Welcome to Project VOYCE Green Movement (VGM)   Throughout the world dire warnings are being issued about the effects of human activity on the natural environment. Communities on every continent are experiencing the devastation of declining water quality, soil degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss. Project VOYCE Green Movement (VGM), a grassroots ecological initiative established by Sigaram Foundation in Tamil Nadu, India, has grown out of deep concern for the global effects of deforestation and land degradation, and in particular, for the rapidly changing ecology of Tamil Nadu. Drawing extensively on community involvement and large scale volunteer participation, the Project aims to plant 10 million trees state-wide - providing an additional 1.5% to the existing level of tree coverage in Tamil Nadu. As an accompanying measure, agro-forestry models are introduced to benefit the farming community. Further campaigns aim at involving more local educational institutions, NGOs, corporate partners and individuals to grow saplings and plant trees on a large scale. To that aim, VOYCE seeks to partner with international agencies and multi-national corporations to support the effort of the Tamil population in a sustainable way VGM is an action-driven organization that is committed to developing a hands-on approach that can be easily replicated in rural communities worldwide. Through its activities it aims to inspire people around the world to appreciate the true value of trees and the vital role that they play within human environments.   Our Strength From its small beginnings Project VOYCE Green Movement has already achieved remarkable results. The Sigaram Foundation, with its ethos of selfless giving and its core of dedicated volunteers, has been central to the project and has inspired thousands of others to become involved, not only in India, but all over the world. The inclusivity of Project VOYCE Green Movement , capturing the interest and enthusiasm of everyone from small children to successful businessmen and politicians, has ensured that there has been a groundswell of local rural support with all the indigenous understanding and knowledge that such support brings. Indigenous local knowledge ensures that the trees planted are appropriate to the ongoing needs of the living communities, that the ancient ways of working with, rather than against nature are re-established, and that all involved appreciate the need to maintain this level of ecological awareness for the future.   Our Solution Project VOYCE Green Movement want Tamil Nadu to be a beacon of proactive, environmental responsibility that will awaken the world to what is possible when people take their future into their own hands and take action to save their environment. Forests are both the lungs of the planet and the air conditioning system. What we breathe out they breathe in, and what they breathe out we breathe in. Trees absorb our carbon dioxide and bless us with both oxygen and cooling water vapour. The mists of the rainforests are actually largely created by the trees themselves. Our ancestors knew this and used sacred groves of mature trees to draw down the mists from the Western Ghats to facilitate the precipitation of enough rain to assure the quantity of water needed for both irrigation and drinking water.   Trees also create soil, enrich soil and prevent soil erosion.   Trees recycle nutrients, store and regulate water, act as a flood prevention service and a drought control service.   Trees offer food, fodder, fire and shelter, habitats for multiple species.   Trees absorb the carbon dioxide that we so badly need to reduce and they stabilize the climate.   Trees provide for us from the moment we are born until the day that we die and we can no longer take that for granted.   We need more trees, and we need them fast.   Facts and Figures Did You Know?   Our planet is losing forest at the staggering rate of a football-pitch sized area every second.   Six million hectares of primary forest are lost every year due to deforestation and modification through selective logging and other human interventions. Only 20 per cent of the world’s forests remain in large intact areas.   Destruction of forests creates numerous environmental catastrophes, including altering local rainfall patterns, accelerating soil erosion, causing the flooding of rivers, and threatening millions of species of plants, animals and insects with extinction.   Tropical forests cover 23 per cent of the Earth's land surface, but they are disappearing at a rate of 4.6 million hectares a year. Asia leads losses with 2.2 million hectares a year, Latin America and the Caribbean together lose 1.9 million and Africa loses 470,000 hectares of rain forest every year.   The warmest 22 years ever recorded have happened within the last 25 years. The two warmest ever recorded, within the last three.   Trees include the largest and longest living organisms on earth. – UNEP   In one year, an average tree inhales 12 kilograms (26 pounds) of CO2 and exhales enough oxygen for a family of four for a year. – UNEP   One hectare of trees can absorb 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. - UNEP   A long haul flight will produce 3.75 tonnes of CO2 (or one tonne of carbon) - UNEP   Agro forestry programmes make trees more accessible and spread their benefits more widely. Trees on farms often yield more biomass. Nitrogen-fixing trees planted in shelterbelts or interspersed with crops can enhance soil fertility, increase soil moisture and reduce erosion. – UNEP   Trains as a mass transport system contribute the least to CO2 emission and consumption of fossils fuels – UNEP   Tamil Nadu has the unique distinction of having 2 bio sphere reserves, one in the Nilgiris and another in the Gulf of Mannar   Forest Green Cover in Tamil Nadu is 17.5% whereas the ideal level is 33%   The global temperature could raise by 6.4 degrees by the end of the century because of