10 Years of Trees and Volunteers: Looking Towards 2041

What can ten years of consistent environmental action teach us about the future?

Can a movement that began with a small group of volunteers continue transforming cities for another fifteen years?

And what happens when thousands of people unite behind one simple belief that every tree planted today creates a better tomorrow?

On 26th June 2026, Nelda Foundation proudly completes 10 years of environmental service.

Over the last decade, what began as a single plantation drive has evolved into a community of volunteers committed to restoring nature one tree at a time. Thousands of trees have been planted, hundreds of maintenance drives have been conducted, and countless individuals have contributed their weekends towards creating a greener Pune.

But for Nelda Foundation, the tenth anniversary is not the destination.

It is the beginning of an even greater responsibility.

The environmental challenges India faces today are larger than they were ten years ago. Urbanisation continues to reduce green cover, temperatures continue to rise, biodiversity continues to decline, and climate resilience has become one of the defining challenges of our generation.

These challenges cannot be solved through one-day plantation drives.

They require long-term commitment.

That is why Nelda Foundation is dedicating the next 15 years to expanding its impact while working towards its vision of helping people plant and grow one billion trees by 2041.

The journey ahead will involve more volunteers, stronger communities, healthier ecosystems, and continued care for every tree planted.

In this blog, we share Nelda Foundation’s vision for the next fifteen years and how every citizen can become part of this mission.

Why the Next 15 Years Matter

The first ten years proved that consistency creates impact.

The next fifteen years will determine how much larger that impact can become.

Cities across India are experiencing increasing heat, unpredictable rainfall, shrinking forests, and declining biodiversity. Pune itself has witnessed rapid urban expansion that places greater pressure on its remaining green spaces.

Planting more trees is important.

Protecting the trees we already have is equally important.

Maintaining them is essential.

This philosophy has guided Nelda Foundation since day one and will continue guiding every initiative until 2041.

The next fifteen years are about building stronger ecosystems rather than simply increasing plantation numbers.

They are about ensuring that every volunteer contributes to lasting environmental change.

• Restore more urban green spaces
• Increase native tree plantations
• Improve tree survival through regular maintenance
• Build stronger volunteer communities
• Expand environmental education
• Support biodiversity conservation
• Encourage corporate environmental responsibility
• Inspire the next generation of environmental leaders
• Strengthen climate resilience
• Help people plant and grow one billion trees by 2041.

The next chapter begins with ten clear commitments.

10 Commitments That Will Shape Nelda’s Next 15 Years

1. Continue Planting Native Trees That Strengthen Local Ecosystems

Tree plantation has always been at the heart of Nelda Foundation.

However, the objective has never been to plant the largest number of trees possible.

Instead, Nelda focuses on planting native species that naturally belong to Maharashtra’s ecosystem.

Native trees require less maintenance, support local wildlife, improve biodiversity, and adapt better to local climatic conditions.

Over the next fifteen years, Nelda will continue prioritising species that restore ecological balance while improving Pune’s green cover.

Every plantation drive will contribute towards creating healthier and more sustainable urban forests.

• Plant more native tree species
• Increase biodiversity
• Improve ecological balance
• Strengthen urban forests
• Build long-term environmental resilience

2. Expand the Hanuman Tekdi Restoration Model

Hanuman Tekdi represents far more than a plantation site.

It demonstrates what can happen when environmental work continues long after the saplings are planted.

For years, volunteers have gathered every Sunday to nurture the growing forest through watering, weed removal, soil care, monitoring tree health, and protecting young saplings.

This consistent effort has helped transform sections of Hanuman Tekdi into greener and healthier ecosystems.

Over the next fifteen years, Nelda aims to strengthen this model further while exploring opportunities to replicate similar restoration efforts at additional locations across Pune.

The objective is not simply planting trees.

The objective is restoring ecosystems.

• Continue weekly restoration activities
• Improve long-term tree survival
• Restore degraded landscapes
• Build healthier urban forests
• Create models for future projects

3. Grow Pune’s Volunteer Movement

Trees grow because people care.

