Whether you are in Himachal (Pradesh) or Karnataka or Gujarat – or for that matter, any part of India, you cannot help but notice how the arrival of spring has made the trees bloom and burst into colourful blossoms.
It’s true that we all seem to take more notice of the trees around us in spring. Those vibrant hues of orange, yellows, purples and pinks have us spellbound.
From the flame of the forest to the silk cotton tree, Indian Coral tree…so many trees catch our attention.
And while we revel in the beauty of trees in spring, we are rather grateful for the very presence of trees around us in summer.
As the mercury rises, we are so thankful for the trees in public spaces – the canopy of a tree shielding us from the harsh afternoon sun as we stop at a traffic signal or the shade of a tree giving us a perfect spot to park our vehicles. So many vendors operate their small businesses from under the canopy of a tree – from cobblers, street food sellers, those who mend and repair torn bags or faulty zips…
But trees in public domain are often disappearing. Or being replaced by trees that are not really native.
That is why we are asking you to share memories of your favourite trees – those that you find in the public domain. Tell us what attracts you to the tree/s, do you find that they are in abundance or disappearing, have you been able to plant a sapling and nurture it to a tree, have you been part of a group that helps our cities and neighbourhoods develop a green cover, and in doing so, have you faced any obstacles…
In 350 words or so. If you want us to call you, and take down notes and write it down, we are happy to do so too.
This way, we celebrate and welcome spring at The Good Story Project, and we prepare for the onset of the great Indian summer. We also ensure that the ‘seeds’ are planted – seeds of hope, and of greener cities and urban areas.
We would also like to have inputs from children as they are our future heirs – heirs to the neighbourhoods and cities that we will leave them with.
Email us your stories at contactgoodstories@gmail.com, and if you have, a photograph of the tree/s as well.
The Good Story Project 
Great idea, celebrating trees!
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Thank you so much – we would love to have your thoughts/contribution too.
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Let me see if i can find a local tree i haven’t already written about!
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Will wait to hear from you. One of my favourites – while growing up – was what is known as I believe, the silk cotton tree. As children, an aunt in the neighbourhood described it to us as the kaurava-pandava tree. She said the flowers represented five petals in the form of the five pandavas, and the stamens represented the kauravas. I don’t think it had 100 stamens, but we soaked up the story, and to this day I associate them with it.
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An excellent read. Trees become so noticeable in the spring. Only yesterday I saw the rhododendron trees full of red flowers (March and April is its season ). They added further to pristine beauty of the mountains.
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Thank you for writing in. If you want to write about trees in public domain, and if you have a story to share from Uttarakhand, do have a look at the brief we have put out, and we would love to hear from you.
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