Aurangabad, India

Green Mission Aurangabad

Cultivating havens of biodiversity across Aurangabad

The Green Aurangabad Mission is an ambitious project to plant over 27,000 native species at six sites across Aurangabad. These sites include places of primary, secondary and higher education, a hospital, along with community gardens.

The forests will become areas of rich biodiversity that support wildlife and become hubs for environmental education in their respective communities. These green spaces will also offer a peaceful place for local people to shelter from heat and reap the benefits of nature from better air quality to peace of mind.

The project will be an example of ‘urban acupuncture’ in action - a term coined by the Spanish architect and urbanist, Marco Casagrande - meaning an array of small, considered interventions across a city. Forests and green spaces serve as the acupuncture needles, helping the city to heal and rebalance itself.

Forest Maker EcoSattva

27,600

TREES

8,500

SQUARE METERS

NATIVE SPECIES

We are interested to plant Miyawaki forest on our college campus to increase biodiversity and support the local ecology. This forest will help us to teach our students about biodiversity, the importance of native species and ecological restoration.

— Mr Sonawane, Goraksh College, Phulambri, Aurangabad

PES College Forest

PES College is an engineering school in the centre of Aurangabad. It is a large campus with very little green cover. The College Principal is keen to increase greenery across the site so that biodiversity – and student wellbeing – may thrive. He also hopes to instill understanding in the 500-strong college community that environmental conservation and an engineering education can go hand-in-hand.

The location of the PES College Forest

The site of the future Miyawaki Forest

Goraksha College Forest

Goraksha College is an educational and research institute that provides primary to degree-level facilities. It also has a newly-opened hospital on the campus. As such, this forest will impact the physical and mental health of both students and hospital patients. Thanks to the breadth of their activities, the college also has strong links to the neighborhood community. With the engagement of local residents, business owners and stakeholders, this will be a true community forest.

The location of the Goraksha College Forest

The site of the new Miyawaki forest

Swami Vivekanand Garden Forest

Located in the heart of Aurangabad’s urban sprawl, Swami Vivekanand Garden is one of the city’s largest municipal gardens. Each day, it is filled with individuals of all ages taking morning and evening walks. From a biodiversity perspective, the garden is currently struggling as it contains many non-native shrubs and large areas of lawn. In planting a native forest, this biodiversity desert will be restored into the flourishing ecosystem it once was.

The location of the Swami Vivekanand Garden Forest

The site of the future Miyawaki Forest

Rajamata Jijau Udyan Forest

This busy community park is located in the city centre and contains very few native species, making it ecologically lifeless. In using the Miyawaki Method to revive a native forest in this urbanised and environmentally-degraded setting, a pocket haven will be created where biodiversity can blossom.

The location of the Rajamata Jijau Udyan Forest

The site of the future forest

Traffic Garden Forest

This is a community park which - though it provides an open space for local people to enjoy - has been left underdeveloped by municipal authorities. All that currently exists is barren and highly degraded land. It is a true biodiversity desert. This forest will bring some much needed greenery, boost urban biodiversity and also have profound benefits for the mental and physical health of the locals who use the park.

The location of the Traffic Garden Forest

The site of the new Miyawaki Forest

Harsul Lake Forest

Harsul Lake is a small dam in Aurangabad which helps to provide water for some of the city districts. The municipal authorities have created a large garden here to provide relaxing space for residents, and there are now several hundred visitors a day. Due to the park’s proximity to water, bird life is starting to thrive and some migratory birds have returned. A Miyawaki forest will provide a dense pocket where species will be able to shelter and continue to flourish.