The last tree festival of the year is done and dusted, and how! So many observations from all directions of the country, new insights into how this odd weather is reflecting on our trees and getting new people interested in plants and watching the seasonal changes in trees!
Read all about it in this festival report –
Overview
The tree festival was celebrated from 21 to 30 November 2025. A buffer week was kept aside to add any spare observations made in these 10 days. To the absolute delight of Team SeasonWatch, you all gathered 13,616 observations in this tree festival! Here’s how these observations span across India –
These observations came in from 21 states and union territories, namely Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Mizoram and Puducherry. Kerala wins the ‘biggest observer’ position with an astounding 12,251 observations! This is followed by Karnataka (317), Tamil Nadu (243), Madhya Pradesh (190) and Maharashtra (168).
Thank you, everyone, for putting your states on the SeasonWatch Map!
Of the total 13616 observations, 10,262 are casual observations, and 3,354 are regular observations.
Remember, regular observations are more useful in understanding the long-term impact of climate change on our trees.
These observations were made on 168 out of 172 SeasonWatch tree species. Mango is, as usual, the most observed species with 1410 observations. Neem follows closely with 1303 observations, and Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa) is third in the line with 1239 observations. Neem and Indian Almond are the focus species of the ‘Never-before-November’ festival challenge. Take a look at the other species in the top 10 of the festival –
Festival Highlights
This festival was celebrated with not just tree walks, but also three successful online meet-ups on various topics!
Tree walks
This tree festival was celebrated with 6 tree walks in 6 different cities across India.
Gaurav Soman, in collaboration with ‘Save Hanging Garden’, conducted a tree walk at the Hanging Gardens in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Arun Vasireddy led an enthusiastic bunch in the wilderness of Khajaguda near Hyderabad, Telangana.
Tirthankar Chowdhury and Debjit Mukherjee arranged a beautiful walk at the Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata, West Bengal.
Aparajita conducted two tree walks in Delhi – one for adults at Sanjay Van, and one for children at Nehru Park in Delhi.
(Right) A few items from the ‘Mystery Tree Bag’ activity she conducted during the walk.
Aravind AM, as usual, led a tree walk at Doddabommasandra Lake in Bangalore, Karnataka.
Exciting observations
Faizee Ali Khan shared these beautiful photos of the Tree Rhododendrons (Rhododendron arboreum) of Arunachal Pradesh. The trees were shedding leaves as well as showing some early blooming, which locals claimed was a normal phenomenon at this time of the year.
Workshops
Turning Walks into wonder – with guest Suchi Govindrajan
This tree festival had busy weekends throughout! The online sessions series was kick-started by a meeting of tree walk leads. This session was led by guest resource person Suchi Govindrajan. Suchi shared her insights from conducting tree walks in Bangalore. This session can be watched here.
We also have a whole new project page for the ‘India Treewalks Network’, introducing the network and sharing resources for organising and leading your own tree walk. Check it out here.
We hope to see your tree walks at the future tree festivals!
Basics of Tree Identification and Phenology
An online workshop for beginners, discussing the basics of botany, simple ways to identify the trees around us, and tracking seasonal changes in them, was conducted by SeasonWatch Coordinator Sayee Girdhari. Over 80 plant enthusiasts attended this session.
This workshop will happen again next year. Please keep an eye out for the announcement on our events page or Instagram.
Nature Journaling with Shobha Pradhan
Shobha Pradhan, an amazing artist from Delhi, brought her usual in-person nature journaling session online and opened up this meet-up for people across India. Shobha took over 30 lovely participants through the process of journaling observations in nature, and ended the session with the participants sharing their journal entries.
We hope to make this circle a regular feature of our tree festivals (and other times of the year). Please stay with us for their announcements!
Festival Challenges
100-not-out
The regular feature of our tree festivals is this challenge: to observe 100 trees over 10 days of the festival.
In the individual category, 2 individuals, namely, K S Lyla (489) and A M Aravind completed this challenge, with 489 and 385 observations, respectively.
