Tarumitra means “Friends of Trees” in Hindi and Sanskrit. It is a student movement that aims to protect and promote care of the environment. The program was started by students and it now has involved hundreds of schools and universities nationwide.
As a fourth-year student in the Environment and Development Career, I am performing my professional practice in the Tarumitra organization, located in the state of Patna, India. The founder of the organization is Dr. Robert Athickal, who earned his Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Boston, USA.
The organization has solar energy, organic agriculture, water recycling and biodiversity studies of fauna and flora. These subjects are used for educational purposes. There are daily visits by children and young people from schools and universities, who are instructed in the care to be given to the environment. The slogan that promotes the organization with students is “Think globally and act locally”.
One of the activities I have done is to assist some of those people responsible for organizing the activities undertaken with students. Students are given a presentation where we talk about the actions the organization takes to care for and protect natural resources. Many students buy plants from the nursery of the organization, and they are taught about the benefits that will be generated in the environment, as well as being a way they can appreciate nature even closer.
The seminar on ecology was an activity in which I participated, along with Dr. Athickal. We travelled to the city of Varanasi where 75 philosophy students participated in the event.
Another seminar, given by Dr. Athickal, was held in the second week of Professional Practice. Students were encouraged to march outside the organization, proclaiming the reduced use of fuel and oil extraction.