In Barkot, a quiet town tucked away in the hills of Uttarakhand, the changing climate has left visible scars, warmer days, disappearing green cover, and water that’s becoming harder to find. A place once known for its beauty and cool mountain air is now struggling to hold on to what made it special.
For years, tourism was Barkot’s heartbeat. Travellers came to breathe in its peace, walk under its forest canopies, and feel something ancient and untouched. But as temperatures rose and trees fell, visitors stopped coming. The economy, tightly tied to the land, began to falter.
That’s where our Trees for Ecotourism™ project begins.
We’re not just planting trees to green the landscape. We’re helping communities bring back what they’ve lost: shade, water, livelihoods, and identity.
Why These Trees?
Every species planted in this project has been chosen for a reason. Locally grown, deeply rooted in the culture and ecology of the Himalayas, they’re more than just greenery:
- Oak trees clean the air and cast shade that cools the earth.
- Himalayan Cedar has long been known for its healing properties.
- Soapberry trees are used in traditional medicine and even for natural cleaning.
- Bhimal gives fiber for rope and paper, valuable forest produce for the locals.
- Indian Bay Leaf is a kitchen staple, familiar and cherished in every home.
- Dwarf Bamboo quietly works to purify the air around it.
Each tree has a purpose. Together, they help repair the delicate balance between nature and people.
It’s Not Just About the Trees
The impact of this project goes beyond what we plant. It’s about the people who nurture these trees, water them, and protect them.
It’s about the women who now have work in the fields. The farmers whose livestock get fodder from the growing canopy. The children who grow up seeing birds return. The tourists who may, one day, find their way back to Barkot, drawn by the green they remember.
Planting trees also means recharging the water table, reducing soil erosion, and cooling the land, natural solutions to problems that development alone can’t fix.
A Similar Story, Told in a Different Forest
In the dense buffer zones near Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves, another chapter unfolds.
Our Trees for Tigers® project is helping protect one of India’s most endangered species by reconnecting their fragmented habitats. Trees planted here offer shade, shelter, and security, not just for tigers, but for countless birds, insects, and small mammals.
Local communities here, too, are involved. Many of them used to depend on the forest for fuel or income. Now, they’re earning through planting and protecting it.
It’s a reminder that conservation isn’t just about animals. It’s about people. And trees are the bridge between the two.
Every Tree We Plant is a Living Memory
A tree stands for many things: patience, protection, and possibility. But it also holds stories: of people, of places, of healing. In Barkot, every sapling we plant is a small act of resistance against environmental decline. In the tiger corridors, every tree is a step towards coexisting with the wild.
We’re not here to plant trees for numbers. We’re here to plant meaning.
Want to be part of this story?
Explore our projects and join us:
→ Trees for Ecotourism – Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
→ Trees for Tigers