DUBAI: An Indian teenager has found a unique way to celebrate her birthdays. Instead of clubbing or partying, Sharjah resident Arushi Madan marks the occasion by planting trees.
“I want to give back to Mother Nature and there’s no better way to do that than to plant trees on the day of my birth,” said Arushi, who planted 100 tree saplings in different locations of Sharjah to mark her 18th birthday on April 17 - a tradition she has been following for the past six years.
“I planted Ghaf, Aloe Vera and Neem tree saplings in Lollipop and Little Angel British nurseries, Sharjah Industrial area and Free Zone authority and at a residential villa near Kuwaiti Roundabout. The fact that my birthday falls just a few days ahead of Earth Day (April 22) makes it even better,” said the former student of Delhi Private School Sharjah (DPS).
Green mission
Arushi said she embarked on the green mission after attending a walkathon to mark Earth Day around six years ago.
“It left me bitterly disappointed as many of those who participated in the walkathon ended up throwing empty plastic water bottles on the road. Their commitment to a better environment was short-lived and defeated the whole purpose of the campaign. So I decided to do something about it myself. The following year, I launched my ‘birthday plantation’ initiative by planting a basil sapling near my father’s office in Sharjah Industrial area. There has been no looking back since then,” recalled Arushi, who is studying electronics and electrical Engineering at the University of Birmingham in UK.
Arushi, who has planted nearly 250 saplings so far, said it was heartening to see them growing and prospering. “I am hoping to take my plantation campaign to schools and offices when I visit the UAE next month,” she said.