In the school category, 19 schools, namely, H U P S – Eramallikkara (2053), Govt. HSS Chala – Kannur (891), BTMO UP SCHOOL- ELAMARAM Elamaram (875), M.T.S.S.K.G.U.P. School (821), A U P School – Panamanna (801), Alangad Jama-ath Public School – Karumalloor (755), GLPS Aroor (669), Govt, U P S – Poozhikkad (567), Gandhismaraka U P School – Mangalam (468), Kayaralam A U P School (416), opiskqd (350), Govt L P School – Thennady (337), Dhakeerath (330), Catholicate Higher Secondary School – Pathanamthitta (303), KKMGVHSS (293), U M L P S Thiruvilwamala (181), GWLPS Vallikunnam (105), Bemannur GUPS – Paruthippulli (103) and GHSS VALIAZHEEKAL (101), completed this challenge. Good job, teachers and students!
Winners
K S Lyla, with an incredible 489 observations, is the challenge winner. In the school category, H U P S – Eramallikkara wins the prize with 2053 observations!
Congratulations 🙂
Never-before-November
To observe as many individual trees as possible of these 5 species – Neem (Azadirachta indica), Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa), Drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera), Mast Tree (Monoon longifolium) and Devil’s tree (Alstonia scholaris)
Neem is the most observed of these species, with 1303 observations, followed by Indian Almond with 1239, Drumstick with 829, Mast tree with 696 and lastly, Devil’s tree with 539 observations.
56 contributors participated in this challenge and gathered 4606 observations on the 5 species.
Phenology
Since this is the season of shedding leaves, let us look at how the observed tree individuals of the 5 challenge species are doing. The data shows that 78.1% of the trees had yellow, dying leaves. This compares to 64.8% in November 2024 and 62.34% in November 2023. Here’s how this data looks on the map –
Many people also reported seeing new leaves on the trees around them. Shall we also look at what the data says? In November 2025, 94.3% of the observed trees are sprouting new leaves! This is higher compared to 80.7% in November 2024 and 78.7% in November 2023.
Could this be because of the prolonged wet season this year? Or is it a sign of an early arrival of spring? Let us gather more data on our trees to find out!
Winners
Aravind AM, with 312 observations, and H U P S – Eramallikkara, with 1199 observations, have won the challenge. Congratulations!
We are thankful and proud of every single contributor to this festival. Here are all of you and the number of valuable observations you made during this tree festival –
Contributors
Individuals (47)
Ajay Gadikar (1), Aleti Nikhil Reddy (2), Ananya Anuprasad (14), ANET (29), Anji Sidda (1), Ankit Shakya (10), Aparajita (2), Aravind (385),
Charmi Borah (7),
Deepthi N (10), Diyaraj D (5),
Faizee (16), FES Anjaniya (SHT Mandla) (47), FES Bichhiya (SHT Mandla) (78), FES Niwas (SHT Mandla) (48),
Gaurav S Soman (37), Geetha Ramaswami (2),
Harini Kapoor (2), Himanshu Lad (1),
Jigu (3),
K.S. Lyla (489), Kedar (7),
Lilan Pradhan (1),
Madan Sharma (20), Mahalakshmiappu82 (1), Manideep@2025 (4), Maya (8), Merlin K Anil (5), Munthasir (2),
Nihlastes@gmail.com (12), NISHA P (3),
P S Baiju (6), P. Chitralekha (64), Ramana Kumar Kandula (10),
Sandy (1), Sankranthi Navya Sri (4), Sarikajy (10), Sayee Girdhari (106), Seasonwatch1234@gmil.com (4), Seasunwhach1234@gmail.com (4), Sreekanth (28), Suhel Quader (38), Suhirtha Muhil M (1),
Thamminaina Mohisha (1),
Vardhini V (1), Vighnesha Solanki (24),
WWF Godavari Landscape (9).
