Actor and fitness advocate Milind Soman said he has planted 30,000 trees around his property in Lonavala, describing the effort as a response to seeing local land cleared and burned during development bursts. He spoke about converting surrounding hills into a denser tree cover that supports wildlife and moderates heat.
Soman, known for marathon running and environmental campaigning, practices forest bathing on the land and encourages visitors to observe seasonal changes rather than treat the area as a backdrop for social media posts alone. He recalled periods when neighbors questioned whether reforestation would block views or attract monkeys.
Ecologists caution that large private plantings help but cannot replace watershed planning across the Western Ghats, where tourism infrastructure continues to expand. Still, local volunteers have joined occasional sapling drives organized through his networks.
The project illustrates how celebrity landowners can model stewardship, even as critics urge comparable investment in community forests accessible to residents without private estates.
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Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/milind-soman-planted-30000-trees-lonavala-house-people-burning-everything-10737384/