Rooted in Passion: Meet the Tree Man of Coimbatore Planting a Greener Future

Madhumitha Anandkumar

From being a bus conductor to The Superstar of Tamil Cinema Rajinikanth became a big inspiration to many. It must be a spell that bus conductors have. Now Marimuthu Yoganathan, a 59-year-old bus conductor working with the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, has emerged as a beacon of hope and environmental stewardship. Fondly called “Tree man of Coimbatore” M Yoganathan has planted nearly 5 lakh trees over 38 years, of which 3 lakh trees have now grown high and standing tall, largely on school and college campuses in Coimbatore.

He continually inspires young minds; has visited nearly 8,700 schools, colleges and universities encouraging them to plant saplings. He joyfully mentions that he loves being at any school or college for the Monday morning assembly.

Yoganathan was inspired by the late environmentalist S Jayachandran from the Tamil Nadu Green Movement. He emphasizes the importance of teaching sustainable practices. He says “Nature offers us so much, and it’s our responsibility to learn to use, and preserve the resources it provides wisely”.

Inspired by his work, Rashtrapati Bhavan had invited him as the President’s Guest for the Independence Day last week.

The Tree Man of Coimbatore also nurtures a nursery to supply saplings spending thirteen thousand rupees from his pocket every month. Yoganathan conducts engaging awareness programs for school and college students. He teaches fundamental lessons about the environment and basic life sciences, including the origin of various water bodies and the importance of coexistence of insects, animals, and humans.

Yoganathan brings about change of hearts. Moved by his message, a school in Delhi he says celebrated Diwali without firecrackers last year. He wants to make at least 4 school follow it this year.

The service that resonates with me the most is his hands-on workshop, “UYIR VAAZHA ORU MARAM” he conducts every Monday. This workshop guides students through the entire seed to tree process, from seed selection, mother-bed preparation, watering and irrigation.

As for his larger goal, he wants to take his work across India. “My vision extends beyond tree planting; it encompasses every aspect that affects the environment, such as waste management and mitigating its adverse effects”. Yoganathan adds “My ultimate goal is to instill this sense of responsibility in every citizen while making our country greener through my tree-planting efforts.”

(Madhumitha Anandkumar is a final-year Food Processing Technology and Management student with a passion for storytelling and creative writing. She reads books and her interests include music, movies, art, and life sciences. She loves meeting people and engaging conversations.)

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