than left in the soil undisturbed.
• Clean India won’t be achieved just by cleaning it street by street. The next day, you should not throw any wastes in order to maintain it clean. Clean India will be just a dream, till you stop throwing garbage in the streets.
• Don’t throw any plastic bags or any other waste materials outside the train or bus during the journey. 
• Avoid getting polythene bags while purchasing things.
• Reduce the use of ball point pens and encourage the use of ink pen.
• Reduce using papers, thereby you can save a tree.
• Switch off the lights and fan when not required.
• Form a group and each maintain at least one tree.
• Create awareness and encourage others also to do the same.

We have a bigger role in protecting the environment. Play your role for the betterment of our future generation.

"Take care of the nature, and it will take care of us"

Conclusion & Strategy Planning

Conclusion:-

As a result of the study, we have got a varied response and ideas from the students. Regarding the presence of the vegetation in our campus, many feels that tired less walk can be experienced only in our campus. Well organized tree planting and continuous row of trees and flowers make TNAU a unique and special. Trees are considered as the HEART of TNAU and they felt good inside the campus even in summer.

But now most of the students felt that old historic trees in the campus were cut in the name of development. Example: Trees opposite to the Agri lecture hall are felled down and buildings were constructed in those places. Due to the felling of trees inside the campuses many students reported that temperature increase, loss of biodiversity, loss of shade and beauty (aesthetic value) has been experienced nowadays. Because of that most of the places in our campus look empty and dry after the cut down of trees. Even in the roadside highways department had cut trees for the expansion of the roads, but it is not pleasant to walk along the roads nowadays because of the absence of trees.

There is a common complaint from the students that the trees inside the campus are not well maintained and no proper irrigation is provided for the trees. Also, no lawn is maintained properly and at least trees can be planted in those areas instead of having a dried lawn.

Students felt that infrastructure development without cutting of trees is must in TNAU and that only makes TNAU unique from other colleges. Trees take long time to grow, and so don’t cut the grown trees which had grown for years with the efforts of lot of peoples put together are the common feeling of the students. Because we are the right persons to know the value of the trees and we should maintain it in our campus.

Regarding the use of bicycles almost everyone wishes to use it inside the campus stating that it reduces pollution & good for health. Though most want to use bicycles and ban two-wheelers inside campus, some people feel that in case emergency or for earlier classes or if it’s get late for the classes, and also for days scholar’s bikes are needed.

Some feel that even professors can also be encouraged to use bicycles. Arranging staff bus instead of individual vehicles will be appreciable and using cars inside the campus for single person can also be restricted. At least there should be some areas in our campus that are banned for the entry of bikes and cars.

To improve greenery and have a GREEN WALK at TNAU, many students wish to plant and maintain a tree if sufficient things are provided.

Regarding this project many students feel that, this mission will make TNAU greener, beautiful & healthy too. And it is a good start and is really encouraging with involvement of young students and staffs. Many of them want to keep the Green Walk awake and not to stop it as the project is done as they want to have Green Walk at TNAU and realize that dream. They believe that it will later spread to Coimbatore then to whole the Tamilnadu with the efforts from our university and one day the whole Tamilnadu will realize that dream.

Strategy Planning:-

Based on the students ideas and suggestions these are the strategic planning process formulated for the sustainable greenery inside the campus. They are as follows: Don’t cut any trees afterwards, buildings without disturbing existing trees, use multi-stored buildings, plant trees near the roads inside the campus, go for vertical gardening & introduce creepers in the buildings, tree cutting should be allowed only after planting enough trees as compensation, fix particular area for planting and maintain the trees rather than gap filling here and there, plant balled & burlapped plants, develop indoor gardening and appoint labors to monitor the existing trees.

Encourage students to plant tree saplings during special occasions. As soon as the 1^st year student enters the college, they must be given with ID number for the tree and marks should be given for them based on their maintenance. Certificates, prizes and awards can be given for those best maintained trees. Departments that maintain good greenery in their surroundings should be felicitated each year to create competition among them for the maintenance of those trees. Reduce the use of air conditioners in the departments. Efficient use of NSS students will help the maintenance of the trees. Make maintaining trees as mandatory for every student. Many eco-groups have to be started by the students to implement and monitor the tree planting programs with the assistance of the staffs.

Result & Discussion of the Survey

11.   Most desirable outdoor living place at TNAU (with refer to trees)

By knowing the most preferred place by students, we can understand the needs and can make strategies based on that and get their involvement for the success of the green walk at TNAU. With that objective, we derived this question and the results we got are as follows.

Place	Reason	No. of students	% of students
Garden	Full of trees & flowers. Good place for recreation.	51	28.33
Exam hall lawn	Peacefully can take rest in the benches. Birthday party celebration area for the students.	47	26.11
RI building lawn	Beautiful Avenue. Lot of garden components with greenish lawn.	20	11.11
Kalaingar auditorium lawn	Good meeting point surrounded with stone fountain & lawn	16	8.88
CPMB department	Full of shaded trees. Best relaxation place	14	7.77
Others (wetland, Agri lecture hall)	Trees & other water components.	32	17.77

          Most of them preferred places which are flourished with trees and garden seats for recreation. Everyone likes their surroundings to be cool and fresh. In that, 28.3% of the students preferred botanical garden due to its richness in biodiversity.  Next examination hall lawn (South House) is most preferred place by 26.11% of the students due to the presence of colorful trees and garden seats and considered as the best place to have get together and celebrate birthday parties.

