Children gather around a tree at a park in Dubai during the eco awareness drive.

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

In order to create awareness on the ongoing dangers to the ecosystem and to make the children more environmentally conscious, British Orchard Nursery is going paperless for a week across its branches in the UAE. The nursery is gradually teaching practical steps to youngsters in ways to reduce carbon footprint.

To further nurture a strong relationship and build love for Mother Earth, children were taken to parks in Dubai for ‘tree-hugging’ sessions, and later planted vegetable seeds in the nursery premises. Children were also taught about the importance of trees and their significant role in making Earth a liveable planet.

“Our aim is to make young children aware of the evils that our eco-system is facing and what practical steps they can take in order to bring some stability to it. Hugging trees has been an age-old exercise, and children more than adults understand the feeling of touch, be it people or trees. We hope this will help to create a strong bond between them and Mother Nature,” said Dr Vandana Gandhi, CEO and Founder of British Orchard Nursery.

“Moreover, we at British Orchard Nursery are going paperless for a week as a tribute to the burning Amazon in particular and our planet in general. We believe that such measures leave a lasting impact on young minds, and they also open up to the various options they can choose from in order to save trees,” she added.

Over the last few weeks, the devastating fire in the Amazon Rainforest has wiped out acres of forest land, destroying homes of indigenous tribes and threatened millions of animal species.

The British Orchard Nursery’s curriculum focuses on green methodology and through various practical approaches not only instills compassion for planet Earth in children, but also teaches them how to attain the CSR functions of the UN 2021 goals.