Colleges (5)
Chanderbala Modi Academy (120), College of Agriculture – Tripura (2),
District Institute of Education and Training (6),
Fergusson College (2),
Mizoram University (12)
Schools (116)
A M U P School – Kooriyad (13), A U P S – Payyanadam (21), A U P School – Panamanna (801), Aliya Senior Secondary School Paravanadukkam – Kasaragod (11),
Alangad Jama-ath Public School- Karumalloor (755), Amlps Eravannur (1), ANM U P School Edavaka (1), Asmabi. M (6), Assumption AUPS Sulthan Bathery (1), AUPS Puthilot (3), AVHSS – Kurichy (52)
Balikamariyam LPS – Kollam (1), Baselius Augen Public School (2), Bemannur GUPS – Paruthippulli 678573 (103), Bharath EM UP School – Poinachi (1), Blossom English School – Kainatty (1), BTMO UP School – Elamaram (875)
Carmel Residential Senior Secondary School (31), Catholicate Higher Secondary School – Pathanamthitta (303), Charis U P School – Mattara (1), Chinmaya Vidyalaya- Nileshwar (8), Christu Jyothi Public School – Rajakkad (3), CHSS Okkiliyar Colony (2), CHSS – Pothukal (9), CHSS – Selvapuram (1), Corporation High School – Ramasamy Nagar (55), Crescent English School (1),
Darussalam High School – Chalakkal (1), Dhakeerath (330), DNOUPS Karuvarakundu (2),
G L P S – Mundur (1), G M U P School – Poonoor (7)
G U P S (3), G. U. P. S – Kodal (3), G. U. P. S – Ponmudi (28), Gandhismaraka UP School – Mangalam (468), GFHSS – Kuzhithura (2), GGHSS – Kanniakulangara (4), GHS – Nathagoundenpudur (6), GHSS- Irugur (5), GHSS – Valiazheekal (101), GKSGVHSS – Vellanad (UP Section) (65), GLPS – Anaprampal (5), GLPS – Aroor (669), GLPS – Choorakodu (1), GLPS – Kallukeni (3), GLPS – Kunjathur (1), GLPS – Mannackanad (39), GLPS – Mundur (1), GMUPS – Poonoor (4), GOVT LP School – Thennady (337), Government Boys Higher Secondary School – Adoor (86), Government Boys HSS – Aluva (34), Government LPS – Ayarkunnam (1), Govt LPS – Thengamam (14), Govt. HSS Chala – Kannur (891), Govt U P School – Vellamkulangara (9), Govt UPS – Poozhikkad (567), GPMUPS Bhoothamkara – (26), GUPS – Edavanakkad (2), GUPS – Pudukai (7), GVHSS – Chunakkara (78), GWLPS – Vallikunnam (105)
H U P S – Eramallikkara (2053), HariSree Public School (8)
Kadri Mills HSS (18), Kayaralam AUP School (416), Kendriya Vidyalaya (1), KHMHSS – Valakkulam (41), Kizhuthally East U P School (8), KKMGVHSS (293), KPM Model School (8), KTCTHSS – Kaduvayil (1)
Lakshmi Narayana Vidyanikethan (6), Lakshmi Narayana Vidyanikethan – Palapuram (8)
M T S S K G U P School (821), Mankara West Basic UP School (12), MESHSS – Mannarkkad (1), MET EMHSS – Mannarkkad (1)
N S S H S S Higher Secondary School Prakkulam (65), NSHS (5), NSS HSS – Adoor (1)
Opiskqd (350)
Peace Public School – Kottakkal (35), Penile Central School (21), Poilkave HSS (64)
RMHSS – Aloor (1), RVUHS (2)
S D V G U P S – Neerkunnam (1), SALP School – Venniyode (5), S N Trust HSS Thottada – Kannur (55), S N U P S School – Pothinkandam (1), S V H S – Pandanad (4), SHGUPS – Karthedom (1), Shree Baldevdas Kikani Vidyamandir Higher Secondary School (18), SMLPS KaliyAR (7), South Kuthuparamba U.P. School (13), St Antony’s High School – Puliakulam (2), St Boniface UPS Pattithanam (8), St Gems (1), St George Public School Mannoor (5), St Joseph’s Nazareth English Medium School – Manampuzha (1), St. Gregorios English Medium School – Nellippathy (42), St. Joseph CGUP School (8), St. Mary’s Jnanodaya English School – Maicavu (67), St. Philomena’s High School (16), SVVHSS Thamarakudy (9), Swathy Central School – Vaniyamkulam (45), Syrian Jacobite Public School – Thiruvalla (57)
TRA Higher Secondary School (14)
UMLPS – Thiruvilwamala (181)
Veeravnchery LP School (18), Vidyodaya (5), VLB Janakiammal Girls High School (4), VVHSS – Thamarakulam (48)
Phew, what a fantastic end to a wholesome 2025! See you next year with 3 more tree festivals and many events, online and offline, in between. Please also keep your eyes on the trees, connecting with trees around you and observing them with SeasonWatch!
Team SeasonWatch is excited to enter another year with you and your trees.
Happy New Year 2026!
