Observance of World Environment Day by BOSCO Bangalore

While the world continues the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic, Nature is reviving itself. Celebrating World Environment Day this year, we realise the importance of preserving the Earth like never before. On 5 June 2020, BOSCO Nilaya observed World Environment Day limiting the participants to the Director, Fr. Reji Jacob and the 11 staff of the organisation in keeping with the COVID 19 precautions. The resource person for the day was Mr. Ramaswamy- CREAM Coordinator, who introduced 8 plants and their medicinal properties. These were—two varieties of Holy Basil, Indian Borage, Aloe Vera, Indian Tinospora, Chrysanthemum (known as Sevanthi in Kannada), Periwinkle and Sweet Basil. The medicinal benefits of these plants include enhanced memory, hair growth, relief of cough and cold, healthy skin, reduction of hormonal and gynaecological issues and air purification. The staff were encouraged to grow these plants in their own houses and teach the younger generation to cultivate the habit of gardening. Saplings of these varieties were planted in BOSCO Nilaya and each member was assigned the duty of nurturing them daily. While World Environment Day 2020 is observed with the tagline ‘It’s time for Nature’, the rising cases of COVID 19 and the intensity of the issues are warning us to celebrate and protect biodiversity. The children need to be well- educated about conserving Nature and natural resources so that the current pandemic situation is not repeated in the future.