Making the world greener. one seed ball at a time

I brought Tamarind seeds and Neem seeds from home so we could use those to make seed balls. They came from the trees from my garden Praveen, Grade 2

Seed balls can help lessen air pollution. I hope I can make more seed balls and make sure there are more trees in the world. I hope our seed balls turn into giant trees someday. Vinothan, Grade 6

I didn’t know seed balls could help the environment. I had fun and I hope we inspire other children too. The adults helped us a lot to find the natural materials we needed. It was fun rolling seeds in the clay with our hands. Lakshanan, Grade 7

There are many different environmental issues world over and deforestation is something we should all be taking very seriously. Deforestation has a direct impact on the water we consume, the air that we breathe, the land we live on as well as the quality of life of human beings and other flora and fauna around the world too. Trees produce the oxygen we need to survive. Many animals that live in the forests that have been cut down have a risk of becoming endangered or going extinct.

A bunch of school children from Kudathanai, Jaffna put their abundant energy to work on making seed balls in an attempt to increase the forest cover of the area. Seed balls, also known as earth balls are different varieties of seeds that are rolled within a mixture of clay, compost, charcoal and other natural materials. These balls are then left to dry for a couple of days to be thrown across areas with dry patches that lack greenery. Approximately 700 seed balls were made and they were later thrown across the area. Once the rainy season begins, these seed balls would germinate and develop into a small plant, and eventually go on to become a tree.

The children from Kudathanai Government Tamil Mixed School could undoubtedly be an inspiration to many with their hands-on seed balls project. With the help of the youth and adults in the area, this initiative is something every one of us could adopt, even on a smaller scale.

Making seed balls is a simple process. The essentials are clay, cow dung, charcoal, compost and other natural material you can easily find. Not only is it a great

I made 20 seed balls. I hope we get to make more of them and do this more often because this can help the environment. I learnt a lot. Thenuja, Grade 8

opportunity to go zero waste, but it is also a great learning experience for youngsters who are passionate about protecting the environment.

Once the soil, clay, charcoal and the mixture containing other natural ingredients have been formed, the seeds are rolled into marble-sized balls. The shape not only helps to conserve the moisture that the seeds require when it comes to the germination process, but it also makes it convenient when it comes to the dispersion of the seed balls. The rolled seed balls then require a couple of days in the shade to be dried out.

Once the dried seed balls have been scattered across to be germinated, the outer layer of clay and natural material protecting the seeds from the heat of the sun will slowly begin to wash away as the rainy season begins. The seeds will germinate and turn into little seedlings and eventually grow into trees that would give us shade and bare sweet fruits.

Every single human being has a responsibility towards making our world a little more greener and there are so many ways in which we could help the cause. Recycling, collecting rainwater, picking up trash and even reducing the plastic consumption can be taken as examples. Little changes you make leave a very big impact the environment and it is of mammoth importance to know that we all have a part to play when it comes to conservation. Let’s all do our part and do our bit for the betterment of Mother Nature and the human kind.