Other places like RI building lawn, Kalaingar auditorium lawn, CPMB department are the places preferred by the students which are mostly due to the presence of shade and good micro-climate in those areas.

22.   Most beautiful tree in TNAU campus and location.

The trees which attract most will play vital role during the adoption of the tree planting programs. Planting trees that are preferred by the students will make them to involve and show more care in maintain of the planted trees. With this motto, we had stated this question and the trees preferred by the students are as follows.

Name of the tree	Location	Reason	No. of students	% of students
Rain tree	Vaigai hostel	Greater canopy & flowers.	27	15
Banyan tree	Near biochemistry lab	Because of its prop roots and gigantic nature	36	20
Golden shower	Botanical garden, plant breeding dept., RI building	Its yellow colored flowers	26	14.44
Royal Palm	Near RI building	Its royalty	27	15
Indian Mast tree	Botanical garden	Tallness & Canopy	23	12.7
Others (Bougainvillea, Tulip Tree, Tree of Life, May Flower)	Exam hall lawn, Tamizhagam hostel, RI building	Colorful Flowers.	41	22.77

Most of the students (20%) preferred banyan tree, because of its prop roots and the students enjoyed playing with it by hanging. Next to that rain tree and royal palm shares 15% each due to its size and shape & canopy. Other trees like Golden shower for its beautiful flowers and Indian mast tree for its canopy are preferred by the students.

33.     Infrastructure (Buildings mainly) development without cutting of trees  - Your view

In the TNAU campus to develop the Infrastructure, age old trees were cut near the agri lecture hall. The vegetation area of our campus is getting decreased gradually day by day. So that to increase the vegetation and also not to affect the infrastructural development we planned to ask this question to students to get some innovative ideas to achieve that. The ideas perceived are as follows.

View	Ideas	No. of students	% of students
Possible	Proper planning and building of sites. Buildings can be built where no trees are there. Multi-storey building. Building in waste lands	106	58.88
Not Possible	Plant the tree somewhere. Plant the trees after constructing the building	27	15
No Idea	Having no idea	47	26.11

58% of the students said this idea is be possible and it can be succeed by constructing multi-storey buildings, proper planning and building of sites, building in places where no trees are there and in waste lands. 15% of the students told that it is not possible and rest of the 26% of students are not having any idea of that.

44.  Difference you feel between inside & outside the TNAU campus/other colleges regarding vegetation based on your experience.

By making them to feel the difference inside and outside the campus, we can stress the importance of vegetation in the campus for a sustainable life. With this objective we derived this question and the results are as follows         

Difference felt	No. of students	% of students
Good Air	35	19.44
Shade	48	26.66
Pollution Free	37	20.55
Good Vegetation	41	22.77
No main difference	7	3.88
Others	12	6.66

According to our survey, 26.66% of the students felt that inside the campus is shady, 22.77% of the students felt there is good vegetation, 20.55% of the students felt pollution free and 19.44% of the students felt presence of good air inside the campus. Only a less number of students felt no differences inside the campus.

55.     Change you feel before and after cutting of trees in & around TNAU

As the trees are been cut for the expansion of roads, and inside the campus for infrastructure development, the micro climate in the campus had changed a lot than before. To understand the change felt by the students before and after cutting of trees we quoted this question, and the results obtained from the students are as follows.

Changes felt after the cutting of trees	No. of students	% of students
Hot Climate	45	25
No Shade	42	23.33
Dull Appearance	31	17.22
Loss of Beauty	29	16.11
Loss of Biodiversity	20	11.11
Others (Pollution)	13	7.22

25% of the students felt hot climate after the cutting of trees. 23.33% felt as no shade in the campus. 17.22% felt dull appearance after the removal of trees and other students felt that the campus had lost its beauty and the biodiversity in it.

66.     Place you would like to have more vegetation at TNAU

TNAU is enriched with trees, but still it needs to improve vegetation in some areas that lacks it. To understand the places that need more vegetation as felt by the students are as follows.

Place	Reasons	No. of students	% of students
Thamizhagam Hostel	Only trees and no lawn	17	9.44
C.S Hostel	No lawn	19	10.55
Lawley Road	To restore the trees which has been cut	31	17.22
Techno park	No shade trees	39	21.66
Canteen	Only hedges and no trees	23	12.77
Centenary building	No shade trees	23	12.77
Others (their own departments)		28	15.55

Most students like to have more vegetation in their respective departments. Among that Techno Park area is the most preferred place to improve vegetation by 21.66% of students because of the absence of the shaded trees in those areas. Next is the lawley road due to its sudden loss of trees for road expansion. Other places like university canteen, centenary building, C.S hostel and Thamizhagam hostel are also preferred to increase the vegetation in those areas.