Volunteers have always been the driving force behind Nelda Foundation.

Students, families, professionals, senior citizens, corporate teams, and nature enthusiasts have contributed thousands of hours over the last decade.

The coming fifteen years will focus on welcoming even more people into this growing environmental community.

The goal is to make environmental volunteering accessible to everyone regardless of age or experience.

As more citizens participate, environmental awareness naturally spreads across schools, colleges, workplaces, and neighbourhoods.

Every volunteer becomes an ambassador for nature.

• Welcome new volunteers
• Encourage youth participation
• Build stronger community ownership
• Create environmental leadership
• Expand awareness through participation

4. Continue Sunday Tree Maintenance at Hanuman Tekdi

Many organisations organise plantation drives.

Few commit to maintaining those plantations for years afterwards.

Nelda Foundation believes that maintenance determines whether a plantation creates lasting environmental impact.

Every Sunday, volunteers gather at Hanuman Tekdi to carry out activities including:

• Watering young saplings
• Removing weeds
• Cleaning plantation areas
• Improving soil conditions
• Monitoring tree health
• Protecting vulnerable trees
• Supporting healthy growth

These weekly maintenance drives have become the foundation of Nelda’s environmental philosophy.

For the next fifteen years, Sunday mornings will continue representing consistency, responsibility, and community action.

Every healthy tree standing today is a result of years of continued care.

5. Increase Community Awareness About Environmental Responsibility

Creating greener cities requires more than planting trees.

It requires changing how people think about the environment.

Nelda Foundation plans to continue expanding awareness through blogs, educational campaigns, workshops, community outreach, and digital content.

The objective is to help people understand why biodiversity matters, why native trees are important, why maintenance is essential, and how every citizen can contribute towards environmental conservation.

When awareness increases, participation naturally follows.

Environmental responsibility becomes part of everyday life rather than an occasional activity.

• Promote sustainability education
• Increase public awareness
• Encourage responsible environmental behaviour
• Inspire long-term community action
• Build environmentally conscious generations

6. Expand Corporate and CSR Partnerships

Businesses have an important role to play in creating greener cities.

Over the next fifteen years, Nelda Foundation aims to collaborate with more organisations that want to create measurable environmental impact through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Rather than limiting participation to one-day plantation events, Nelda encourages companies to become long-term environmental partners. Corporate teams can take part in plantation drives, tree maintenance, environmental awareness programmes, and employee volunteering activities that leave a lasting positive impact.

By working together, businesses can contribute to cleaner air, healthier ecosystems, and stronger communities while fulfilling their sustainability goals.

• Expand CSR partnerships across industries
• Encourage employee volunteering
• Create long-term environmental projects
• Promote sustainable business practices
• Build stronger public-private collaboration

7. Inspire the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders

The future of environmental conservation depends on today’s youth.

Over the past ten years, students from schools and colleges have actively participated in Nelda Foundation’s plantation and maintenance drives.

During the next fifteen years, Nelda plans to engage even more young people through educational institutions, awareness campaigns, internships, volunteering opportunities, and environmental initiatives that encourage hands-on learning.

Young volunteers not only contribute physically but also become lifelong advocates for sustainability within their families, campuses, and communities.

By inspiring today’s youth, Nelda is investing in the environmental leaders of tomorrow.

• Increase student participation
• Build environmental leadership
• Encourage practical learning
• Promote lifelong sustainability values
• Inspire future generations

8. Strengthen Biodiversity Alongside Tree Plantation

Trees do much more than provide shade.

Healthy forests become homes for birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, and countless other species that depend on balanced ecosystems.

Over the next fifteen years, Nelda Foundation aims to strengthen biodiversity by continuing to plant native species that naturally support local wildlife.

Restoring biodiversity means creating healthier forests where every plant, insect, bird, and animal contributes to a balanced ecosystem.

By focusing on ecological restoration instead of simply increasing tree numbers, Nelda hopes to create landscapes that remain healthy for decades.

