Seminar on significance of trees held at St. Agnes College

Seminar on significance of trees held at St. Agnes College

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 5: Delivering the keynote address at a seminar titled “Trees – Caretakers of the Planet,” which was held at St. Agnes College today, Prof. K. R. Chandrashekar, the chairman of the department of applied botany in Mangalore University, said that around two-thirds of the world’s living creatures depend on forest resources and expressed regrets that more than 1030 million square kilometers of forests have already been eliminated from the face of the earth.

Further speaking on the topic, Prof. Chandrashekar said that the United Nations general assembly had declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to enhance awareness on the management, conservation, and development of forests. Explaining that the concept of conservation is not new, he said that it has been around for centuries, but was never implemented. Proper legislation has helped forest conservation to a great extent. 

The seminar was organized by the Nature Club and the Department of Botany at St. Agnes College. 

Delivering the presidential address, Dr. Sr. M. Prem D’Souza, the principal of St. Agnes College (autonomous), Mangalore said that trees are spiritual in nature and inspire life through their serene nature and their power of subsistence. 

The first session of the seminar was based on the topic “Mangroves – Protection and Management” by Dr. Mahesh Kumar, the assistant director of CRZ. The second session was on “Trees of the Western Ghats” conducted by Dinesh Nayak, the advisor of the green belt of MSEZ. The third session was on “Herbs and Herbal Preparations” by Sr. Agnesia B. S., social work coordinator of Shubhada. 

Convener Dr. Noeline J. Pinto and Sr. Maria Kripa were also present.