Blend of creativity, eco conservation mark Earth Day celebrations

Lucknow: Marking Earth Day with a blend of creativity and conservation awareness, the Lucknow chapter of INTACH hosted the city round of its all-India poster-making competition, ‘Tree of Life’, at La Martiniere College, engaging students in a day-long celebration of nature and heritage.The event opened with a ‘Nature and Heritage Trail’ led by former IFS officer and principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Mohammad Ahsan and historian AK Srivastava, who encouraged students to view themselves as custodians of the environment.Ahsan, drawing on decades of experience in forest conservation, underscored the urgency of protecting natural ecosystems.The trail was followed by a vibrant poster-making competition in which around 85 students of classes 7-9 from leading schools across the city participated.They created detailed visual narratives on indigenous trees and shrubs, depicting their ecological significance and the biodiversity they support.Each artwork was paired with a slogan and a short write-up highlighting the plant’s features, uses and conservation needs, reinforcing the message of environmental responsibility among the city’s youth.