Haveri: For the past seven years, a man from Haveri district has been marking his son’s birthday by planting trees. At a time when several forest department officials have faced criticism for failing to safeguard forests and, in Haveri, for withdrawing funds without completing plantation work and not acting against illegal tree cutting, a board-painting artist, Fakkiresh Huralikoppi, has taken a different path.In Najik Lakamapur village, he has planted more than 500 saplings and continues to nurture them until they are well established, reflecting a personal commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability. A nature enthusiast, he has planted over 500 saplings in the past seven years as a sustained effort towards environmental care, with many of them now grown into trees.A central part of his initiative is linked to his son Poorna’s birth on World Environment Day, June 5. As his son’s birthday coincides with Environment Day, Fakkiresh has chosen not to celebrate by cutting a cake, instead encouraging his son to plant as many saplings as possible. He said he believes planting and caring for trees offers a practical example.He began planting after noticing large unused spaces on a school campus while visiting his former school for yoga practice. He said that along with yoga, digging pits, watering plants and clearing litter could form part of a sustained effort, prompting him to begin his work there.He has planted saplings within the school premises and also along village roads. He has grown species including teak, wild almond, jamun, neem and honne, with many now becoming sizeable trees.“In 2016, I began planting saplings as an environmental enthusiast. On June 5, I was blessed with a baby boy. I see him as a gift from nature. So every year on June 5, instead of cutting a cake, I mark both Environment Day and my son’s birthday by making him plant saplings,” Fakkiresh said.Villager Prakash said, “Fakkiresh does not stop at planting saplings. He waters them daily. To protect them from animals, he places thorny branches around them. He also supports them with stakes, ensures water is retained and clears nearby waste. People in Najikalakamapura fondly call him ‘environment lover’ Fakkiresh.”
