MyTree Academy: Sowing the Seeds of Maitri

A friendship with a tree can begin with a simple question: What if a tree is not just something we see, but a living being we can know, care for and grow alongside?

This is the spirit of MyTree Academy, a programme under the MyTree initiative of The Satsang Foundation that brings its core message to children and invites them to move from awareness to action.

Inspired by the Sanskrit word Maitri, meaning amity or friendship, MyTree began with a simple yet powerful call: to build a sustainable relationship with Nature. The journey has grown from plantation drives and the Each One, Plant Two movement into an educational programme that is helping young minds discover the hidden life of trees and their place in our lives.

The MyTree Academy workshops are designed to be participative and experiential. A sapling becomes “the chief guest” as students are invited to make friends with it. Questions follow: Do plants have senses? Can they communicate? Do they have memory? Science backed films and conversations open a window into the remarkable lives of plants. Students discover how trees nourish us with food, shade and medicine, and how much we depend on their generosity.

The workshop then turns from understanding to responsibility. Children reflect on global warming, water conservation and the importance of increasing tree cover. They are encouraged to make a personal commitment to plant at least two trees and, importantly, care for them. Before planting, the message is clear: know what you are planting, know where you are planting, and know how you will ensure its survival.

Over time, this learning journey has reached children in Nashik, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Delhi, and Jalandhar with each place offering a different setting in which the MyTree message can take root. In Nashik, the MyTree Academy has developed into a sustained programme with schools, combining workshops with practical activities and plantation. 

In Mumbai, students, teachers and families have participated in hands-on environmental activities. In Jalandhar, the programme has reached students through the Cambridge schools. In Bengaluru, students have also been introduced to the MyTree message and engaged with its practical aspects. In Delhi, the programme reached children in a residential setting, taking the conversation about trees beyond the school environment. Coimbatore too has seen schoolchildren participate in MyTree activities that connect environmental awareness with action.

The journey continues to evolve, engaging children through activities that make Nature tangible and personal. Nature walks allow them to observe the world around them closely. "I Grow My Greens" brings the experience of growing food from seeds in the classroom and at home. The "Sacred Canopy" workshops invite children and families to welcome back sparrows and other winged neighbours by creating safe nesting spaces. Together, these experiences help children see that caring for Nature is not an occasional act, but a way of living.

The numbers tell part of the story. As of 14 August 2026, MyTree has facilitated the planting of 90,900+ trees, more than 62,000 seeds and seed balls sown, 90 MyTree Academy workshops and 12,500+ students sensitised.

And the journey is ready to grow further. With the new scholastic year, MyTree Academy is looking to reach 200 schools in Nashik, in partnership with the Nashik Municipal Corporation. The aim is not simply to conduct more workshops, but to create more opportunities for children to experience Nature, understand their relationship with it and take meaningful action.

We invite volunteers who would like to bring this experience to young learners, facilitate workshops and help sow the seeds of Maitri in the minds of the next generation.

A tree takes time to grow. So does a friendship. Through MyTree Academy, we are nurturing both.

To join our teams or know more about the MyTree Academy Workshops, please write to us at connect@satsang-foundation.org.