My Vision................"THE GREEN HAVEN"......!!!!!!

"Earth has enough to satisfy every man's need but not his greed".

                                                                  -Mahatma Gandhi

Our mother nature never hesitate in fulfilling our needs.She provides us with all the basic needs such as food,shelter,water,clothing and so on.Still we yearn for more.Though we cannot give her back,we should at least express our gratitude to her.Rather than exploiting her to the core we should develop a relationship with her.Being an Environmental Engineer,I feel that its my duty to know her,love her,protect her and mingle with her.We should feel guilty about 'nature being taken for granted'.

I recently happened to watch a malayalam movie,'Ramante Edanthottam'.The movie was not up to the mark and doesn't have much 'wow factors' in it.But something which I liked about the movie was 'the Miyawaki method' that has been mentioned in it.

I always have a special love for trees,forests,plants and soil.Even when I had to select an area of interest for doing my thesis,I chose plants and soil.So I wanted to know about this 'Miyawaki method of creating urban forests' and googled the same.That's how I came to know about Akira Miyawaki-a Japanese botanist and a naturalist."The Miyawaki method is to restore native forests from seeds of native trees on deforested and degraded lands.

And I have read about the man who has created 33 forests in India-Shubendu Sharma.He left his highly paid engineering job to plant trees for the rest of his life.He made it possible to create 33 forests across India in two years.He was inspired by Akira Miyawaki while he volunteered to assist him to cultivate a forest at the Toyota plant where he worked.

Who doesn't love forests?Then why can't we create a tiny forest in our own backyard.I have already wrote a poem on'A dream of being lost in dark woods'.I wish if that dream comes into reality.I haven't yet made a bucket list,but if I make one;definitely 'travel to a beautiful forest' would top the list.A walk in the woods could be relied upon to soothe and heal.Even the thought of setting foot into forest could make my senses perk up.

Once forests covered over 50% of the earth's surface and now it is approximately 9.4%!Forests means not only trees,it includes diverse species.If we search for world's beautiful forests,"Amazon Rainforest" will always be there at the top.

Amazon Rainforest!

Its a vast forest,most of it is in Brazil and significant areas of 7 other countries are all covered by this forest.Its the world's largest rainforest which covers the drainage basin of the Amazon river.It remains as one of the least explored regions on earth.It is inhabited by more than 50 ethnic groups who haven't yet made contact with the outside world!Rivers form the major communication routes and only few inroads have been made.It is estimated to be 55 million years old!!!!The trees of Amazon rainforest supply over one third of world's oxygen.They are the oxygen bags of nature where they take up carbon dioxide and gives back oxygen.Scientific studies emanate a fear that our grandchildren might not even get a chance to visit the great Amazon rainforest in 50 years.

Deforestation causes serious threats to the 'lungs of the planet'.Not only climate change should be blamed but the increasing global warming is a major cause for changing weather patterns.This could create in a 75% loss of one of the most remarkable places on earth-"The Amazon Rainforest".

I have a vision of amassing like minded people with a similar notion,explore some of the beautiful forests to know the woods deeply and enjoy their tranquility.We all know the new villas sprouting up so quickly.Together with them my vision and dream is to build up a sustainable living hub.I don't want to call it villas;let me call it "The Green Haven".

A dream abode where houses are built with mud and bamboos.Solar energy being the source of energy and all the rooms get lighted up with the natural lighting.A tiny urban forest with tree huts within the site,where birds and myriad of butterflies are the regular visitors.

A proper biowaste management unit including composting and biogas plants,hence utilizing the same for cooking and for the vegetable garden within the compound.Organic farming promotes growth of fresh fruits and vegetables.There should be a waste water treatment plant and recycling station.A rain water harvesting system making availability of water.The urban forests can even help to soak grey water coming out of sewage treatment plant.These urban forests serves as purifiers of air and water.

Praying for that day to happen-"the day where my GREEN HAVEN comes true.

Think out of box and get inspired to green!!!!