World Environment Day: Your Planet Needs You!

On Friday 5 June, members of HELP planted Naa and Kohomba tree seedlings in Horana to commemorate the World Environment Day. This year’s theme is 'Your Planet Needs You - Unite To Combat Climate Change', which is the global theme chosen for 2009 World Environment Day by the UN Environment Program (UNEP). By planting trees, HELP also marked the onset of the Seven Billion Tree Campaign: - Together, let’s plant 7 billion trees by the end of 2009!

HELP encourages the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment:
The Naa tree (Mesua nagasarium) is the national tree of Sri Lanka, commonly found in the 30 m high canopy of the lowland rain forest. The flowers with anthers are used internally in traditional medicine as an astringent and stomach. A paste made of the flowers is applied to bleeding piles, or burning of the feet; the same mixed with clarified butter washed a hundred times is said to be a most useful remedy for burning of the feet.

The Kohomba tree (Azadirachta indica) is indigenous to Sri Lanka and the dry forest areas of South East Asia including India, Pakistan, Thailand Malaysia and Indonesia. It grows almost anywhere in the lowland tropics up to an altitude of about 1500 meters. It can withstand severe droughts and has a strong root system that can extract nutrients and moisture from poor soils. The tree can grow up to 20 meters. It has been held in high esteem because of its medicinal and insecticide properties. It is a tree our ancestors planted near their houses. In India, rural people today call this tree their “village pharmacy”. It has been an indispensable part of our home remedies for ages:
- Chewing 8 – 10 leaves early in the morning for twenty-four days protects the body from diseases like diabetes and hypertension. The body is also said to become immune to skin problems by this medication.
- From time immemorial Kohomba twigs have been used as a toothbrush. One end of the twig is chewed so that the fibers of the twig can be used as a brush.
- A mixture of powdered seeds, rock salt and alum in equal quantities by weight is effective as a tooth powder.