increased Green house gas emissions – IPCC, Jan 2007   Acceleration of sea level rise since 1993 has doubled to 3.1mm/year compare to the period between 1961 & 1993. Sea levels could increase by 0.59m by the end of the century. It will have an impact on 27 countries, including India, where millions live within 50km of the coast line as in the case of Mumbai and Chennai. – IPCC, Jan 2007   Simulation with regional climate model indicates that by the middle of the century powerful cyclones could arise more frequently along Indian coasts. – IPCC, Jan 2007   466 glaciers in the Himalayas have shrunk by about 21% since 1961 - IPCC, Jan 2007   80% of the existing forest in India are undergoing a change in the type of vegetation that will have a significant impact on the wildlife they supported. Many species of plant and animals could face extinction - IPCC, Jan 2007   India's emissions of carbon dioxide have increased by 88% since 1990 and could increase to 3,000 million tones by 2020 which would be twice the level of 2000 - IPCC, Jan 2007   Our Work Community involvement lies at the very core of Project VOYCE Green Movement. It is only through the passion, commitment and dedication of many thousands of volunteers that the Project has been able to grow at the rate it has. From the youngest of schoolchildren to the eldest of farmers, the project has energized children, parents, grandparents, shopkeepers, businessmen and politicians alike. Project VOYCE Green Movement teaches people that their relationship with trees is something to be treasured and valued. It shows them that trees are an essential part of their environment and that by growing and nurturing trees they enhance their own sense of being intimately connected to the natural world.   Why Trees are Special It is so easy to take trees for granted, but in fact they are essential elements for the ecological balance of our environments. Trees are instrumental in offering a fertile basis for most land based-ecological processes. A healthy green cover can in fact regenerate even the most highly degraded eco-system. It is under green cover that plant and animal species thrive and brooks and rivers start flowing again. Trees provide us with much required resources like food, fuel and oxygen, and they combat pollution of the atmosphere. The beauty and tranquility of trees also nurtures our intuitive sense of a deep connection to nature. It is for this reason that ancient cultures designated trees as sacred. In fact, the Indian sub-continent has an established tradition of growing sacred groves in every village.   Specific examples of why trees matter   Trees alter the environment in which we live by moderating climate, improving air quality, conserving water, and preserving wildlife.   Trees prevent or reduce soil erosion and water pollution   They act as a wind barriers during cyclones   During monsoons trees intercept and store rainwater and reduce the possibility of flooding   The warmest 22 years ever recorded have happened within the last 25 years. The two warmest ever recorded, within the last three.   They cool temperatures during hot summers   Regenerate lost flora and fauna   Act as carbon sinks, absorbing air pollutants and improving the air quality thus mitigating the effects of global warming.   Add beauty and grace to any community setting   Particular Repercussions of deforestation   Leads to soil erosion or impoverishment, especially in tropical areas where soils tend to be thin and nutrient-poor.   Results in habitat loss, which is a leading cause of species endangerment and biodiversity loss.   Affects the hydrological cycle through changes in evapo-transpiration and run-off. This frequently results in the creation of arid landscapes that are prone to fire.   Green Villages In certain Planting Zones, VOYCE is proposing that the local communities become 'Green Village Areas', meaning that under the guidance of the VGM team, villages in the whole area. Within the chosen districts, certain areas are selected and then put under the responsibility of a team of four. This team then has the responsibility of planting trees by involving the whole population as volunteers.   GREEN VILLAGE OBJECTIVES   To raise awareness through intense grass roots campaigns and a permanent display of hoardings   To create a strong network of skilled volunteers, especially among farmers, self-help groups and students, directly involved in the planting and maintenance of the trees   To use scientific methodology and modern technology to accurately evaluate the existing green cover, work out a strategy for tree planting and calculate the number of saplings required   To complete planting of saplings in two to three years time creating a strong sense of relationship between tree growers and trees   To ensure sustainability of the green cover through regular maintenance, and periodic surveys, and by replacing any lost trees   To monitor the project through data collection and the preparation of the reports needed to document measurable outcomes. Project VOYCE Green Movement has been running a series of pilot schemes last two years through which it has developed an effective approach that can be adapted to the circumstances of each participating village. This experience has shown that 3 critical factors need to be in place at the same time:   The goodwill and commitment of the community   Good quality, appropriate, planting material   Sufficient financial resources. We invite corporate sponsorship of our Green Villages. For more information, please contact VOYCE GREEN MOVEMENT.   