Pockets of Wilderness in Urban Areas (POW)
SAGE has a brand new and exciting program! It is called 'Pockets of Wildernes in Urban Areas' or POW for short. In essence, it plans to create pockets of wilderness in urban areas that will become a comfortable habitat (a places of food, water and shelter) for small wildlife such as birds, squrriels, monkeys, etc.
Since taking caring for newly planted trees required a protected or enclosed space (with a compound wall), with a watering point close by, SAGE is identifying walled off campuses of schools, colleges and busineses that can used to create these pockets of wildernesses.
The POWERS will be planted with wildlife friendly trees that will attract a variety of birds, reptiles, small mammals and amphibians. Yes, ideally a small water body too will be provided to serve as a watering hole for these creatures. Indeed, in our haste to progress, we have forgotten to ensure watering holes for the indigent wildlife around us. All the naturally occuring ponds and waterbodies are filled up and we have buried our water pipes, and even our rivers we have been destroyed to generate precious electricity (so that we may gladly run our mixies and ACs) so much so that it has become nearly impossible for urban wildlife to get a decent drink anywhere within a ten-twenty kilometre radius.
The tree that we plant too will be special. Nothing but fruit, berry bearing tree that provide food for wildlife will be planted. For instance, the Pipal tree if full of cuckoos, barbets, bulbuls, doves, green pigeons that are happily feeding on its fruit. Some of the native fruit bearing trees that will be planted include Mahua, Pipal, Banyan, Ryan, Simul, Shetut, Jamun, Bottle brush, Simal, Palash etc.
SAGE will create awareness in communities of the concept of wildlife friendly trees by presentations to the community. These presentations will serve to educate the community about different wildlife friendly trees and the kind of wildlife they attract as well as motivate them to preserve the beauty of wildlife sheltered by the trees.
Students are going to campaign and collect commitments from the community to plant, water and care for trees planted in their neighbourhoods for a period of three years, till that is, the tree roots have reached deep into the soil and can manage on there own.
SAGE, in conjunction with the Forest Department of Gujarat, plans to plant at least 2000 wildlife friendly fruit trees in Gandhinagar, (mainly in school campuses) as a pilot program in 2009.
