An online tree-planting initiative in the periphery of wildlife dominated areas in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, aimed at reviving the ecosystem and reducing man-animal conflict, has become an instant hit with 1,10,000 plantations in eleven months since its launch.

Grow-Trees.com helps individuals and corporate houses who care for the environment to plant trees for the price of a greeting card through online orders in areas such as Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary (Rajasthan), Satkosia Gorge Wildife Sanctuary (Orissa) and Kanha National Park (MP).

Requests are placed online on the website and the actual plantation work is carried out in collaboration with NGOs working for the environment, namely the Foundation For Ecological Security, Seva Mandir and Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development.

"In order to reduce man-animal conflict and avoid human exploitation of the buffer zone areas dominated by wildlife, afforestation in the periphery areas is critical.

Regenerating these areas and making the land more productive alleviates poverty and strengthens rural livelihoods. The pressure on these sanctuaries is reduced and the rich biodiversity they support is protected," says Karan Shah, co- founder of Grow-Trees.com.

"The response to our campaign has been tremendous. We have been successful in engaging people from all walks of life - rural, city and corporate houses in our initiative. People place the order for tree plantation which are carried out by our partners working in these areas," adds Shah.

Around 25,000 saplings have been planted in the periphery of Kanha National Park and Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary, 9,000 in Satkosia Gorge Wildife Sanctuary in Orissa and 2,000 saplings in Dwarka in Gujarat.

One project of planting 19,000 tree saplings has been already completed in Kotra, Surpur, Kaliyari, Varasada and Panchmahal villages in Gujarat and other of planting 29,990 trees in Udaipur in Rajasthan.

"We are working in 15 villages in this area. Trees are being planted in buffer zone and periphery area of Kanha park.

A weed called 'Lantana' has grown here which does not allow growth of other plants. We are clearing it and planting new trees here. A rich buffer zone lessens the man-animal conflict," says Ishan Agarwal, Team Leader, Foundation For Ecological Security (FES).

Agarwal says they aim to plant 50,000 trees by the end of the monsoon.

Yash Shethia, Team leader of FES working around Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary in Udaipur says it is a long-term initiative that aims at regeneration of local forest and communities living there.

"We work with local communities to have a good forest.

Kumbhalgarh forest protects eastern part of Rajasthan from desertification. So, this effort has implications beyond wildlife also," says Shethia.

Local types of tress are mainly planted in these areas, apart from economically viable options like bamboo, which can also be used in building houses by locals.

The idea began when in June 2010, Pradip Shah, founder of CRISIL, a credit rating agency, was gifted a garden of 100 trees planted in his honour in Israel for technical assistance that he provided to a rating agency there.

"Tree planting creates low-skill jobs, and benefits current and future generations, has a direct impact on carbon reduction, restoring forests, improving wildlife habitats, and upgrading water catchment areas, and offer flowers, fruit fodder and fuel for local communities and all living creatures," says Shah.

The philosophy is to help each interested individual to offset carbon emissions caused by him and his family or friends by using electricity, air-conditioners, aeroplanes etc. The cost of planting a tree is Rs 50.

"The per capita carbon emission in India is currently around 1.2 tonnes per annum, expected to rise to 2-2.5 tonnes by 2020 and 3-3.5 tonnes by 2030. A large tree inhales 20.3 kgs of carbon-dioxide in a year and exhales enough oxygen for a family of four for a year," says Shah.

People have the option on the website to calculate the amount of carbon emitted due to them and they can also calculate the number of trees needed to offset this emission.

The United Nations Environment Program has recognised efforts of Grow-Trees.com and has declared it as official partner in its 'Billion Tree Campaign'.

For the future, says Shah, the target is to plant ten lakh trees and increase the plantations in cities by partnering with schools and colleges there.