Children collect seeds from Sanjeevaiah Park

Hyderabad: A group of people coming along with families and friends spent the pleasant summer morning rummaging, collecting and identifying seeds, seeds pods, fruits with fun and excitement in the 'Summer seed race 2019.'

The event was planned and executed by Akhila Doosa and Lakshmi Nali, who constitute the core team of Dirty Feet, at Sanjeevaiah Park with the support of HMDA-Urban Forestry division on Sunday.

• During the 45-minute race, they scouted for seeds, seed pods and fruits

• They were also required to identify scientific/common names of trees

Summer is a good time to be outdoors under the trees enjoying the cool shade as well as to pick and collect a various variety of seeds. This event is a humble attempt to pay attention to nature and spare a moment for the green blessings which have been taken for granted.

One doesn't need to know anything about plants or seeds to get going in this race. In fact, the race presented a great opportunity to learn about seeds. This tactile act of rummaging, gathering and collecting seeds contributed in connecting all participants intimately with natural world.

"Unfortunately, trees do not get the attention that they truly deserve. So, through events like these, we want to create opportunities for people to better connect and get involved with their immediate environment," said Niveditha, the founder of Dirty feet.

'5 teams participated in the race that started at 7:30 a.m. with the total of 23 participants - fathers, mothers, kids and a grandmother, Sanjeevaiah Park offers amazing scope with its vast expanse and the wide variety of flora and foliage, so we selected this as an apt venue,' she added.

Despite the 45 minutes' walk on a summer morning, all the participants were interested in knowing about each of the seeds and pods collected. Dirty Feet team shared interesting facets, stories and also the reasons behind the nomenclature of each of the trees.

"During the 45 min race, team members explored the entire park to scout for seeds, seed pods and fruits. Along with the collection, they were required to identify the scientific/common/local names of the respective trees. As this is a race, we awarded one point for one variety collected and a bonus point if they were able to identify the tree." said Akhila Doosa, Event planner, Dirty Feet.

"Kids and parents stood mesmerised watching the helicopter seeds in action. In the given 45 min, the teams collected seeds, pods and fruits of Rain tree, Copper Pod, Golden Shower, False Ashoka, Jacaranda, Siris, Subabul, Bauhinia, Butterfly bush, Canon Ball, Tamarind, Neem, Golden Trumpet, Firecracker, Bakula, Mahogany, Sheesham, Japanese Fern, Indian Badam and more," says Lakshmi Nali, Event Planner, Dirty Feet.

Many of them were actually visiting the park for the first time. They were happy to explore and all shared that they will continue coming back for more. A mother who had studied botany during her graduation was impressed with all the information that was being shared and said that she too wasn't really aware of beautiful facts of the trees that she came across in her daily day.

Parents were happy that their kids were getting to know many things. Importantly, they were happy for a reason that it's a chance to bond and spend time together fruitfully. All the families took great interest in creating mandalas with seeds and pods. Simultaneously, this provided an opportunity for peer learning too. Parents remembered their childhood days and shared their fun experiences with some of the seeds with the kids.

The simplicity of the seed and pod games and oodles of fun that the kids were having made a parent remark, 'We have complicated the lives of kids unnecessarily. All they need is this - opportunities to bond with nature and to enjoy the simple joys of life'.