Published by: World Tibet Network News, Monday, May 6, 1996

In a late breaking news in the April issue of Sheja magazine, it has been learnt that 65 year-old Chagzoe Samphel-la, the Bursur of Rikya Ladrang has been honoured by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh on February 20, 1996 with a citation and an award in recognition of over a decade of committed service to the region's environment. Chagzoe Samphel-la began a singular campaign in the mid-70's for planting trees in Tawang in the North-Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh after he saw the massive environmental degradation the region has suffered as a result of indiscriminate felling of trees. There were initial setbacks in his mission for greening of Tawang for want of the right variety of trees that will grow in the area, but he did not give up.

In 1979 he tried a variety growing in Darjeeling and Kalimpongareas. He quickly learnt that that this specie can with stand the extreme cold winter of Tawang, which is in the Eastern Himalayas and shares borders with Tibet. With this sucess there was no looking back for Chagzoe la. He bought 1000 to 1,500 sapling seach year with his own money and planted them with help from others who shared his vision. Currently he has 2,000 junipertrees in captive plantation and the tallest among them is knownto be is 50 feet.

His good work has won him support from local people andauthorities. Local forest officers visit him on a regular basisto exchange information.

What inspired him to take up the environmental cause according to Chagzoe-la is the teachings of His Holiness of the Dalai Lama on evironment protection.

Submitted by TibetNet