Sonada, India – July 2023 - More than 100 students and teachers from the Salesian educational institutions in Sonada (College and Senior Secondary School), together with religious, police personnel, NGO members and forest department employees, participated in the planting of more than a thousand shrubs in the Tukrey Forest in Gorabari, Darjeeling. The Darjeeling Forestry Department organised the tree planting campaign to celebrate the Festival of Trees 2023, named 'Van Mahotsav'. The festival is celebrated every year for a week in July to create awareness and enthusiasm among the masses for forest conservation and tree planting. The activity is part of a massive campaign organised to plant over 25,000 saplings across the state. Vishwanath Pratap N., district forest officer of the Darjeeling Forest Division, said tree planting is necessary for the Darjeeling hills as trees compact the soil, prevent landslides, improve air quality and help get more rainfall. The campaign spreads the message of forest conservation to combat the negative effects of global warming.