The Forest department will embark on a drive to preserve endangered mango species by planting the seedlings of wild and native mango varieties.
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran will formally inaugurate the project aiming to nurture shade trees at a function at the Pavandoor Government Higher Secondary School in Kozhikode on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry) E. Pradeep Kumar said the social forestry wing had prepared 17,070 mango seedlings for distribution from its 14 divisions in the State. These seedlings would be planted in places where mango trees had been removed for road development. Tree guards would also be established with assistance from local bodies.
The project would involve locating mango species that grew in forests and other places to collect seeds, germinate them, and plant them in various places.
The department had readied as many as 20,91,200 seedlings of 65 diverse plant species for distribution on World Environment Day. These would be distributed from June 5 until the conclusion of the Van Mahotsav (forest festival) on July 7.
