DW BUREAU / Chandigarh EcoSikh announced the completion of 303 forests consisting of 1,67,000 flourishing trees, which have been planted across India. The plantation of the Guru Nanak Sacred Forests started in collaboration with Afforestt two years ago as part of EcoSikh's goal of planting 1 million trees in honour of Guru Nanak's 550th birth-anniversary according to EcoSikh officials. Dr Rajwant Singh, Global President of EcoSikh, said, "We are very pleased that 167,000 trees have been planted in these sacred forests so far and 99 per cent of them have survived and are thriving. This way of paying tribute to Guru Nanak will have a long-lasting positive impact on future generations. These sacred forests are conserving and restoring the biodiversity of Punjab and other parts of India. This is a collective and a solid step to fight climate change." Sharing the insights of the progress, EcoSikh President, Supreet Kaur stated, "Guru Nanak Sacred Forest project has awakened Punjab towards protecting its biodiversity. Over 55 native and rare forest trees species of Punjab have been conserved under this project." Director Afforestt, and Ted Fellow, Shubhendu Sharma mentioned, "Humans are spiritual beings, we can only move on higher planes of spirituality by being a part of nature. The sacred soil of Punjab has been contaminated and poisoned by the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the last few decades. This project provides the people of Punjab a way to bring back the lost nature of Punjab that would have nurtured love and peace in the heart and souls of the spiritual masters from this sacred land." Sandeep Mehta from Angels Valley School, Rajpura mentioned, "God has gifted me a forest of 11,000 trees of our 53 native indigenous species, on this 1.25-acre piece of land. I always envisioned that my school children could experience all the trees, birds, and pollinators of Punjab. This will ensure high-quality air for the youngsters and boost their health." EcoSikh South Asia Project Manager, Ravneet Singh notified the press, "Our journey started with a 550-tree project and today we are planting 11,000 in a single forest. We urge Punjabis to plant these forests in their schools, colleges, homes, or Gurdwaras. This is for our own benefit./ DW / (editor@dailyworld.in)