77.     To improve greenery in TNAU & on roadsides of TNAU (Lawley Road)  – Your Ideas

To understand the ways to improve the greenery, the innovative ideas given by the students are as follows.

Ideas	No. of students	% of students
Plant trees before you cut trees	80	44.44
Effective use of NSS students	45	25
Stop cutting trees	41	22.7
Formation of Green Buildings	9	5
Others	5	2.77

44.44% of the students suggest that in case of compulsory need for cutting trees, it should be planted in multiple folds before cutting of the same. 25% of students suggested that, with the proper use of NSS students every year, the trees can be planted and maintained in the campus. Some students (22.7%) suggested that trees took more time to grow and stand gigantically; it should not be cut under any circumstance. Formation of green buildings with creepers over it, vertical gardening can also be done is the suggestions by some students.

88.     Can Bicycle be suggested for students’ use/mobility inside the campus to combat pollution and to make a healthy living?

The vegetation area of the TNAU is gradually decreasing, on the other hand air pollution also gradually increasing. In order to prevent it, using bicycles can be encouraged instead of bikes & cars. The readiness of the students to adapt to use of bicycles completely had been checked with this question and the results are as follows.

Choice	Reason	No. of Students	% of students
Possible	Pollution will not be big problem inside the campus, makes us fit and for healthy living	155	86.11
Not Possible	Hate to ride bicycle	9	5
Not Suitable to Everyone	For day scholars & sick peoples	16	8.88

                Most of the students (86.11%) wish to use bicycle inside the campus. They prefer bicycle because of various reasons like to control pollution, to make them fit, to avoid vehicle noises and for healthy living. Nearly 10% felt that it might be little difficult for some persons to follow like day scholars & by sick peoples. And only negotiable amount of students have said that it is not possible to use cycle. Dr. P.Venkatachalam, Professor (Bioenergy), the only professor who used to come to college with the bicycle is considered as an inspiration for the students to use bicycles.

99.     Green Walk at TNAU – A Dream to Realize – Put your comments

With the decrease in vegetation inside the campus, now it is a dream for everyone to have a green walk inside the campus. But it can be realized with the efforts from students. The ways to achieve that dream given by the students are as follows.

                

Ideas of the students	No. of students	% of students
With professors motivation and students contribution it can be achieved	41	22.77
Utilizing green building concepts	28	15.55
Create Awareness & Don’t cut trees	61	33.88
Very nice. Innovative program to save our world	19	10.55
Gardens should be maintained properly	18	10
Others	13	7.22

For green walk at TNAU, students felt that it can be made possible if all the staffs and officials of our campus put hands together with the students to prevent cutting of trees. They consider this as an innovative and much emphasized one as already many trees were cut for road expansion and construction of new building. Part of the students added that green building concept which means energy conservation methods can also be insisted. Above all, they wish to happen it in real and don’t want it to go as just a dream.

110.       Would you like to adapt and maintain trees near your department if provided?

A suggestion from our side is that each and every student has to maintain a tree by themselves. To know the willingness and the percentage of students having the enthusiasm to adopt a tree we quoted this question to the students. The responses of the students are as follows.

Choice	Reasons	No. of students	% of students
Yes (if sufficient things are provided, Will do with pleasure, It’s already late)	Can learn how to grow a tree, it gives them pleasure	171	95
No	Not Interested	9	5

Almost 95% of the students are ready to adopt a tree by themselves if provided the adequate inputs. But still some 5% students are not interested in planting and maintaining a tree by themselves.

111.   Trees you like to have in & around TNAU?

Many students like to maintain trees by themselves if sufficient things are provided and to know the trees they like be planted in and around them, we had asked this question and the responses from them are as follows.

 

Trees	Reason	No. of students	% of students
Flowering Trees (Tree Jasmine, Bougainvilla, May Flower, Golden Shower)	The fallen flowers will give a good look.	44	24.44
Shade Trees (Rain Tree, Banyan Tree, etc..,)	It keeps the surrounding area very cool and shady.	47	26.11
Medicinal Trees (Neem Trees, Eucalyptus, etc..,)	Gives aesthetic value.	29	16.11
Combination of All	Looks good and colourful.	60	33.33

26.11% of the students wish to have shade trees and 24.44% of the students wish to have flowering trees around them. But more than 30% of the students wanted to have a combination of trees to be present in and around TNAU.

112.   Anything more you would like to ink in this regard?

The students might be having their own suggestions regarding the green walk at TNAU. To know that, and achieve it in a better way, it was put for the students and the suggestions are as follows.

Ideas	No. of students	% of students
Gather more information & implement it	20	11.11
Interest of student activities should be promoted   (Form a group & act)	46	25.55
Plant trees and save nature	43	23.88
Enough to maintain the existing ones	16	8.88
Don’t stop it as a project, Implement it with staff and public	23	12.77
No Idea	32	17.77

25.55% of the students suggested form student groups and act upon it for the improvement of greeneries in TNAU and 23.88% of the students suggested to plant more trees. 12.77% of students don’t want to stop green walk as just a project and they want to implement in a successful way and they want to realize that dream in TNAU. But 8.88% of students are satisfied with the already existing trees, and they feel that, it is enough to maintain the existing trees and at least that should be done.