Plant a Tree on Your Birthday Campaign Begins at Tirupati Divyaramam Eco Park

The initiative aims to promote the growth of five lakh indigenous trees.

District forest officer (DFO) P. Vivek officially launched the event, while veteran journalist and nature enthusiast P. Ramachandra Reddy, who was celebrating his 65th birthday, planted the first saplings — Kadamba and other native saplings.

Speaking at the event, the DFO emphasised the importance of nurturing native trees. He called upon locals, NGOs, and nature lovers to take active responsibility for protecting these plants.

“The Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve stands as a blend of spirituality and nature. The Tirupati forest division, under the guidance of the Andhra Pradesh forest department, is making every effort to protect the environment, conserve biodiversity, and raise awareness”, the DFO said.

Vivek added that special attention is given to local species such as Terminalia bellirica (Tani), Albizia amara (Usiri), Pterocarpus marsupium (Red Sanders), and Syzygium cumini (Neredu). Measures are also being taken to control invasive species like Prosopis juliflora and Lantana camara, which threaten local biodiversity.

Nurseries in Kapilateertham, Srikalahasti, and Chintapalli have grown and distributed over 2.5 lakh indigenous saplings under CAMPA, Green India Challenge, and MGNRESA schemes, including rare medicinal plants and species listed in the IUCN Red List, the DFO said.