The campus of St Lawrence High School, Agassaim, and the premises of the church standing in the vicinity showcase excellent biodiversity. The Agassai village is famous for organically grown vegetables. The GI tagged Seven Ridged Ladyfinger of Goa is grown and sold widely across the villages. The Agassai Brinjal has been recognized by the GI tag. The high school is situated on a hillock and faces the Zuari River. Surrounded by a diverse species of trees, shrubs, and herbs, it hosts a habitat for varied birds, butterflies, and other creatures.
The trail was conducted as a part of the ‘Kids for Tigers’ program, carried out with the efforts of Tallulah D’Silva, an architect. Several experts, including environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar, researcher Gitesh Gaikwad, and snake rescuer Vitthal Shelke, were invited. The students were in a group of 30 each. It was a rare chance for the elementary students from across Goa to understand the pivotal role played by the plants and their interrelationships.
At the onset, a pair of male and female common wanderer butterflies showed up in their presence near the Bakul tree (Mimusops elengi), which was in the fruiting state. The fruits were not ripened to be eaten. The fully mature fruits become orange. The flowers have an alluring fragrance. There is immense love for these flowers in the rural village, be it a festive occasion or not.
If there is a Tetu tree (Oroxylum indicum), one can wait during the night to see the bats coming to feed on the flowers of this tree. At that moment, there was a bud that would bloom at night. That is why they are known to be pollinated by bats.
Dundunyachi bhaji (Alternanthera sessilis), which is widely available in Goa, has taken over the undergrowth. It is a local wild vegetable in Goan cuisine. A month ago, when it was not flowering, the villagers plucked the tender leaves of this plant and made delicious vegetables. The people of Sattari tell that this vegetable tastes like Tambdi Bhaji (Red Amaranthus). The undeniably useful tree, Chandivada, (Macaranga peltata), which has a big and circular shape, is also present on campus. These leaves are an alternative to plastic bags.
Researcher Gitesh Gaikwad, while sharing his knowledge, explained, “Ambadi (Begonia crenata) that paints the Rocky Bed, blooming in pink glory, is also a delicacy.” The students enjoyed the sour taste of the leaves at hand. He showed one more interesting plant, which is the Mickey Mouse plant (Commelina). Gitesh said that this plant bears flowers in the roots as well. It was truly enthralling to reveal the facts and reasons to the students.
The snake rescuer, Vitthal Shelke, has given hands on experience to the students by showing how the color is obtained from the leaves of the teak tree (Tectona grandis). Vitthal plucked a tender leaf and squashed it. It released a red liquid. The leaves are used for making plates too.
The life cycle of the butterfly depends on the particular host plant. We have found the eggs, caterpillars, and pupa of the Common Emigrant Butterfly. The whole life cycle is flourishing on the Bayo tree, (Cassia fistula). It bears a beautiful yellow inflorescence in the summer.
There are several coconut trees, (Cocos nucifera) at the down side of the church. Students learned that Goa has two state trees, Matti (Terminalia elliptica) and the Coconut tree. Matti is naturally grown in the forest, and coconut is a cultivated species. The Badam trees (Terminalia catappa), are planted on both sides of the steps descending down towards the burial ground. This tree offers good shade. It is not an Indian tree. However, it is exemplary that the Indian Badam tree is also planted on the premises. It is called Jungli Badam (Sterculia foetida). Other species, including Gulvel, Ber, Peru, and Tere, are also available.
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar remarked, “I was enthralled to see the jungle species of plants in the pristine hillock. The premises are full of medicinal wild vegetables. One could remove the bark of the Hasan tree and boil it for some time. You would get the decoction, which can relieve hypertension.”