• Support native wildlife
• Restore ecological balance
• Increase biodiversity
• Improve natural habitats
• Build resilient ecosystems

9. Encourage More Citizens to Take Ownership of Nature

Environmental conservation cannot depend on organisations alone.

Real change happens when every citizen feels responsible for protecting nature.

Over the next fifteen years, Nelda Foundation hopes to inspire more people to plant trees, care for existing green spaces, reduce environmental waste, and actively participate in community restoration efforts.

Whether someone volunteers every Sunday, sponsors a tree, participates in a plantation drive, or simply encourages others to care for the environment, every action contributes towards a larger movement.

Small actions, when repeated consistently by thousands of people, create extraordinary impact.

• Encourage community ownership
• Increase environmental participation
• Build stronger neighbourhood engagement
• Promote responsible citizenship
• Create lasting behavioural change

10. Help People Plant One Billion Trees by 2041.

Every milestone achieved during the past ten years has been part of a much larger vision.

From the very beginning, Nelda Foundation set an ambitious goal of helping people plant and grow one billion trees by 2041.

While this vision is ambitious, the first decade has shown that long-term commitment, community participation, and consistent maintenance can create remarkable environmental change.

The next fifteen years will focus on expanding this movement, reaching more communities, involving more volunteers, and restoring more ecosystems while remaining committed to the same values that shaped Nelda’s journey from the very beginning.

The destination remains the same.

Only the scale of impact will continue to grow.

• Help more people plant and nurture trees.
• Expand volunteer participation
• Restore more ecosystems
• Strengthen long-term environmental impact
• Build a greener India for future generations

How Every Sunday at Hanuman Tekdi Will Continue Shaping the Future

For Nelda Foundation, Sunday is more than just another day of the week.

It represents commitment.

Every Sunday, volunteers gather at Hanuman Tekdi with a shared purpose of caring for the trees that have already been planted.

Depending on the season, volunteers water saplings, remove weeds, improve soil conditions, clear plantation areas, monitor tree health, protect young plants, and prepare the site for future plantation drives.

These activities may seem simple, but they are the reason thousands of trees continue to survive and grow year after year.

As Nelda Foundation enters its next fifteen years, these weekly maintenance drives will remain the heart of its environmental mission.

Every Sunday represents another opportunity to nurture nature, strengthen community bonds, and move one step closer to the vision of a greener India.

• Weekly maintenance drives
• Watering and nurturing saplings
• Improving tree survival
• Building stronger volunteer communities
• Creating long-term environmental impact

How You Can Be Part of the Next 15 Years

The next chapter of Nelda Foundation’s journey belongs to everyone who believes that environmental change begins with action.

Whether you are a student, working professional, business owner, family, or nature enthusiast, there are many ways to contribute.

You can volunteer during weekly Sunday drives, sponsor tree plantations, participate in maintenance activities, encourage your organisation to partner through CSR initiatives, or simply spread awareness about the importance of protecting our environment.

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps build a greener future.

Together, thousands of individual actions become one powerful environmental movement.

You can also support Nelda’s long-term environmental mission by choosing to donate a tree and help create a greener future.

Final Thoughts

The first ten years of Nelda Foundation have demonstrated what consistency, community, and commitment can achieve.

Thousands of trees now stand where there was once open land.

Thousands of volunteers have discovered the joy of giving back to nature.

Hundreds of Sunday mornings have been dedicated to protecting the environment, one sapling at a time.

Yet the journey is far from complete.

The next fifteen years represent an opportunity to build on everything Nelda has learned over the past decade.

By continuing to plant native trees, maintain existing plantations, restore ecosystems, educate communities, and inspire more volunteers, Nelda Foundation hopes to create an even greater environmental legacy by 2041.

The vision remains unchanged.

To make the world greener than we found it.

As Nelda Foundation celebrates ten years of trees, volunteers, and environmental impact, it also renews its promise for the next fifteen years: to continue planting, nurturing, protecting, and inspiring until greener cities, healthier ecosystems, and stronger communities become a reality for generations to come.

The first decade proved what is possible. The next fifteen years will determine how much further we can go, together.