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The Man Who Grew His Own Forest
https://www.thetrumpet.com/article/12632.2.175.0/the-man-who-grew-his-own-forest ^

Posted on 05/26/2015 3:12:48 PM PDT by Thistooshallpass9

When Jadav Payeng was 16 years old, he confronted a problem quite unlike those most teenagers devote their attention to. He lived in remote northeast India on Majuli Island, the largest river island in the world. Abnormal monsoon flooding was bombarding the island’s eastern side. It was rapidly eroding the landmass and stripping all vegetation from the remaining land. Jadav looked at the wasteland where lush forest had once stood, and made up his mind to reverse the trend.

So he planted a tree.

That was in 1979, and Jadav has continued planting trees, spreading seeds and nurturing the forest almost every day since then. To date, he has planted more than 100,000 trees on one of Majuli’s islets.

Singlehandedly, he has transformed almost 1,400 acres of wasteland into a bustling forest ecosystem. That’s an area almost twice the size of Central Park.

In an e-mail interview with the Trumpet, Jadav said his planting has been successful mainly because it collaborates with the land’s natural healing ability. “The major contributor in making this forest is the nature itself,” he said. “I only catalyze the process.”

During the first few years of his labor, finding enough seeds and saplings was very difficult. Jadav typically had to canoe to the mainland to collect plants, and then carefully transport them back to the islet. But as the years passed, his trees matured. They began providing the seeds and saplings he needed to keep expanding the forest.

Another difficult task is watering plants over such a large area. To accomplish this, Jadav devised a drip irrigation system that is as inexpensive as it is effective. He pokes small holes in clay pots and hangs them above the saplings on bamboo poles. Over a period of days or weeks, the pots empty onto the plants. Jadav refills the pots with river water again and again until the trees grow large enough to obtain the water they need with their roots. “It is not just about planting saplings, but protecting them for the initial years till the sapling becomes self-sufficient,” he said. “Later the nature will take care of itself.”

Jadav said he derives great pleasure from the difficult work: “I am doing my duty with all happiness,” he said. “When I see the young sapling bearing fresh new sets of leaves, all the little pain I might have undergone is disappeared.”

As a result of Jadav’s tireless efforts, his forest is now home to over 100 species of trees and plants. There are arjun and cotton trees, tall elephant grass, mango and banana trees, goldmohur, jamun, jackfruit, and acres of bamboo.

A diverse array of animals has also returned to the region. Deer, Bengal tigers, apes, buffalo, wild boars, monkeys and many kinds of birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects have made Jadav’s forest their home. A herd of more than 100 elephants has also recently started living in the forest for six months of each year. Since the visits began, the elephants have given birth to 10 calves in the forest.

The animal reappearance that delighted Jadav the most was that of the threatened one-horned rhinoceros. “When I saw that even rhinos liked this habitat and visit every year, I feel great and it surely excites me!” he said.

Jadav said the most challenging part of his work has been “working as one man with little resources.” If more people had been working with him over the years, he says they could have “covered the nation” with a restored and healthy environment.

Earlier this year, the Indian government awarded Jadav the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. India also named the forest that Jadav grew after him, and conferred upon him the title “Forest Man of India.”

In recent months, he has set his sights on greening another of Majuli Island’s barren islets. “This should keep me busy for another 30 years,” Jadav said.

The most fascinating aspect of Jadav’s labor is that it can serve as a preview for the massive projects that will be undertaken all over the world in the near future. Many of the Bible’s most inspiring passages describe how Earth will look after the return of Jesus Christ. Deserts will blossom with vegetation. Burning sands will become fertile forests. Depleted ecosystems will bustle with plant and animal life. Agricultural abundance will be universal (Isaiah 27:6; 32:15; 35:1, 6-7).

Jadav’s work evokes those prophecies about the Millennium. His projects can help us picture the global restoration that will soon take place. And if his one-man crew has accomplished so much, imagine the amount of land that will be healed, restored and beautified when all men are working together!


TOPICS: Gardening; Miscellaneous; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: forest; forestry; india; trees
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1 posted on 05/26/2015 3:12:48 PM PDT by Thistooshallpass9
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To: Thistooshallpass9

Now that this island is known some moron will come along and clearcut it and reduce the trees to charcoal.


2 posted on 05/26/2015 3:15:00 PM PDT by MeganC (You can ignore reality, but reality won't ignore you.)
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To: MeganC

Apparently, Jadav routinely has to chase poachers and loggers out of the forest.


3 posted on 05/26/2015 3:16:45 PM PDT by Thistooshallpass9
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To: Thistooshallpass9

Some good news for a change.


4 posted on 05/26/2015 3:17:07 PM PDT by gattaca (Republicans believe every day is July 4, democrats believe every day is April 15. Ronald Reagan)
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To: Thistooshallpass9

We don’t need to work together to plant trees. I’ve planted plenty of trees all by my lonesome.


5 posted on 05/26/2015 3:18:41 PM PDT by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: Thistooshallpass9

6 posted on 05/26/2015 3:20:20 PM PDT by caww
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To: Thistooshallpass9

7 posted on 05/26/2015 3:20:20 PM PDT by caww
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To: gattaca

Yeah! I recently found a subreddit (www.reddit.com/r/upliftingnews), which has some great stuff like this come through. It is a nice change of pace in this unraveling world.


8 posted on 05/26/2015 3:21:02 PM PDT by Thistooshallpass9
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To: caww
His forest


9 posted on 05/26/2015 3:22:56 PM PDT by caww
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To: Thistooshallpass9
outdoor garden


10 posted on 05/26/2015 3:24:26 PM PDT by ETL (ALL (most?) of the Obama-commie connections at my FR Home page: http://www.freerepublic.com/~etl/)
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To: caww

Show off. LOL


11 posted on 05/26/2015 3:27:02 PM PDT by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: caww


12 posted on 05/26/2015 3:34:22 PM PDT by caww
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To: Thistooshallpass9

“the wasteland where lush forest had once stood”

Well, the forest isn’t going to survive without continued assistance. Maybe not even then- rivers are insistent beings.

A fine story none-the-less.


13 posted on 05/26/2015 3:34:56 PM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: cripplecreek

14 posted on 05/26/2015 3:35:14 PM PDT by caww
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To: Thistooshallpass9
Reminds me of this story, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Planted_Trees, which moved me deeply as a child.

Better yet, this Indian's story --- unlike the French book I cited --- is true. How inspiring!

15 posted on 05/26/2015 3:36:35 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (They are like a tree planted beside the waters, that stretches out its roots to the stream.)
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To: caww


16 posted on 05/26/2015 3:37:34 PM PDT by caww
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Here's his wife


17 posted on 05/26/2015 3:39:02 PM PDT by caww
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To: caww


18 posted on 05/26/2015 3:41:02 PM PDT by caww
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To: caww

19 posted on 05/26/2015 3:42:06 PM PDT by caww
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To: caww


20 posted on 05/26/2015 3:48:45 PM PDT by caww
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