Explore Chennai’s green spaces through Palluyir Trust’s Nature walks

On October 31, Palluyir Trust, a Nature education and research organization, organized a tree-drawing walk at Theosophical Society, Adyar. The exercise involved blind contour drawing, which requires focusing on the subject rather than the paper while sketching. Karunya Baskar, a Nature educator and designer at Palluyir Trust, explained that trees have a different timescale than humans and often live for centuries, like the 450-year-old banyan tree present in the area.

She emphasized the importance of acknowledging all kinds of life and perceiving trees as intelligent beings. Palluyir Trust aims to make Chennaiites aware of the natural world around them, which includes beaches, wetlands, and trees on streets. Founder Yuvan Aves stated that many people live without a relationship with the environment and may not act when trees are cut down.

The trust conducts around 50 to 60 Nature walks annually, with one or two taking place almost every week. Guided by Karunya, the walk encouraged participants to closely observe trees and discover their stories through drawing. Karunya highlighted that trees' branches, roots, and growth patterns can reveal their life history. She also explained how swollen, ball-like structures on trunks or branches are often caused by infections or fungi damaging the cambium, while eye spots on trunks are marks left behind by branches that were cut off or self-pruned by the tree.

Nitin Srirang, a writer, participated in the walk due to his interest in the poetic significance of trees and found the experience relaxing and full of life. Karunya believes that drawing trees and other sessions conducted by Palluyir Trust aim to regrow the connection between people and the natural environment, fostering a sense of care for the ecosystem.