Pune: Pune River Revival (PRR) has organised a campaign through two exercises to encourage people to recognise at least one tree that holds special significance to them and share the story behind it.The first exercise is a campaign, Pune Tree of the Year, that will run until Sept 30. It is a citizen-led initiative recognising remarkable trees for their ecological value, cultural importance, beauty and stories. The 2026 nomination period closes on Sept 30. Shortlisted trees will be published on Oct 15, followed by public voting until Dec 15. Results will be announced by Dec 31.As part of the second exercise, a tree-mapping activity will be held on Saturday at SPPU, BHS Ganeshkhind, Fergusson College and Empress Garden that will motivate people to reconnect with nature, celebrate shared roots and strengthen their bond with the city’s living history.Participant Kabir Dhole (13) told TOI about his grandmother’s favourite gulmohar tree that she has planted. He said now it was his favourite too. “Although an exotic tree, it has almost become native. Bees collect pollen and nectar from its flowers, and birds flock to it in large numbers,” he said, adding that his love for nature started with bird watching when he was eight years old during the Covid-19 lockdown. It slowly grew with Kabir gravitating towards conservation efforts.“Since most of the world is online or on social media now, such campaigns push people to learn more about trees in their surroundings,” Kabir added.PRR’s Prajakta Mahajan said the initiative goes beyond documenting trees in neighbourhoods. “The idea is to make people aware of their existence, appreciate them through stories and care for them as well as green spaces,” she said. In order to participate, people have to nominate a tree, share its location, photographs and the story behind it on https://punetrees.org/.Meanwhile, PRR volunteer Wrutuja said they were planning a tree walk in Empress Garden along with the mapping exercise on Saturday. “The garden is home to many heritage trees. We want people to know what is a heritage tree and that it has to be at least 50 years old in Maharashtra to be classified as one. Trees in the garden have been watching over Pune for hundreds of years.”She said finding one special tree was difficult — especially when they cannot be classified on the basis of heritage value alone and need personal significance. Wrutuja said she would recommend an old rain tree located along old Pune-Mumbai highway. “There is a bench under the tree and there are senior citizens often sitting under the expansive shadow. We all have these moments when trees overwhelm us with their earthy beauty. The entire effort is to document and save these moments,” she added.
