Ponda church turns tree plantation into interfaith connection

Panaji: A parish in Ponda turned the state’s call for tree plantation over 90 days during the monsoon into an opportunity to link parishioners with different community members in the neighbourhood. The forest department and the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) offered over 1,500 saplings of indigenous varieties to St Anne’s Parish in Curti, Ponda, to be planted along the nearby highways and for distribution among parishioners.Building further on this idea, the church told its members to plant one tree in their own home, while a second sapling was handed out which the church member has to gift to a Muslim or Hindu neighbour for planting in their homes.The forest department and the biodiversity board offered a wide variety of fruit-bearing, medicinal, ornamental, and native species including anant, hibiscus, Laxmitaru, jackfruit, lime, amla, guava, jaam, jambal, bhedus, sitaphal, among others.St Anne’s Church marked World Environment Day 2026 with the launch of the Canopy Project and Franciscan Green Homes Initiative. Also, marking the 8th centenary celebration of the Transitus of St Francis of Assisi, more than 1,560 plants and saplings were distributed across 40 Small Christian communities and three community-based NGOs representing Hindu and Muslim communities.More than 1,120 parishioners participated and pledged not only to plant and nurture trees in their homes but also to share saplings with neighbours from other religious communities as a symbol of friendship, mutual respect, and communal harmony.In addition, a large-scale plantation drive was undertaken with the support of the GSBB resulting in the planting of nearly 800 saplings along the highway corridor from Farmagudi to Usgao and in the vicinity of Khandepar Chapel.The inaugural ceremony was attended by over 400 participants.Agriculturist Miguel Braganza told the participating families to ensure that they involve a child from the family or neighbourhood while planting the sampling as children are more likely to emulate rather than follow oral instructions to care for nature.He also conducted an engaging demonstration on the complete process of tree planting and maintenance, equipping participants with practical knowledge from planting and nurturing saplings to eventually enjoying their fruits and flowers.Fr Heston Ferrao, secretary of the Diocesan Commission for Ecology, quoting environmental activist Sister Dorothy Stang, said, “The death of the forest is the end of human lives.”Fr Francis Rozario, parish priest of St Anne’s Church, said the initiative seeks to transform environmental concern into concrete action. The Bandora village biodiversity management committee also participated in the event.