About eight young people from Don Bosco Youth Services (DBYS), Matunga, Mumbai, planted indigenous mangroves at Uttan, a coastal area in the northern outskirts of Mumbai, on September 25 as part of their Season of Creation activities.
The initiative was held in the spirit of the Salesian Family's “Breath of Life Campaign,” which encourages young people to take part in tree planting and environmental action during the closing period of the Season of Creation. The global campaign runs from September 27 to October 4.
The young people chose mangroves to highlight the importance of protecting Mumbai's coastal ecosystems. Mangroves help protect shorelines, support marine biodiversity and store significant amounts of carbon. Their extensive root systems also provide habitats for aquatic organisms.
The plantation gave the participants an opportunity to turn their reflection on creation into practical environmental action and to consider their responsibility as stewards of the natural world.
For Javina Sequeira, the experience deepened her gratitude for creation.
“This activity made me feel grateful for God's creation and made me think that I am God's handiwork,” she said. “I learned that if we nurture nature, it can accompany us throughout our lives, teaching us fundamental lessons.”
Leann D'Souza connected the activity with this year's Season of Creation theme, “Living Water.”
“I am grateful to have reflected on the Season of Creation theme ‘Living Water’ by planting mangroves at Uttan,” she said. The experience, she added, made her reflect on the damage caused to nature and the need to take action to conserve it.
For Steven Fernandes, the physical challenge of planting mangroves became a lesson in patience and perseverance.
“While planting the mangroves, I used an axe to dig the ground and find a suitable spot. At times I encountered rocks,” he said. “Through this experience, I learned to be patient and persevere in whatever I do so that I can achieve my goal.”
The initiative forms part of DBYS Mumbai's efforts to engage young people in ecological awareness and action. Fr. Leon Cruz, SDB, director of Don Bosco Youth Services, has been involved in youth and environmental initiatives in Mumbai.
DBYS has also collaborated with the Archdiocesan Office of Environment on Season of Creation programs, including the COPeace youth event in 2025.
The mangrove plantation sought to connect faith with concrete ecological action, encouraging young people to respond to the call to care for creation through community participation and protection of local ecosystems.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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