Kerala school teacher elated as PM Modi lauds his gigantic efforts for environment

For Raphi Ramanath, a schoolteacher in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, his joy knew no bounds when Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded his efforts in setting up a Miyawaki forest at the school where he was working.

What began as a small herbal garden on the school premises as part of the environmental club has now flourished into a Miyawaki forest with around 460 trees.

Miyawaki is an efficient technique for creating mini-forests quickly. It is named after Japanese forester-botanist Akira Miyawaki, who introduced the method.

Ramanath, a biology teacher at Vignjana Vilasini Higher Secondary School, Thamarakulam in Mavelikkara, had found mention in Modi’s latest 'Mann Ki Baat' episode on Sunday. Citing his initiative, the Prime Minister urged everyone to try and emulate such models, especially in urban areas.

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Ramanath had also received many honours for his environmental activities, including an award from State Biodiversity Board. “The Prime Minister's mention of my works will be a morale booster for all those who are engaged in such activities to protect the environment.

Ramanath first created the herbal garden on the school premises while serving as the coordinator of the environmental club of the school from 2009 to 2013. Around 50 saplings of medicinal plants were planted by students with the help of the forest department. Later he took the initiative to set up a Miyawaki forest in around five cents of land on the school premises. For this, he procured 460 trees of 115 varieties with the help of the forest department. He later named this Miyawaki forest 'Vidya Vanam’ ('Vidya' meaning education and 'Vanam' meaning forest).

Hitherto, Ramanath has played a key role in planting around one lakh tree saplings on the premises of educational institutions, government offices and places of worship in the Alappuzha district. He has also fought against the practice of nailing hoardings and other advertisement materials to trees. His fight turned fruitful when the state government in 2012 issued orders against such practices.

Ramanath, who is now serving as the vice chairman of the biodiversity management committee of Mavelikkara block panchayat, is also spearheading projects for setting up plant nurseries in schools and collecting seeds and saplings of trees that are fast vanishing.