In the heart of Rajasthan’s Thar Desert, villagers and schoolchildren are nurturing a tree nursery built on the principle of Familial Forestry—an approach that treats saplings like family members. Conceived by sociology professor Shyam Sunder Jyani, the method emphasizes care post-planting and empathy for the environment, with the aim of ensuring the saplings survive long-term. And it’s making a difference. Despite extreme heat and arid conditions, over 200,000 saplings have been planted and shared across villages. The initiative has also helped restore land damaged by illegal mining and attracted international support. DW first featured Familial Forestry four years ago.The trees planted back then are still flourishing. Could this be a role model for wider reforestation?