P Thomas is a tree lover and hobby arborist. So much so, that he likes to introduce himself as ‘Trees Thomas’, and within a few minutes of speaking to him, it is easy to see why.
The 68-year-old former BSNL Sub-Divisional Engineer is a mine of information when it comes to horticulture, specially the rare and indigenous trees of Tamil Nadu. He also runs a charitable trust called Trees Research Educational Environmental Services in Tiruchi.
Thomas was in the news recently for growing the ‘senthooram’ (lipstick tree, Bixa orellana) sourced from Chattisgargh in his arboretum (a botanical garden dedicated to trees) for two years in Anbu Nagar, Tiruchi, before it was transplanted to a site at Kallukuzhi.
