For a greener future
Trees of NMS is an initiative by class 12 student Nirmal Pathak to educate his community about the importance of trees and the need to conserve biodiversity for a sustainable future. The initiative aims to make important information about tress – their botanical name and properties – easily accessible. For this purpose, the trees on campus have been digitised. A unique QR code or Quick Response code has been placed next to each tree, all a student has to do is click and scan the code to get all the information on a particular tree.
An inventory of trees at the Neerja Modi school campus has been prepared after meticulous research and planning.
The data of the trees has been linked to the school website. A unique QR code specific to a tree has been placed next to it.
The code once decoded, translates into a Uniform Resource Locator or URL which directly shows the data of each tagged tree.
Students can get accurate information regarding a particular tree by just scanning the barcode.
Alstonia scholaris is called the blackboard tree because its wood was used to make slates for school- going children. This is also why its species name is ‘Scholaris’!
Gulmohar is considered sacred in the state of Kerala. It is believed that when Jesus was crucified, his blood was poured on the flowers of Gulmohar, giving them their striking red colour
The weeping fig tree can remove the gaseous toxin formaldehyde from indoor air
The fishtail palm is named so because its leaves resemble the tail of a fish
According to Hindu mythology, the Neem tree was born when drops of Amrita (the elixir of immortality) were sprinkled onto the Earth by Gods
The name Rudrā is one of 1008 names of the Lord Shiva and the word Akśa means tears in Sanskrit. It is believed that after 1000 years of meditation, tears began to fall from the eyes of Shiva in compassion for humanity, and the tears became the Rudraksha Tree
"Growing up in the Neerja Modi school campus, I used pass by different kinds of trees on my way to the classroom but never paid much attention to them as I remained busy with school activities. The greenery in our beautiful school campus weaved itself into the memories I made as a young student: be it walking in the fields, playing at the swing-sets, or taking a stroll on the walkways. It is only recently that I began to reflect and realised the importance of the trees around me.
This realisation motivated me to sensitise the people around me about the numerous benefits of trees and how important it was to conserve them. This is how the idea of ‘Trees of NMS’ germinated. By creating awareness about the numerous trees on campus, I wish to develop a feeling of gratitude in my community towards trees and nature. It is only when we realise the importance of the trees around us that we will take a step forward in our vision for a sustainable future."
