“Doctors cannot only heal patient but they can heal the environment too where patient lives.”
Plants give us oxygen to breathe, food to eat, medicines to heal, homes to live for various kinds of animals, add beauty to our surroundings, and many more that cannot be enlisted here. The efforts of plantations must be appreciated in this era where we are facing grievous environmental hazards and climate change.
Now there is huge amount invested over plantation activities. But is planting a plant enough? What about growth and maintenance? We plant and we forget; is this the answer to the ongoing problem? We guess ‘No’.
Planting and taking continuous care of plants would actually have an impact on the plantation. Plants need care and protection too, like a small child, at least until they have become independent and can live on their own. So here comes the idea of ‘Plant & Adopt’.
Adopting a plant is not just about plantation; it also gives you a sense of responsibility. You live close to nature in the real world, and you are responsible for environment. This might be a better opportunity compared to sitting in front of social media, reading about deforestation, and forwarding messages about plantations.
This is different in a way where your photo with a single event of plantation would not suffice, as this pledge is for continuous care of the plant until the time you want. You have to visit your baby plant, water it, and have to provide support when it is needed.
To maintain this continuum of care we came forward with the idea of the ‘Plant and Adopt’ society along with my team members, in University College of Medical Sciences. Our vision was to bring ‘Plant and Adopt’ culture among medical students and institution.
We circulated a Google Form for those who were interested for ‘Plant and Adopt initiative’. We got a total of 40 entries, comprising mainly MBBS students, radiotherapy students, post graduate students, and faculties. The ‘Plant & Adopt’ day was finalized for August 22, 2023, at 7:00am. We created a total of 8 teams and planted a total of 8 plants. 7 Neem and 1 Bargad based on climate requirements.
The teams were classified by the names of famous environmentalists to remember all those noble personalities forever. 95 rs/team were collected for the cost of plants and manure. Trying to ensure a sense of personal investment.
Team 1. Sunder Lal Bahuguna Team
Plant :- Neem
Team 2. M.S. Swaminathan Team
Plant :- Neem
Team 3. Salim Ali Team
Plant :- Neem
Team 4. Rajendra Singh Team
Plant:- Neem tree
Team 5. Medha Patkar Team
Plant:- Bargad
Team 6. Jadav Payeng Team
Plant:- Neem
Team 7. Marimuth Yoganathan Team
Plant: Neem
Team 8. Amrita Devi Bishnoi Team
Plant:- Neem tree
*Plant and Adopt team of 2022
This activity was in accordance with the ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ initiative by our government. We wish to adapt desired lifestyle changes and act towards the goal of carbon neutrality.
Continuous monitoring was ensured by creation of whats app group. Where the students who have adopted the plants were supposed to share the images of plant with geospatial location. At the end of six months we were left with seven plants and there was extreme shortage of staff. After one year we were left with just five plants out of eight plants. We have planted some indoor plants as well in our department. The celebration with cake for the new year 2023 was being replaced with planting and adoption of trees in the department too. Today out of those eight plants we are left with just four plants.
In the year 2024 we have focused on waste segregation and the best entries made out of waste were awarded to the community members under the Family Adoption Program.
Under Family Adoption Program we try our best to conduct similar activities along with community. On 27.02.2025 rally was organized with the motto of safeguarding environment and thereafter the students have planted plants in the nearby park by collaborating with the community members. Encouraging them to adopt and take care of all the plants planted. There was enthusiastic response from children of Nand Nagri present there. The plants have been brought up by the students and the activity of plantation was actively undertaken by them.
*Photo clicked by Dr Samidha Kushwaha
This year it was a joyous moment when one of the MBBS student, Abhinav called and reported that Ma’am this time for ‘World Environment Day 2025’ we are planning for plantation. Yes of course, we have not planted the high numbers but we cherish that we have created a culture among medical graduates of care giving to plants.
Our journey in the ‘Plant and Adopt’ tells that it is not just about the plantation, the fight for green cover can be ensured first by creating the army of plant care givers, who could be anyone. We have coined the term ‘Maali-G’ :- The Plant Guardian. Anyone who is dedicated in the care and protection of plants.
Thanks to Family Adoption Program as well to give us the opportunity for doing environment protection activities in field. It has the huge potential utilizing behaviour change communication to transform community attitude and joining hand with community in fight against the climate change. We are delighted to have Life Style for Environment and Ek Ped Maa ke Naam initiatives. Including Delhi free tree initiative. It is clear that government is also trying their best for the plantation. The plantation activities efficiency can be increased if before plantation the appointment of ‘Maali-G’(plant care givers) can be ensured along with regular GIS based surveillance.
Let us now not just PLANT but also ADOPT our baby plant and go along with reality of One Health, “vasudhev kutumbkam”.
