Delhi Officer Turns Park Into Free 'School of Trees

Children in a Delhi neighborhood can name dozens of brands and movie characters, but many couldn't identify the trees growing right outside their homes. IRS officer Rohit Mehra decided to change that by creating something extraordinary: a school where nature itself does the teaching.

At the School of Trees, 45 children aged 7 to 17 gather for free weekend "tree parties" in a neighborhood park. They learn photosynthesis by watching leaves up close, understand ecosystems by observing insects and birds, and discover sustainability through hands-on activities. No textbooks required.

Mehra created what he calls a "living alphabet" where A stands for afforestation, B for bamboo, and E for Earth. The lessons stick because children experience them with their hands in the soil, not just reading about them on a page.

The idea grew from Mehra's decade-long commitment to sustainable living with his wife Geetanjali. The couple built vertical gardens from waste bottles and even started India's first tree hospital in Amritsar in 2021 to treat diseased trees. They wanted to pass that connection to nature onto the next generation.

For 16-year-old Sakshi, school science classes taught her about plants in theory. At the School of Trees, she made seed balls with her own hands and planted saplings that she visits each week. "Here, plants feel real," she says.

The Ripple Effect

The impact extends far beyond the park's borders. Children take home seeds and return weeks later with stories of their growing plants. They transform plastic bottles into planters instead of throwing them away. They convince their parents to start composting and reduce waste.

What started as simple tree observation games has sparked a shift in how these 45 families think about the environment. Kids who once ignored nature now serve as their household's sustainability champions, teaching adults the lessons they learned under the trees.

Mehra isn't just teaching botany or environmental science. He's nurturing a generation that sees trees as neighbors worth knowing, protecting, and learning from. One weekend at a time, he's planting the seeds of environmental stewardship in young minds that will grow for decades to come.