World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5th to encourage citizens around the globe to take action and protect the Earth. This year's theme, 'Only One Earth', calls for a transformative change to policies and choices to enable cleaner, greener, and sustainable living in harmony with nature.

AYUDH India and Europe connected to share ideas and take action. Via webcast, AYUDH volunteers from states across India organized a 3R Green Workshop—reduce, reuse, recycle—and they invited Dorian Spaak with AYUDH Europe as their Chief Guest.

 

Mr Spaak joined from France and spoke about the role of youth for a cleaner and greener environment. He explained specific environmental projects by AYUDH Europe, such as rain water harvesting and honey bee farming, and how he has helped to manage and implement them in France.

He also congratulated AYUDH India for their activities, as members are gradually increasing their knowledge of nature and taking steps to safeguard our environment. For example, one of their key projects is to revive the slowly dying art of kitchen gardening, including in urban areas. In this way, they grow chemical-free produce for their own consumption and also bring awareness and training to their neighbors.

Anushree Pandya from AYUDH Ahmedabad did a demonstration about planting in a sub-irrigation planter. There is no need to water the plant, and in a 2-liter bottle, plants with shallow root systems can be permanently kept. Ideal for people who live in cities and have no land.

Ms Pandya explained how to make the planter from waste plastic bottles and how the model is both helping to conserve water and recycle plastic.

During the webcast, participants worked together to create the planters, plant the saplings, and then install them in their respective locations, providing virtual support and guidance to one another.

Mr Spaak said: “I am really impressed by all of your preparations and being coordinated throughout the country for this project. Thank you for this enthusiasm and interest in planting. It can be a great support in life. I really enjoyed it. I wish you a very fruitful Environment Day. This is really a great technique that can be implemented anywhere.”

Brahmacharini Amritatmika Chaitanya is one of AYUDH India’s coordinators. She thanked the chapters for their substantial initiatives in making efforts to love and care for nature. She also shared Amma’s message: “Currently, it is as if Mother Nature has stage three cancer. Our care alone will determine how long she can be sustained.

“Our efforts can keep away pandemics, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and global warming to a great extent. If we are united in our efforts, we can walk back at least 10% of the way. But we also need the factor of grace. For that, we need effort, humility, and to treat Mother Nature with a respectful and prayerful attitude.”

Bri Amritatmika concluded by saying: “On this World Environment Day, we hope all youth will take active steps towards collective transformative actions on a global scale to celebrate, protect, and restore our planet, our common home! Let's take care of it. We don’t have a backup for this.”

More than 100 AYUDH India members participated in the webcast. Many remarked how it has strengthened their connection to each other, despite the digital mode of communication instead of being together in person. Here are some of their thoughts:

- Dikhita Mahapatra from Bhubaneshwar, Odisha

- Amey from Baneshwar, Maharashtra

- Harsi Patel from Ahmedabad, Gujarat

I am very excited and happy that this project is done on the WED2022. Though there is no land or space, it could be done in every home. I feel a special love and bond with my plant now and am eager to see its growth.

- Konkana Chakraborty from Kolkata, West Bengal

- Soham Londhe from Pune, Maharashtara

- Mrinmoyee from Durgapur, West Bengal

Photo 1: AYUDH participants not only discussed theory, but also took practical steps together by planting saplings in recycled plastic bottles.
Photo 2: Dorian Spaak with AYUDH Europe (top left) was the chief guest. Brahmacharini Amritatmika Chaitanya (bottom left) was the coordinator.
Photo 3: More than 100 participants took part in the live webcast.
Photo 4: Early steps in creating the planters from recycled plastic bottles.
Photo 5: AYUDH members look forward to caring for their young trees and plants.
Photo 6: A sub-irrigation planter with no need to water the plant.