#9 Nature’s Classroom: What Sankalptaru Learned While Planting Six Million Trees

Let's dive into the Insight, Inspiration & Impact behind Sankalptaru with Mr. Apurva Bhandari

Follow & Support Sankalptaru or Plant Trees Online and Support Rural Livelihood

• WSA Winning Year: 2016

• Award: The World Summit Award

• Category: Environment & Green Energy

• Founders: Mr. Apurva Bhandari

• Country: India

• On WSA website: https://wsa-global.org/winner/plant-trees-online-and-support-rural-livelihood/

In the serene folds of the Himalayas, where waterfalls whisper and snow-capped peaks stand as timeless sentinels, a young dreamer named Apurva Bhandari found his calling. Growing up surrounded by nature’s embrace, he witnessed the quiet majesty of forests, rivers, and birds. Yet, as he ventured beyond his small town, the contrast struck him: concrete jungles were overtaking green ones, and the planet was warming at an alarming rate. This realization sparked a question that would shape his life’s work: How could he give back to Mother Nature? The answer blossomed into Sankalptaru, a nonprofit dedicated to planting trees, nurturing communities, and fostering transparency through technology. This is a story of inspiration igniting insight, leading to lasting impact.

Inspiration: A Seed Planted in the Himalayas

Apurva’s journey began not with grand ambitions but with a deep affinity for the natural world. As a child, he wandered through Himalayan forests, marveling at their diversity. But as he moved to urban centers and later worked briefly in the United States, he saw the toll of deforestation and climate change. In 2012, when virtual farms like Farmville captivated millions, Apurva envisioned something different: a platform where people could nurture real trees online, not just digital crops. He quit his job, driven by a personal commitment to serve nature, and founded Sankalptaru, a name rooted in Sanskrit, meaning “pledge” or “tree.”

The values at Sankalptaru’s core reflect Apurva’s own: integrity, transparency, and a belief that noble intentions attract support. He wasn’t chasing profit or fame but sought to create a meaningful connection between people and the planet. “If you protect nature, nature will protect you,” he says, a mantra that guides the organization’s mission to plant trees and ensure they thrive into maturity.

Insight: Building Transparency with Technology

Sankalptaru’s early days were humble. With limited resources, Apurva and a small team of family and friends leaned on their diverse skills as technology, marketing, and design to build an online platform. The nonprofit model was a deliberate choice, prioritizing impact over income, even though sustaining it was challenging. “When you have noble intentions, support will always come,” Apurva reflects, and it did. Through idea-sharing platforms and competitions, they secured small grants, and in a serendipitous moment, former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam inaugurated the platform by planting its first virtual tree.

What sets Sankalptaru apart is its commitment to transparency. Recognizing that millions of trees are planted globally each year with little accountability, Apurva’s team geo-tags and photographs every tree, recently integrating blockchain technology to create a verifiable registry. Donors can track their trees’ growth via Google Maps APIs, even visiting them in person if they choose. This blend of technology and trust ensures that every pledge becomes a thriving tree, not just a forgotten sapling.

The organization’s operations reflect India’s vast diversity, from Himalayan slopes to Rajasthan’s deserts, coastal plains to urban sprawls. They’ve developed four models: supporting farmers with fruit-bearing trees, transforming barren lands into community forests, greening schools to educate young minds, and planting in cities to combat pollution. Each model weaves environmental restoration with social good, creating livelihoods, fostering education, and building resilience.

Impact: Growing More Than Trees

Since 2012, Sankalptaru has planted over six million trees across 27 Indian states and union territories, with a survival rate that speaks to their meticulous care. But the impact runs deeper than numbers. Take the story of a farmer in Ladakh, a cold desert in northern India. In 2015, a flash flood devastated his fields, leaving him hopeless. Sankalptaru stepped in, working with the community to restore the land and plant apple and apricot orchards. Today, that farmer’s lush fields not only sustain his family but stand as a testament to nature’s resilience when nurtured with purpose.

The organization’s reach extends globally, with donors from London to Sydney planting trees to mark birthdays, anniversaries, or simply a desire to give back. Corporate partners, both Indian and international, support Sankalptaru’s carbon offset and sustainability programs, drawn by its rigorous accountability. Individual donors, too, form a vibrant community, some planting trees monthly as a quiet act of stewardship.

Sankalptaru’s 200-member team, a mix of seasoned pioneers and young innovators, reflects the same diversity as the landscapes they transform. From scientists developing drought-resistant saplings to field workers engaging farmers and schoolchildren, they operate as a cohesive force. Their innovation wing experiments with drone seed-bombing and Internet of Trees sensors, collecting real-time data to refine their work and share insights with the world.

Challenges and Hope: Facing a Changing World

The journey hasn’t been without hurdles. Climate change, ironically the force Sankalptaru fights, poses its greatest challenge. Depleting water tables, unseasonal rains, and extreme weather test their efforts. Yet, Apurva sees these obstacles as opportunities for innovation. Solar-powered irrigation systems and carefully sourced seeds ensure trees thrive in even the harshest terrains. “Mother Nature always finds a way to support us,” he says, a belief borne out by their ability to adapt.

Looking ahead, Sankalptaru aims to expand globally, sharing its expertise with regions like Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The organization’s model, rooted in transparency, community engagement, and technological rigor, offers a blueprint for others. In an era where greenwashing erodes trust, Sankalptaru stands out by proving its impact, tree by tree.

A Call to Plant a Pledge

Apurva’s story reminds us that inspiration can spark profound change. From a Himalayan childhood to a global movement, his journey shows how one person’s values, like love for nature, commitment to transparency, and faith in collaboration, can ripple outward. Sankalptaru isn’t just planting trees; it’s cultivating hope, empowering communities, and inviting us all to take a pledge.

As Apurva wakes each morning to photos of lush orchards and thriving forests, he’s reminded of why he began. “Seeing barren land transform into green havens feels supernatural,” he says. That magic is within our reach, too. By planting a tree with Sankalptaru, we can join a movement that proves small acts, grounded in purpose, create lasting impact. Visit sankalptaru.org, and let’s grow a greener planet together.

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