While most children his age spend their time on mobile phones and video games, eight-year-old Elvis Kushwaha from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh is quietly inspiring people to reconnect with nature through tree plantation.
Known locally as a “young environmental guardian”, the Class III student has been motivating people to plant and protect trees, invoking memories of community-led green movements such as the historic Chipko Movement.
Elvis began his journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by fear and lockdowns. At a time when people largely remained indoors, he took it upon himself to plant saplings and encourage friends and neighbours to do the same. What started during the pandemic has since grown into a sustained environmental campaign.
So far, he has distributed more than 600 saplings, including guava, jamun, amla, mango and Christmas trees. He urges recipients not only to plant the saplings but also to nurture them. Notably, he saves the money he receives in a small piggy bank and spends it on buying saplings instead of toys, particularly on his birthday and on World Environment Day. He has also actively supported the government’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative.
Born on September 1, 2017 in Ajit Nagar of Etawah, Elvis draws inspiration from his mother, Pooja Kushwaha, and his maternal grandfather, Ramesh Kushwaha, an avid environmentalist. It was his grandfather who first encouraged him to plant trees at home, sparking his early love for nature.
His efforts have not gone unnoticed. District Forest Officer Vikas Nayak has appreciated Elvis’s environmental awareness and is working to associate him with plantation programmes run by the forest department.
Elvis has also presented saplings to several prominent personalities, including District Panchayat President Abhishek Yadav, BJP MLA Sarita Bhadoria, educationist Kailash Yadav and renowned badminton player Saina Nehwal. His message has reached beyond Etawah as well, with plantation activities carried out by him at Datia Airport in Madhya Pradesh and the distribution of tulsi saplings to devotees at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh.
According to Elvis, planting trees is the most effective way to address environmental degradation, as it helps restore ecological balance and ensures a healthier future. His consistent efforts have earned him multiple honours at the Etawah Mahotsav’s Environment Student Parliament.
At a time when climate concerns are growing worldwide, Elvis Kushwaha’s work serves as a reminder that meaningful change can begin at any age.