Donate Here at VGM we are turning our vision of a Green Tamil Nadu into reality with every tree that we plant. It's a labour of love that will outlive all of us. Generations of people to come will benefit from the landscape that we're nurturing, week by week, year by year, and indeed the whole planet benefits, through this healing of the land. Your donation provides vital core income for our work to restore the green cover in Tamil Nadu. Our success so far is due in large part to the support we've received from individuals inspired by our vision of regenerating the natural ecology and landscape in this state. By donating to VGM, you will also be contributing directly to the lives of thousands of rural people who depend on the restoration of soil quality to improve agricultural productivity as well as helping to counter the global problem of deforestation and climate change. Please help sustain our vital work, by making a donation. Your gift is as important to us as life-giving water is to a tree, and the local landscape will directly benefit from your support. You can donate on-line or alternatively print out the form, fill it in and return it to us with your cheque or demand draft, by post at the address below.   Get Involved Project VOYCE Green Movement wants to plant 10 Million trees throughout Tamil Nadu as soon as possible. Our time line is 10 years, but really the trees need to be planted within the next 3 if they are to mature fast enough to have the effect that is needed within the time that is required to make a difference. This means we need people, money, land and willingness on a huge scale. We need you to join us and take action now, to create the future that we want for our children. Please get involved and rediscover the wonder of trees. It will change your life!   Volunteer Community empowerment and involvement lie at the very core of Project VOYCE Green Movement. It is only through the passion, commitment and dedication of many thousands of volunteers that the Project has been able to grow at the rate it has. VGM Team members constantly hear stories about how people's lives are profoundly affected by their involvement in the project. Volunteers not only feel that they are doing something worthwhile, but also feel empowered, realising that every small contribution matters. Working together for something that has real meaning and impact also revives a tremendous sense of community. We are looking for people who care about global environmental sustainability and who would like to help us develop the VGM Project in Tamil Nadu. From raising our profile by becoming a VGM Ambassador in another country, joining our team as an intern, or running local community programs to raise awareness about the Project wherever you are, these are some of the activities that you can become involved in:   WITHIN TAMIL NADU   Promoting the idea to friends and family   Establishing corporate responsibility programmes   Putting up posters   Running community meetings and events   Sourcing seeds   Creating nurseries   Helping distribute saplings   Planting saplings   Making Donations   Fundraising   Offering resources (paper/printing/advertising/transport etc)   Becoming sponsors/partners   INTERNATIONALLY   Establishing VOYCE Green Movement stalls within global exhibitions   Identifying potential corporate partners/sponsors   Identifying possible publicity outlets (articles, radio etc)   Fundraising   VOYCE Ambassadors If you have the passion and skills to stand up and tell people about VOYCE Green Movement we invite you to become a VOYCE Ambassador. Our Ambassadors around the world help us to promote the work of VOYCE by setting up and running meetings and events, attracting VIP and celebrity endorsements, finding us media outlets and sourcing possible funding and resource providers. To register your interest in becoming a VOYCE Ambassador please click here   Corporate Sponsorships Although Project VOYCE Green Movement works primarily with the rural community, a core underlying objective is to bring all sectors of the community together to work and bond around a shared cause. Since the early phases, the business community has shown an increasing support to the project both at the highest level of management and through a true desire to enable the involvement of as many employees as possible. This involvement changes the way that employees experience themselves, each other and their companies. It also offers a chance to reconnect to the simplicity, vulnerability and values of the natural world. Business has huge power, huge responsibility and huge consequences, so equally a huge potential to make a difference and transform millions of lives both inside and beyond their organisations. This is an invitation to all businesses to join us in the self discovery of intentional generosity and volunteering. Regardless of whether your business is remotely related to trees, agriculture or bio-diversity, it will be dependent upon the well being of the community and the sustainability of your surroundings. Social hierarchy may separate people from the reality of each other, but it also increasingly separates people from the source of their well being, which is always, ultimately the generous planet that we take for granted. Business can take action to reverse this trend. Project VOYCE Green Movement has started to appeal to Corporate companies that understand global climate change and the social and environmental benefits of growing trees in tropical areas rather than in temperate zones. Long term sponsorship and adoption of green villages enables them to have immediate involvement in an extremely concrete project that offers regular visits and organised pro bono work for their employees. In Tamil Nadu, and internationally, existing partners have already demonstrated that there are many ways in which you can get involved, such as:   Growing and distributing saplings free to your closest community.   Direct donation of resources needed for nurseries and planting.   Involving your employees in tree planting days, or supporting them to develop ongoing pro bono community relationships   Adopting green villages to enable massive social and environmental revival   Active support and enabling of awareness campaigns   Organising and offering fund raising events

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