Fuelled by vibrant flowering and fresh new leaves on the trees, the first tree festival of the year was received with great enthusiasm. Tree enthusiasts stepped out and observed many trees in their neighbourhood. What does this data tell us? And who are the winners of the festival?
Read on to find out!

Overview

March Tree Festival 2025 collected 7167 observations from 22 states and Union Territories, with observations from Manipur and Nagaland!

Among the 22 states and UTs, Kerala is the winner with 3606 observations. Kerala is followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Puducherry in the top 5. We must mention that all the 382 observations from Puducherry were made by the one-man army – Surendhar Boobalan.
Thank you for these incredible contributions, everyone!

Out of the 7167 total observations, 5278 are casual and 1889 are regular observations on 136 tree species on the SeasonWatch List. The usual top species, Mango (363), is pushed to the fourth spot this time by three species of the ‘Leaf Flush’ Challenge – Teak (615), Rain Tree (556) and Pongam Tree (383). The other tree species in the top five is Neem (320). Here’s how all the species with over 100 observations have fared –

Festival Highlights

The blooming trees have been beckoning all of us outdoors. Some tree enthusiasts stepped up and conducted tree walks in different parts of India. Here are some snippets from these tree walks –

Ankita Thakar led her first tree walk in Vapi, Gujarat

Bhuvana Raj took the neighbourhood kids on a tree walk in Chennai

Bikash Kumar Sahoo and students of Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya, Gudari, on a tree walk

Students of Selengpather ME School, Nazira, Assam on a tree walk with teacher, Binoy Chutia

Gauravya Mohan conducted a treewalk in the IISc Campus, Bangalore, on a pleasant evening

Gayatri Bakhale leads enthusiasts on a tree walk on the IIHS Campus, Bangalore

Mittal Gala and Aravind AM (seated in the front), and a big group of tree enthusiasts on a tree walk at the GKVK Campus, Bangalore

If you would like to conduct a tree walk of your own, here are some guidelines and tips to begin. You don’t have to wait till the next tree festival. Please plan your tree walk anytime!

Festival Challenges

As usual, the March Tree Festival had three challenges for SeasonWatchers – the beloved ‘100-not-out’ challenge and the seasonal ‘Scarlet Summer’ and ‘Leaf Flush’ challenges. Read on to know the winners of these challenges –

100-not-out

The challenge here is to add 100 observations in the 10 days of the festival. This means contributors who uploaded 100 or more observations completed the challenge, and the ones with the highest number of observations will win the challenge.

In the individual category, Surendhar Boobalan, Arnab Kumar Samanta, K.S. Lyla, Aravind, S. Deepiksha, Jigu and Ketki Pendse completed the challenge. In the school/college category, V.V.H.S.S. Thamarakulam, Catholicate Higher Secondary School Pathanamthitta, A.K.G.M. G.H.S.S. Pinarayi – Kannur, Gandhi Smarak U.P. School, M.T.S.S.K.G.U.P. School, G.S.S. College Belgavi – Karnataka, U.M.L.P.S. – Thiruvilwamala, Government High Secondary School, Chanderbala Modi Academy, Kayaralam AUP school completed the challenge. Bravo!

Winners

Surendhar Boobalan, with 829 observations and V. V. H. S. S. Thamarakulam, with 830 observations, are the winners of this challenge. Congratulations!

‘Scarlet Summer’ Challenge

Focused on 5 species of red/orange flowered trees – Red Silk Cotton, Flame of the Forest, True Ashoka, Indian Coral Tree and Nilgiri Rhododendron – this challenge asks the contributors to observe as many individuals of these species as possible.

40 individuals, schools and colleges participated in this challenge. Of these, AKGM GHSS Pinarayi-Kannur, Aravind, Kayaralam AUP school and Ketki Pendse added observations on four out of five species. Kudos to you!

The most observed species of the challenge was Flame of the Forest with 292 observations, followed by True Ashoka (120), Red Silk Cotton (80), and Indian Coral Tree (50).

Phenology

Started in 2023, this is the third year of this challenge. Here’s how we have found the observed trees to be flowering during the March Tree Festival every year –

About 56% of the observed trees flowered in 2023, which increased to about 77% in 2024 and to 86% in 2025.
What do you think about this observation?

Winners

K. S. Lyla, with 54 observations, and Govindram Seksaria Science College, Belagavi, with 300 observations, won this challenge. Well done!

‘Leaf-Flush’ Challenge

In this challenge, the new leaves were documented on 8 tree species: Teak, Indian Ash Tree, Rain Tree, Siris, Pongam Tree, Devil’s Tree, Mahua, and Dyer’s Oleander.

SeasonWatchers gathered 2139 observations on these 8 species. The most observed species of the challenge is Teak (615), followed by Rain Tree (556) and Pongam Tree (383) in the top 3.

63 individuals, schools and colleges participated in this challenge. Surendhar Boobalan and VVHSS Thamarakulam observed all 8 species of the challenge. Kekti Pendse observed 7 of the 8 species. AKGM GHSS Pinarayi-Kannur, Aravind, Arnab Kumar Samanta, Jigu, Mount Carmel High School, Kottayam and UMLPS Thiruvilwamala observed 6 of the 8 species. Nicely done, all of you!

