Trees 2.0

Moving from tree planting to monitoring and stewardship by usage of Technology, Collaboration. Moving from a one-time activity to long-term stewardship by the Stakeholders.

  • Niche or Themed Gardens
  • Tree Monitoring & Nurturing
  • Estimating Carbon Sequestration Potential
  • Estimating Bio Diversity based on Plant Species
optimum space utilization

Niche or Themed Gardens/Plants

The purpose of niche or themed gardens in schools is to provide experiential,
interdisciplinary, and sustainability-focused learning, tailored to space constraints and local
contexts.

Institutional Impact

  • Space utilization: Vertical and compact garden ideas optimize small school campuses.
  • Greening Initiatives: E.g building pollinator gardens to attract bees and other pollinators.
  • Miyawaki Forests: An approach for rapidly restoring native biodiversity and create dense, self-sustaining forests in small urban or degraded spaces.

Tree Monitoring & Nurturing

  • Define roles, tree care techniques (e.g watering, mulching, tagging, record-keeping,
    monitoring, native versus invasive species).
  • Tree adoption drive: each student adopts and monitors one tree
  • Understanding biodiversity: pollinators, birds, and tree symbiosis
  • Interface with local municipal bodies for understanding local conditions and
    appropriate plant species, nurseries, custom requirements of school based on
    space/location.
  • Layout a Grid: This helps create a structured framework for accurately locating trees. Use
    stakes or flags to mark the corners of a grid, spacing them at reasonable intervals (e.g., 25 or
    50 feet) depending on the property size.
  • Tree Locations: Manual
    —For each tree, measure the distance to the nearest grid corner and the direction (e.g., north, south, east, west).
    —Use a measuring tape or other suitable measuring tool.
  • Tree Locations: Technology
    —Photograph the plant leaf using a tool like Google Lens
    —Identify the tree from the similar images shown by Google
    —If Technology does not work, interact with a local Botanist/Tree Lover to identify.
    —Take a photo of the tree and note date/time.
    —Geotag (latitude, longitude) the tree using a GPS tracker (like Garmin GPS etrex)
    —Add the coordinates to the photo meta data
    —Generate QR Code for storing the meta data (link can be School website or JAAI
    WZ Tree Dashboard)
    —Update the Tree list

Record details of each tree

  • Tree species
  • Planting date (help can be taken from Tree expert for old trees)
  • Location (GPS or map)
  • Condition (health, growth, issues)
  • Size: Diameter/Girth, Height
  • Update the Condition, Size on a regular basis
  • QR Code
  • Seasonal care schedule: watering, mulching, pruning
  • Growth tracking (height, girth, canopy spread).
  • Pest and disease observation.
  • Water log: Frequency and volume.
  • Survival rate tracking: % of trees surviving per year.
  • Updating Tree Dashboard

Tree ID Species Guardian Height (cm) Health Last Watered Notes

  • T-101 Neem Class 6A 155 Good 18-May-2025 Mulch added
  • T-102 Peepal Class 7B 90 Fair 17-May-2025 Yellow leaves seen

Estimating Carbon Sequestration Potential

Step by Step Estimation method

  • List all trees in the school.
  • For each tree, note:
  • Species
  • Girth at breast height (GBH) – measured at 1.3 meters height
  • Height (if possible)
  • Age (approximate or based on planting records)

The biomass of a tree can be estimated using species-specific or generalized allometric equations. A commonly used formula in India is: AGB (Above Ground Biomass)=0.25×ρ×D2×H
Where:

  • D = Diameter at breast height (in cm)
  • H = Height (in m)
  • ρ = Wood density (g/cm³) – species-specific

Use databases like Global Wood Density Database for species.

  • Carbon content is approximately 50% of dry biomass.
  • Carbon Sequestered (kg)=0.5×Biomass (kg)

CO₂ Sequestered (kg)=Carbon (kg)×3.67

Simplified Estimation Method for Schools

If tree-specific data is not available, use average carbon sequestration rates:

Tree Type

Annual CO₂ Sequestration per Tree

Young sapling

5–10 kg CO₂/year

Medium tree (5–10 yrs)

15–25 kg CO₂/year

Mature tree (>10 yrs)

25–50 kg CO₂/year

Example:
A school with 100 mature trees might sequester:
100×35 (average)=3,500 kg CO₂/year or 3.5 tons/year


Gross Carbon Sequestration for following Schools (based on data from Google Earth
(Basis: 1 Tree per Sqm; Trees considered Mature trees since Schools are old; 1 Mature tree
sequesters 35 kg/year)

Gross Carbon Sequestration for following Schools (based on data from Google Earth

(Basis: 1 Tree per Sqm; Trees considered Mature trees since Schools are old; 1 Mature tree
sequesters 35 kg/year

St Stanislaus, Bandra

Green Area (Sqm): 3,022
Carbon Sequestration (tons/year): 97

Holy Family, Andheri

Green Area (Sqm): 3,292
Carbon Sequestration (tons/year): 115

St Mary’s ICSE, Byculla

Green Area (Sqm): 1,900
Carbon Sequestration (tons/year): 67

Vinayalaya, Andheri

Green Area (Sqm): 6,782
Carbon Sequestration (tons/year): 237

St Vincent’s, Pune

Green Area (Sqm): 7682
Carbon Sequestration (tons/year): 269

St Xavier’s Loyola Hall, Ahmedabad

Green Area (Sqm): 17765
Carbon Sequestration (tons/year): 622

Tree Dashboard

Metric
Value
Notes

Total Trees Planted

128

Since July 2023

Tree Species

Neem (40), Jamun (35), Peepal (20), Gulmohar (33)

Native, drought-tolerant species

Survival Rate

91%

Monitored monthly

Geo-tagged Trees

95

GPS-mapped using TreeTagger app

Watering Efficiency Score

88%

Based on soil moisture logs

Avg. Local Temperature Drop

1.5°C

Recorded near dense tree cluster vs. open area