Empress Garden, Kavade Mala, Ghorpadi, Pune
Citizen Science Program
– Adopt a tree
RRBCEA in collaboration with SeasonWatch India launched a unique citizen science program- “Adopt a tree” in July 2022.
RRBCEA in collaboration with SeasonWatch India launched a unique citizen science program- “Adopt a tree” in July 2022.
Enthusiastic volunteers above the age of 10yrs can participate in the program. (Participants below the age of 16yrs can be accompanied by an adult).
The volunteers adopt at least one full grown tree in the Empress Botanical Garden premises and track the changes in the tree (new leaves sprouting, flowering, fruiting, leaves falling) throughout the year during different seasons.
They are trained by experts about what to track and how to note down your observations.
Volunteers commit about 30 minutes at least once a month to visit their adopted tree(s) and record observations. Anyone who loves trees can volunteer!
It is an immense joy and eye opener for the volunteers to see their adopted tree subtly changing through the seasons, many birds, insects and other wild life ‘visiting’ their tree.
For some volunteers it is a meditative experience which helps them develop deeper connection with nature and calms their mind. Apart from these wonderful experiences, systematic observations noted by the volunteers generate important scientific data about different species of trees.
This data is valuable for scientists and non-scientist to understand how plant species respond to changes in local weather as well as the effects of large scale weather patterns (prolonged rainy season, drought, increasing temperatures, etc.) on growth, flowering, fruiting of trees if monitored over longer periods of time.
Those interested in adopting a tree can enroll for the program by contacting us.