Phenology

This is the third year of this spring/summer challenge, where we get an estimate of how many of the observed trees have fresh new leaves. Here’s what we have seen so far –

Over 87% of the observed trees of the 8 challenge species had new leaves in 2023, which reduced to 77% in 2024 and was at about 81% in 2025.
What can we understand from this trend?

Winners

Unsurprisingly, Surendhar Boobalan, with 411 observations and V. V. H. S. S. Thamarakulam, with 442 observations, are the winners of this challenge.
Congratulations, teachers and students!

Contributors

Team SeasonWatch is delighted and proud of all of your tree observations. We hope you are, too! Thank you for making this a successful tree festival. We will be back with the monsoon tree festival (1-10 August 2025). Please stay with us for more information.

And until then, keep SeasonWatching your trees!

Individuals (67)

Aadidev .S (2), Aaditeshwar (2), Akilan (5), Anand Meherwade (2), Ananya Guru Sangameshwar (3), Ananya.R (3), Anet (37), Angeline Mano M (12), Aparna. R (3), Aravind (227), Arnab Kumar Samanta (548), Ashish Patel (1), Avishkar (10), Binoy Chutia (14), Bithi Majumder (3), Carol (7), Chai Eng Law (9), D1024 (2), Denzil Britto (1), Dhanushyam (18), Fes Anjaniya (Sht Mandla) (20), Fes Bichhiya (Sht Mandla) (98), Fes Niwas (Sht Mandla) (48), Geetha (5), Geetha Ramaswami (13), Hari Haran P (4), Harshitavatsal (11), Himanshu Lad (5), Hussain Ebrahim (1), Indu (1), Jaya Rakesh (41), Jigu (141), K.S Lyla (411), Ketki.Pendse@Gmail.Com (106), Krishna Panyam (17), Majeetha (27), Manohar Pawar (13), Mayurika Leuva (1), P S Baiju (5), P. Chitralekha (68), P.Rajangam (6), Peiku (3), Prabhat Singh (4), Priti Bangal (9), Pushkar Gaikwad (5), Rahul Kumaresan (1), Ramana Kumar Kandula (10), Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park (1), Rijin Raju (3), Rohan (7), S.Deepiksha (152), Sanjanaradhakrishnan (16), Sayee Girdhari (73), Sdevika (12), Season Watch Wwf-Balaghat (27), Selvaganesh (4), Selvakumar (5), Sindhuja Sarasram (4), Snehal Neel (1), Sonu Kumar (11), Subhayan Biswas (1), Suhel Quader (26), Suhirtha Muhil M (7), Surendhar Boobalan (829), Vandana Panda (1), Vasireddyarun (56), Vedika (3)

Schools and Colleges (61)

A. K. G. M. G. H. S. S. Pinarayi- Kannur (408), A. M. U. P. S. Akode Virippadam (12), Bemannur G. U. P. S.- Paruthippulli 678573 (81), Bhavan’s Vidyamandir-Elamakkara (1), Blossom English School- Kainatty (52), Carmel Residential Senior Secondary School (31), Catholiate Higher Secondary School Pathanamthitta (512), Chanderbala Modi Academy (148), Christu Jyothi Public School Rajakkad (2), C. M. S. L. P. School Urakam (5), Deshbandhu College (5), G. S. S. College Belgavi-Karnataka (300), The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (18), Elamkavu Vidyamandir (3), Eriam Vidyamithram U. P. School (1), G. U. P. S. Kodal (5), G. U. P. S. (14), Gandhi Smarak U. P. School (380), Gdmlps (2), G. L. P. S. Anaprampal (8), Government Girls Higher Secondary School Sendamangalam Enthamangalam Namakkal Distric Tamil Nadu Namakkal District (82), Government High Secondary School (130), Govtupspoozhikkad (2), G. U. P. S. Chengara (60), G. U. P. S. Pudukai (2), G. V. H. S. S.- Cheriyazheekal (1), G. V. H. S. S. Moolamattom (2), Harisree Public School (1), Holy Cross H. S. S. Thellakom (1), Islahiya Public School- Kottakkal (1), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (3), J. N. M. G. H. S. S. Puduppanam (1), K. K. P. M. U. P. S. Varinjam (2), Kayaralam A. U. P. School (112), K. K. M. G. V. H. S. S. (9), K. P. M. Model School (9), Kuthuparamba H. S. S. (1), M. T. S. S. K. G. U. P. School (351), Mary Giri Highschool Maramchatty (7), Mc Leod’s English School (2), M. K. H. S. S. Vengoor (22), Mount Carmel H. S. Kottayam (7), N. S. S. H. S. S. Prakkulam (15), Nalanda University (71), N. S. S. H. S. S. Prakkulam (33), Opiskqd (21), Peace Public School Kottakkal (3), Raigarh Jilha Parishad School – Manivali- Karjat (5), S. M. L. P. S. Kaliyar (7), S. N. Trust H. S. S. Thottada Kannur (17), St. Joseph’s Nazareth English Medium School (7), S. V. V. H. S. S. Thamarakudy (2), Syrian Jacobite Public School Thiruvalla (18), U. M. L. P. S. Thiruvilwamala (143), V. V. H. S. S. Thamarakulam (830)