Shading the barren land

Natural 'thri' engraving in Lungtenphu landscape

Mr. Sonam Phuntsho or he is popularly known as Ata Sonam – does it neither out of his professional obligations nor for any personal gain. It’s his typical instinct and the insatiable passion that drives him into the bare face of the mountain to get drenched by rain or scorched by sweltering sun. He is out there with a mission -to repay back what Mother earth gives him by planting trees and helping replenish those hundreds of acres of lands. This is something very unnatural by individual to the natural world. On any other normal day in office, he is no extraordinary human being, faithfully performing his assigned job in perfect cut. But deep inside, in his core of heart is that sense of engraved volunteerism of trying to bring deserted land into greener arena by planting of thousands of trees.

Ata Sonam’s invoking of interest in environmental conservation commenced rather out of sheer inquisitiveness. Back then as a cow herder in Bartsham in Tashigang, he uprooted couple of blue pine wildlings and planted them in proximity of his house. Luckily for him, the wildings survived to mature into gigantic pair right in front of his ancestral house. “Now the trees have been felled and converted to timbers used for renovation of the house,” said Ata Sonam, who is the recipient of few environmental recognitions and awards. The notable one being Jigme Singye Wangchuck Outstanding Environmental Stewardship award for field leadership conferred by HRH Ashi Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck coinciding with World Environment day last year.

He is committed towards nurturing nature with no-look back. He tried his luck in becoming a forester because he believed he will be able to cater himself more to the environmental needs by being in the department. Unfortunately both for the department and for himself, he could never make through the interview. “I tried for the training at Taba but didn’t get selected,” revealed Ata Sonam. But that didn’t end his love for environment – if the blisters he wears in his weary palms from recent work are of any indication. Sonam Phuntsho is in his 50s. His old flesh and bone may refuse to cooperate but not his determination. The mind being the superior element of human being, he is willing to give his age a run uphill.

Tracking back his records of some of the efforts for environmental care – Ata Sonam initiated one of the several cleaning campaigns in Thimphu way back in 1996. Later that year, he went on with other volunteers planting trees along the Changlam. Had it not been for the wild fire and the indiscriminate destruction by other people, Sangaygang and the Changedaphu would have been grown to become one serene green area since he mass planted 10,000 saplings of cypress, bluepine, maple and oak with students of Thimphu valley.  “The adjoining residents cut the young poles for their domestic use without even contemplating its negative impacts and what little left behind was constantly wiped out by forest fire. Such are the challenges,” shared Ata Sonam. The contributions he made in the past in environmental conservation are too many to mention here in this short article.

His latest project included mass plantation of oak (Quercus griffithi) on the barren slope of Lungtenphu and above Tandin Nye. In collaboration with Karma Wangdi passionately known by all as Asha Karma, the founder of VAST studio in Thimphu, they’ve sowed 160 kgs of oak seeding on at least 20 acres land with lending of helping hand by the odd 40 VAST student volunteers. The plan is also in the offing to usher a radical transition of the particular landscape whereby the bird eye view will feature Green Mountain with mantra word “thri” perfectly engraved. Such facelift on the barren Mountain will also be the first of its kind in the history of Forest of Bhutan.

Although appreciations have been endowed to Ata Sonam, Asha Karma and the volunteers, we’ve yet to follow the footstep of these enthusiastic environmentalists. Make no mistake – next time you see a man with a bag-full of oak seeds with a spade by the shoulder – the man will be Ata Sonam.