Dwelling together in harmony

Travelling and studying cities where people and trees share the same space, Seema Mundoli, author of Cities and Canopies – Trees in Indian Cities is currently in Goa to spread awareness about the importance of trees in a modern urban environment

| DECEMBER 06, 2019, 02:09 AM IST

#TGLife


It’s all about making one aware about the canopies, creatures and citizens that create the web of urban nature in (over)crowded cities in India. ‘Cities and Canopies – Trees in Indian Cities’ – a recently published book co-authored by Seema Mundoli and Harini Nagendra is making rounds in the environmentalist circles and the 250-page book with 22 chapters and illustrations by Alisha Dutt Islam, had to be reprinted within a month on demand from readers.   

Currently in Goa, author Seema Mundoli has been visiting various cities to learn about the bonds created between people and trees while sharing the same space. “The discussion around trees at Sensible Earth in Porvorim was invigorating. I interacted with people who clearly cared about the tree scape of the city and seem to have the enthusiasm and commitment to work towards protecting green cover in cities here. We had an interesting discussion on how we could think of preemptively protecting trees and green spaces,” shares Seema who presented her debut book ‘Cities and Canopies – Trees in Indian Cities’ to an enthusiastic audience in Goa, making sure that both, she and the audience were on the same page.   

Coauthored with Harini Nagendra, professor of sustainability at Azim Premji University, Seema, also a senior lecturer at the same university, shares the reason for penning the book that considers trees as living entities. “My work with NGOs involved in conservation, mining, land and forest rights, and education in indigenous communities, has offered her deep insight on relationships of people and nature in cities,” says Seema who has also co-edited State of the Environment 2005: Andaman and Nicobar Islands.   

While Harini has conducted research on the interaction between people and nature in forests and cities for over twenty-five years, both the authors thought of engaging into a lively conversation on trees, ecology, nature, environment and its connection to the cities and the people living in those cities. “However, we didn’t want to make it boring by adding too much of scientific data. So we have peppered our book with stories and myths, faiths and beliefs, facts and figures, medicinal implications of trees and recipes out of their byproducts, even riddles, puzzles and quizzes revolving around science and spirituality to make the book an interesting read for people of all ages,” smiles Seema.   

While studying the urban ecology and the environment in Bengaluru city, Seema looked at different kinds of urban ecosystems and green spaces. It involved connecting with people and making people connect with nature. It also involved travelling to cities and meeting people from various walks of life. When the second book was conceptualized, both the authors combined their knowledge and research to furnish the contents. “We looked out for historical material from archives, collected personal memories as we studied the nature in cities. We visited other cities as well, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, Kochi etc. Now I am in Goa,” quips Seema.   

The travels have enriched the base of their knowledge and widened their vision. The talks, readings and interactions have taken the author among people, teachers, students, historians, librarians, policy makers, architects and engineers. The awareness is spreading and the stakeholders are gradually waking up to the fact that this planet belongs to all and humans have to share it equally with other species.   

Native and imported, sacred and ordinary, culinary and floral, favourites of various kings and commoners over the centuries, trees are the most visible signs of nature in cities, fundamentally shaping their identities. Trees are storehouses of the complex origins and histories of city growth, coming as they do from different parts of the world, brought in by various local and colonial rulers. Trees in India have served as memory keepers. They are our roots: their trunks our pillars, their bark our texture and their branches, our shade. Trees are nature’s own museums. Drawing on extensive research, ‘Cities and Canopies’ is a book about both the specific and the general aspects of these gentle life-giving creatures.   

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